Starting Again in 5785

In the Big Inning: And so, here we go again. After a short week full of holidays - Sukkot Chol haMoed, Hoshana Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah - we Jews are blessed to start anew the annual cycle of Torah readings. Chapter 1, verse 1! Except for those communities who folllow the Triennial Cycle. For those who do: Chapter 5, verse 1!

Abq Jew is of course thrilled beyond belief that his New York Yankees - the best and most celebrated team in the history of baseball - are once again in the World Series. He is less thrilled that his team will be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers, who shamefully left his home town of Brooklyn in 1957. 

By which time Abq Jew and family had also moved (see June 2023's Let's Twist Again!) - but only to Valley Stream! Still in New York State!

Got the blues?

Yes, what with Jewish events in and around Israel and Jewish events in and around the US of A and Jewish events all over the world - it's hard these days to get over the blues. See Abq Jew's handy guide above.

But back to Bereshit - which many now transliterate (as opposed to spell) Beresheet, for fear that TFG will say something ... well, you know.

To counter all the antisemitic "protests" taking place everywhere - and especially at certain US colleges and universities - Abq Jew here presents the teachings of Rashi on the first lines of the first book of our sacred Torah.

Who was Rashi, again? Oxford Bibliographies reminds us:

Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (b. 1040–d. 1106), commonly known by his acronym Rashi, was the single most influential Jewish Bible commentator of the Middle Ages. Rashi’s works include a commentary on the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), a commentary on the Babylonian Talmud, and various Halachic works and responsa. 

Of these works, his commentaries on the Pentateuch and on the Talmud are by far the most commonly read and studied. He was a foundational influence on Jewish Biblical scholarship ....

When the Israel-haters call us Jews "colonizers" - this is what we tell them.

בראשית. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹֹֹֹֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בָּהּ יִשׂרָאֵל, וּמַה טַּעַם פָּתַח בִּבְרֵאשִׁית? מִשׁוּם כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם (תהילים קי"א), 

 

שֶׁאִם יֹאמְרוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְיִשְׁרָאֵל לִסְטִים אַתֶּם, שֶׁכְּבַשְׁתֶּם אַרְצוֹת שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם, הֵם אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה הִיא, הוּא בְרָאָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינָיו, בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְתָנָהּ לָהֶם, וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָהּ לָנוּ:

בראשית IN THE BEGINNING — Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation? Because of the thought expressed in the text (Psalms 111:6) “He declared to His people the strength of His works (i.e. He gave an account of the work of Creation), in order that He might give them the heritage of the nations.” 

For should the peoples of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan”, Israel may reply to them, 

“All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed He gave it to them, and when He willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187).

Yes, Abq Jew is - as are Jews around the world, except those in the Land of Israel - most undoubtedly suffering from, but occasionally enjoying, what the Berenstain Bears proudly proclaim to be Too Much Yuntif.

And thus, in almost closing, Abq Jew curiously brings you, his loyal readers, a selection from The New Yorker's Shouts & Murmers titled

Excerpts From A Sitcom Set in New York City
by Writers Who Are Clearly From California

INT. APARTMENT—NIGHT

Best friends REBECCA (an intern at a boutique book publisher) and HANNAH (an intern at a fashion magazine) live together in an affordable, two-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side. 

They’re throwing a party tonight, like they do most weekends, because their average-size, twenty-five-hundred-square-foot apartment overlooking Central Park is perfect for accommodating big groups. 

In the kitchen, Rebecca is chatting with MIKE, an attorney at a large corporate law firm, whom she’s just met.

MIKE: This is a great place you guys have here. So quaint and cozy. How’re you liking it?

REBECCA: It’s O.K., but a little cramped. So I’m thinking of moving into a two-bedroom place by myself so that I can have an office.

MIKE: Makes sense.

REBECCA: How about you? What part of New York City do you live in?

MIKE: I’m on the Upper West Side.

REBECCA: Nice! So easy to get to from here!

MIKE: I know, right? Just a short subway ride away!

And finally, depending on when you're reading this -

Good Yontif! Good Shabbos!