Author: Glen Berd

Bereishit - Back to the beginning. Our sages observed/taught "Kol Hatchalot Kashot" - "All beginnings are hard" Starting a new project is challenging as one has to overcome the natural "psychological inertia" that we tend to feel. This is because as humans we are innately conflicted by the movement to change/be inspired/transform/build vs the emotional comfort of the status quo. On Shabbat Bereishit we are not only starting a new cycle of reading the Torah. We are also starting a new cycle and chapter in our lives which ideally is supposed to reflect true Torah values. On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we come up with new year resolutions. The days of awe inject us with renewed enthusiasm encapsulated in the verse "Return us O God and we will return, renew our days as of old". On Sukkot through the joyous festival and its Mitvzot we began the process of expressing our new found love of Hashem into practical life - building a sukkah and dwelling...

Simchas Torah Simchas Torah is a day that celebrates ends and beginnings. As soon as we finish one cycle of the Torah  we begin a new cycle. Beginnings and Endings are an important theme in Judaism. The week begins afresh and culminates on Shabbat. The same can be said of the Sabbatical cycles. The beauty of Judaism is that it creates structure to our lives which otherwise could descend into a seamless flow of days. Structure imbues meaning and depth. Some people have a hard time starting things, projects, work and so on. Others have difficulty finishing things. But if we don't start something we will get nowhere and if we don't finish we will not have achieved! On Simchat Torah how many of us can truly say we completed the cycle of the Torah. The truth is that none of us can as the spiritual wisdom of the Torah is of infinite depth and therefore in essence unfinishable. But the structure of start and end is extremely important as it...

Haazinu -  On the last day of Moses's life he shares with his people a 70 line song that begins with the word Haazinu. The song contains numerous themes including: 1) Jewish memory- the obligation of the Jew to remember the great miracles God wrought for the Jewish people. This memory is passed from generation to generation. Earlier in Deuteronomy the obligation to pass down our tradition was couched in terms of a parental obligation- as we recite in the Shema "and you shall teach your children to speak in 'them'" But now in Haazinu Moses empowers the new generation to ask the parents. In other words Judaism is conveyed through an intergenerational conversation. The parental generation may hold the knowledge and wisdom of the past but it is only through engagement by the younger generation that they can receive this wisdom and translate it into the new frame of reference. "Remember the days of old / Consider the years of many generations / Ask your father, and he will...

Vayelech This week is known as Shabbat Shuva the Shabbat of return. It is also one of the ten days of repentance. Moses informs the people of his impending death on his 120th birthday.  Why the need to tell the Jewish people? Also Vayelech "and he went" implies Moses going to the people from tribe to tribe? But in Parshat Nitzavim all the people were gathered together why not tell them then? Rabbi Ovadiah Ben Yaacov Seforno (c.1460-1550 Italian commentator) shares a fascinating insight into the sensitivity of our greatest leader: "Moses now proceeds to comfort the people over his impending death. He does so in order that the joy over God having concluded this covenant with them should not be turned into sorrow over the prospect of his impending passing from the scene." Therefore Moses goes from tribe to tribe as this is not just a national communique but a deeply personal farewell to each and every one of his flock. Parshat Vayelech always...