The Torah starts out in Parashat Breishit (Genesis) with the famous narrative about creation.The great commentator Rashi teaches us that although the Torah , as an operating manuel for the Jewish people, could have started in the book of Shmot (Exodus), our creator wanted us to learn about the nature of our relationship, and our capacity to receive divine blessing. Here, in Parashat  Noach, we find that the same cosmic creative force that established the world can destroy it at will.

Why the sudden change? Perhaps it is to teach us of the temporal nature of life, and that just as G-d can creative life in an instant, he can also extinguish it, in an instant, or gradually.  The ability to live our lives with the perspective that each day of life is truly a gift from our creator can be the key to living a happy, full life.

Breishit-Beginnings

It is no coincidence that our sages set up the holiday of Simchat Torah at the end of the high holiday season and not at the time of Shavuot, the actual time the Torah was revealed to our forefathers and mothers. The feeling of great joy that one feels after completing the cycle of the festivals, Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur,and finally Succot is described as “sasson”- the joy of completion.

But the joy we feel at knowing our prayers were answered and that all is well in our spiritual life is called “simcha” — which is the joy of beginnings.

We call all our major life cycle landmarks by the term “simcha”. Our births, bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings- all denote a new beginning. So, it seems that the simultaneous completion and beginning of our Torah is a fitting accompaniment to the tremendous seasonal energy, alive with completion and renewal. We enjoy these complementary emotions on Simchat Torah without any trappings-no succah, lulav, or etrog-just our joy. It is no wonder we say “Sisu v’simchu,” Be glad and rejoice…. and give honor to the Torah-for she is our strength and our light.

If you join us this Shabbat morning you will again hear the familiar words “Breishit bara Elo-k-im et hashamayim v’et ha aretz,”and we again re-examine our primordial narrative, which holds the deepest secrets of our relationship with our creator.

Can you approach it this year with Sasson and Simcha? The joy of having completed another year, emerging (we hope) wiser, and more appreciative, and at the same time the joy of our own new beginning, endeavoring to dig even deeper to capture the innate spirituality which is our essence?

I hope I can…..and I hope we can journey together.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Greg Wall

Rachel Katz and Joanna Lindenbaum, in partnership with Sixth Street Community Synagogue present:

Mapping: Women, Jewish Mysticism, and the Body

A Self Discovery Workshop for Jewish Women

Tuesday, October 20th  7:30pm

Investigate rich connections between Jewish mystical thought and the significance of the female body through an interactive workshop and art-making experience.

Workshop tickets: $15, $12 Sixth Street Synagogue Members

For more details and to register visit www.bodymapworkshop.org;

Questions: info@bodymapworkshop.org

Presented as part of Nextbook’s Jewish Body Week, a series of events exploring ideas in Melvin Konner’s book, The Jewish Body. For a full schedule of events, visit www.jewishbodyweek.com