It is important to note that creation begins not in the Garden in Eden, but in chaos and confusion. Tohu va Vohu, the first phase of creation, refers to a state of utter desolation. While we don’t know exactly what the expression means, here are some of the possible English translations offered in various texts: “unformed and void” (JPS), “wild and waste” (Fox), “a soup of nothingness” (MSG), “water and waste” (Alter). It is out of this muck that God shapes the universe, bringing order and beauty out of sheer nothingness.
Tohu va Vohu is a good way to describe our emotional state after the terrorist attack in Israel last Shabbat. The emotions that come to mind are confusion, frustration, sadness, hopelessness, and anger. Some of the questions we may be asking ourselves are: How could this have happened? How should we respond? What should we be doing now?We have witnessed one of the darkest days in Jewish history – with over 800 dead, 2500 wounded, and possibly 100s held hostage. How will we ever recover?
In the Torah, God creates the world out of this chaos. We, too, must find our equilibrium. We too must mourn. We too must rebuild. We too must reorder. To find our way out of Tohu va Vohu requires everyone to pitch in. Unlike in the Torah, we cannot simply count on God for the next steps. By gathering like we did on Sunday night at Shir Shalom, and Monday night at the JCC, we begin to find the strength to move forward. We send comfort to the bereaved and hope to the beleaguered. May the memory of those lost always be for a blessing, and may our beloved homeland of Israel find its way back toward more peaceful times.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex