THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

Parashat Bereishit

27 Tishrei 5776 / 9-10 October 2015
Torah: Genesis 1:1 - 6:8
Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5 – 43:10 (Ashkenazim); Isaiah 42:5-21 (Sephardim)

                              
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THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

"And God said, 'Let us make a human being, in our image, like us.'" Gen.1:26

The Midrash at Bereishith Rabbah 8:5 says that God was speaking to Love, Peace, Truth and Justice. Love advocated humankind's creation, saying that man would do loving things. Peace opposed the creation, because man would be violent. Truth opposed it, because man would be full of lies. Justice was in favor, because man would do justice. God threw Truth out of heaven and hurled it to the earth.

Menachem Mendl, the Kotzker Rebbe (1787-1859), asks, “What good did this do?” Peace, which also opposed man's creation, still remained. He answers that, by banishing Truth, there would be Peace. The unyielding battle for one's own personal Truth to prevail eliminates the possibility of Peace. But if Truth is pushed aside, there is nothing left to dispute, and there will be Peace.

The Kotzker understands human nature so well. This teaching applies to disputes large and small, whether the seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict or disagreements between spouses. We have a tendency to demand that Truth (the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth), as we see it, must be acknowledged and accepted as such. When the other party offers its own version of Truth, we and they all too often become intractable. This prevents any achievement of not only Peace, but Justice and Love as well.

This means that if they truly desire Peace, the participants to a dispute must forgo the demand that their Truth must prevail. This position, though, raises some interesting questions. Can Peace be achieved if only some of the actors in a dispute are willing to forgo their demand for Truth? How far can one bend one's principles before they break? Perhaps Peace, Truth, Justice and Love all might ultimately be achieved in the common search for answers to such questions.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard Flom

Congregation Beth Meier

Studio City, CA

http://bethmeier.og

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Candlelighting: 6:09 pm

Friday: Family Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Cantor Kerry Katz will conduct the service.  Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Service Torah reading conducted by Barry Glass. Kiddush lunch follows.

Sunday: Religious School – 9:30 am. Challah baking class with Deb Sigel – 10:00 am. RSVP - $20/family for materials.

Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Trip to Israel – 11 November. It’s on! And there is still space available! Itinerary, brochure and other information are at my blog: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2015/07/trip-to-israel.html or I can send you a PDF version via e-mail.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah bat Devorah, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky, Jerry Daniels, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Annabelle Flom (Chanah Bella bat Kreina), Gig Flom (Gittel Tobi bat Blanca), Leonard Foint, Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Stephanie Kane, Philip Kovac, Marsha Meyers, Annie Rivera, Gil Robbins, and Steve Schwartz (Yehoshua ben Esther).

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