In Torah, there are two equivalents to winning the World Series and both are extremely elusive. The first occurs at the beginning of the Torah, in a section we read this week as part of Parashat Bereishit, is the Garden of Eden, a place of true bliss that according to rabbinic tradition humans lived in for less than 24 hours. And, the second after the generation of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs is only aspired to reach in the Torah (perhaps the equivalent of reaching the World Series and not winning it), and that is the Promised Land. Indeed one of the last images in Torah is Moses atop Mount Nevo staring out at the future homeland of our people.
I believe it is purposeful that these destinations – the Garden of Eden and the Promised Land – book end the text of the Torah. Most of us cannot be the New York Yankees and their 27 World Series titles, instead we exist in the in between, what Torah calls the wilderness. And, that is okay. The wilderness is actually quite an exciting place and makes for much more interesting reading than either of elusive Biblical destinations. This week, we bask in the brevity of that sacred mystical Garden of Eden, just as last week we savored Moses’ view from the mountain top, but then we continue on our march through Torah, looking forward to all the wonderful stories that will greet us along the way over the course of the year.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 10/29/2016 by wpadm