A Fresh Start
This week we begin the next phase of our year: the post-chagim stretch, when we either return to our routines or take the opportunity to create new ones. New beginnings are a chance to refresh, reset, and start again. And this week, we literally start again as we begin reading the Torah from the very beginning.
We read about the days of Creation and what was created on each day. I’ve always loved how organized and systematic it is. Hashem created a world with structure and purpose even before He created the people who would inhabit it.
Look closely at the pattern. During the first three days, Hashem creates the spaces and environments: light and darkness, the sky and the waters, and the land with its vegetation. During the next three days, He fills those spaces: the sun, moon, and stars fill the heavens; the fish and birds fill the waters and sky; and the animals and people fill the land.
Nothing was random. Nothing was an afterthought. First, the space was created; then it was filled.
Adam came last, after everything else was already in place. The world, with all its beauty and resources, had been prepared for him. Yet one very obvious omission remained: he was alone.
Adam noticed that every animal had a partner while he did not. He recognized what was missing and longed for a companion. Hashem then created Chava.
That sequence is powerful. Hashem created the physical framework and provided everything Adam needed, but Adam still had to recognize what was missing. Not everything meaningful in our lives can simply be provided for us. Some things require us to identify what we need, articulate it, and make room for it.
As we fill our post-Chagim calendars and plan our fall and winter schedules, Bereishis offers a beautiful model: create the structure first, then fill it with intention.
Before we let our calendars fill with appointments, errands, obligations, and activities, we can ask ourselves: What actually matters to me? What do I want to make time for? What needs to happen for me, and what needs to happen by me?
And perhaps most importantly, what is missing?
Bereishis reminds us that an organized life isn’t necessarily a meaningful one. A calendar can be completely full and still leave the most important spaces empty. We need to be intentional about what we put into those spaces.
A fresh start doesn’t have to mean reinventing our entire lives. Sometimes it simply means creating a little more structure, making room for what matters, and being intentional about what we choose to fill our days with.
Wishing everyone a calm, structured, and meaningful start to this new season.
Reader’s Reflection
What’s one thing than can be done for you, that you don’t have to be the one to do this week?