B’reishit
The Bible’s creation story conveys vital lessons: the world is good; there is a unifying intentionality in creation; and humans are fashioned in the image of God, with the culminating charge to make time holy. These descriptions of creation are not scientific, but a foundational worldview. Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson writes in Renewing the Process of Creation (Jewish Lights, 2016) that the scientific method entails three ingredients: measurable, repeatable, public. We can therefore test, he explains, the speed of light, but are unable to objectively evaluate love, consciousness, or our purpose in living. These essential dimensions of reality are realms of spirit.
This Shabbat we begin the reading of Torah anew. The sacred text offers a mirror to look within our selves and a window to see unity beneath the measurable. May our renewed reading evoke fresh connection with an unfathomable, caring Presence and our deeper call, calling us to a life of compassion and justice.