Each year when I return to Beresheet, I feel as though I am standing at the edge of creation again, watching light pierce the darkness for the very first time. There is something humbling about beginning again, about remembering that the story did not start with us, and it certainly does not depend on us.

The very first word of Scripture, בְּרֵאשִׁית  (Beresheet), “In the beginning,” holds layers of meaning that remind us how intentional God is. Hidden within the word are Rosh (head, first) and, as some have noted, Bar and Asheet meaning “Son” and “I will put.” From the very first word, the story already points toward redemption, as if God was saying from the start, “I will put My Son.”

When I read this, I cannot help but pause. The Creator already had a plan of restoration in place before creation itself began. That is the kind of God we serve - purposeful, sovereign, and unshaken.

I am struck again by the way He created: out of chaos, He brought order; out of darkness, He called forth light. He separated the seas, established seasons, filled the earth with life, and then He formed us. Humanity was His final act of creation, shaped from dust yet carrying His own breath.

And that same God still hovers over the chaos today. The same Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis still moves over a broken world, bringing clarity where there is confusion, hope where there is despair, and life where there was once only emptiness.

This week in Israel, we witnessed something truly remarkable: the release of twenty hostages after more than two years in Hamas’s dungeons. There were tears of joy, disbelief, and overwhelming gratitude as families embraced their loved ones again, against all odds. It was a moment that felt like light breaking into darkness.

And I could not help but notice the timing. Two years ago, the tragedy began on Simchat Torah, the day when we celebrate the completion of the reading of God’s Word, a day of joy that turned into unspeakable pain. And now, two years later, redemption began to unfold on the very eve of that same appointed time. If anyone still doubts that God is in control, look no further than the timing of His hand. Even when we cannot see the pattern, He is still weaving it.

As I listened to the reactions, the credit given to politicians, the military, and world leaders, I could not help but think how quick we are to forget where true deliverance comes from. Each one may have played a role, yes, but it was God Himself who opened those prison doors.

Isaiah reminds us so clearly:

This is what God the LORD says, who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that grows on it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.I am the LORD, that is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to idols.”
Isaiah 42:5–8

It was not the wisdom of men, or the strength of armies, or the deals brokered in hidden rooms. It was the same God who said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

When humanity reaches its limit, God reminds us that He is still writing the story. He alone brings life out of death, order out of chaos, and hope out of despair. And He will not share His glory with another.

As we begin the Torah reading anew with Beresheet, may we see creation and our lives through that same lens of awe. Every beginning is an invitation to trust the Creator again. The world may forget Who holds it all together, but those who know Him must never stop reminding.

And as Isaiah declares only a few verses later:

But now, this is what the LORD says, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
Isaiah 43:1–3

He was faithful then. He is faithful now. And He will be faithful forever.

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran