Beginning Again
God is the ultimate paradox. Every truth about Him has its counterpart which contradicts it. Every philosophy about Him carries within it its own contradiction.
Parashat Bereshit
Genesis 1:1-6:8
Parashat Bereishit (Genesis 1:1–6:8) begins with the mystery of creation and the emergence of order from chaos, presenting a world charged with Divine presence and possibility. It introduces humanity as both powerful and vulnerable, capable of creativity and destruction, and already marked by tension between obedience and freedom. The stories of Adam and Eve and of Cain and Abel reveal that moral struggle and relational conflict are woven into the very fabric of human existence.
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Parashat Bereshit: The First Divine Commandment is to Enjoy the World
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Bereshit by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
It is often thought that God’s first commandment to Adam was the prohibition regarding the Tree of Knowledge. This would mean that man’s first encounter with the will of God was a negative experience: a restriction. However, this isn't actually true: This was not the first commandment! Careful analysis of the text shows that the first commandment to Adam and Chava was to eat from all the other trees and enjoy them.
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The Art of Recognizing Miracles
In Israel, Parashat Bereshit, Parashat Bo and Yom Ha’atzmaut by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The fact that Jews survived centuries of exile, outlived all their enemies, and made it back to the Land of Israel is unprecedented and a vexing conundrum for historians and sociologists.
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On The Israeli-Arab Conflict: A Biblical Perspective
In Abraham, Israel and Parashat Bereshit by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
History is not made up of social, political, or economic factors alone, but also of spiritual forces that have far-reaching moral implications. The Torah and Jewish tradition may help us achieve deeper insight.
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Yom Kippur and the Lessons of Religious Optimism
In Parashat Bereshit and Yom Kippur by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Judaism is a warning not to yield to total pessimism, an admonition to endure truth and to choose life.