Cantor Azi Schwartz: Al Kol Eleh Over All of These
Over All of These (Al Kol Eleh) על כל אלה
Rabbi Amanda K. Weiss: Bereishit From Chaos Comes Creation
Rabbi Weiss states that our world can itself be a mixture of chaos and void, considering global warming, warfare around the world, societal divides. Parashat Bereishit teaches us that chaos and darkness are frequently the precursor to transformational change, rather than the conclusion of our story. In the Torah, God calls the light out; in our daily lives we need to be our own source of transformation.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, z’l: Bereishit A Living Book
Rabbi Sacks questions whether we can understand our history without the “prehistory” – the narratives of Abraham and Sarah and their offspring, the narrative of Adam and Eve, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. He cites Rabbi Isaac who stated that the Torah should have begun with Exodus 12:2 – the first of the months, when the first commandment was given to Israel.