Light from Darkness [בראשית/Genesis 1:1-6:8]

B"H

Bereshit (בראשית). The word itself has stirred the minds of perhaps thousands of rabbis, scholars, and religious individuals before me. I dare not reveal my thoughts of correct translation of the word into English, lest I offend the vivacious scholars who, to this day, debate its meaning due to the ambivalence of the translation of the preposition (-ב). Thus, I will say it is common to see English texts translate this first word of the Torah as "in the beginning." The word is indeed a fascination par excellence in Torah study, so much so that one sermon I have attended (beautifully) centered around the symbolism and significance of beginning the Torah with the second (and not first) letter of the Hebrew alphabet. One single letter--of one single word!

The stories in this parshah are widely known and immensely critiqued:

• The Story of Creation
• The Story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
• The Story of Cain and Abel
• (the intro to) The Story of Noah and the Ark

At some point these stories have been read to you or have appeared in popular culture references; you don't have to be Jewish (or religious) to recognize them. But do you know Mahalalel? Perhaps his father Kenan? Grandpa Enosh? Perhaps Mahalalel's son Jared, or grandson Enoch?

Me neither.

...I mean, I've read their names before once upon a time, but they are squeezed in between Cain and Abel (the world's first murder) and the introduction of Noah (the world's first couples-only cruise). Forget the names...those big stories are where you'll find the good stuff for commentary on G-D's actions and morals. Plus, these people are just a laundry list of names (X begot Y who lived Z years and begot A, etc). Nonetheless, it is inarguable that a large chuck of Parshat Bereshit is this genealogical exercise awkwardly stuck in the middle of the most famous stories of the Bible!! What gives? 

Let me attempt to bring significance to this often-neglected part of Torah. It goes back to the Story of Creation:

"Now the earth was astonishingly empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the spirit of G-D was hovering over the face of the water. And G-D said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." (Genesis 1:2-3)

The light is a distinct entity from darkness. (I didn't need to cite the Bible to give you that great epiphany.) But, think a bit about that statement for a second. The world started out in darkness. Light's creation was secondary, a choice of G-D, of which G-D approves in the following verse. It is G-D's first action in the creation of the earth. From the unknown, the chaos, the massive confusion, the disorder ... light was realized. The rest of Creation follows light - literally.

Immense symbolism can be derived from the concept of "light." To me, I read "light" as a guiding force that motivates my daily actions...the beauty in the mundane. Motivation. Light motivated G-D...G-D realized his creation was good, and G-D continues to create after G-D's initial success!

Think for a second about the movement of the planet. It spins in its orbit around the Sun. At some point in the day, the entire surface area of the Earth will receive sunlight. Thus, all of G-D's creation is exposed to "light." All of G-D's creations can be motivators....even the mundane pebbles and streams in the cockles of a distant land receive light and have the potential to inspire and motivate.

And so, we return to Noah's very long family tree. If all can inspire and motivate, then we must seek to find some meaning in a seemingly mundane list of hard-to-say names. For me, it is a reminder to never forget that every person is special, has a name, has a family, and lives a life -- even if we are personally unaware of the details. If we do not recognize the humanity of each and every individual, then we fail to see G-D's "light" we so immediately ascribe to the famous stories of Bereshit by stripping the potential to shine away from another human being. Furthermore, these people are the descendants and ancestors of these lights, but they are eclipsed by the piercing light we have ascribed to the other stories. In fact, we owe these under-appreciated lights great thanks providing a family for these beloved people. They too, have a story, even if we cannot see it.

In this spirit, I owe a big thank you to big "lights" this week: my amazing friends I have met in medical school. This week has been rough, for me and for everyone else. A not-so-stellar biochemistry test after hours and hours of studying and preparation proved to be a hard blow for me. Twice this week I was all but forcibly removed by friends who knew I needed to go home to rest despite my stubborn attitude for "just another hour of studying" in the library. You went with me to dinner, encouraged me to work out to release some steam, and talked with me for hours. You have been ears for my voice and open arms when I needed an embrace. I am truly blessed to have you as my lights...my motivators who push me to continue being the best I can be ... without working myself to death. Thank you for keeping me sane. You are all my biggest motivators, and I am humbled by your kindness. Your light is beautiful and amazing.