Bereishit, Achdut & Simchat Torah

Rav Johnny's original thoughts on the weekly parsha

Early in Parshat Bereishit, within the description of the third day of Creation, we are told that God called the gathering of water ‘yamim’ – literally ‘seas’ (Bereishit 1:10).

Naturally, we may wonder why the plural ‘yamim’ is used, when the single ‘yam’ would have sufficed. Addressing this question, Rabbi Yossi bar Halafta explains that: ‘the fish which come up in Akko are not the same as those which come up in Sidon or those which come up in Spain’ (Bereishit Rabbah 5:8, as quoted by Rashi). What this means is that even a single body of water can contain shallow water and deep water; sweet water and salty water; clear water and murky water - thereby making a single body of water a conglomeration of different bodies of water and thereby enabling a single body of water to host different species of fish.

Interestingly, the Sfat Emet (Sukkot 5665) references this Midrash to explain how the Jewish people are both separated as tribes and unified as a single unit; we are like a single body of water, but we are also diverse like the wide variety of fish in the sea.

Holding this thought, I would like to speak about the unity and variety of the Jewish people while reflecting on the unity and diversity of the experiences of the Jewish people on last year’s Simchat Torah and since then.

Just a few weeks ago I was talking with a friend who lives two roads away from me in our small yishuv in the south of Israel and we reflected on the morning of Simchat Torah last year – which quickly revealed that he and I had a quite different experience that morning. Yes, we were both woken up early by the intense rocket attacks, and yes, we then spent almost an hour with our families in our safe room. However, because I’d spoken to a neighbour who rushed off early that morning, and because the police had driven through my road that morning, I already knew about the Hamas infiltration by 7.30am, while this friend only found out a few hours later.

Then, just a 30-minute drive from where I live is Sderot and Ofakim and the many other kibbutzim in the Otef (Gaza Envelope) where, as we all know, horrific and sickening events took place that morning. Geographically, we are very close (in fact, a map was later found showing that Hamas’ plan included attacking my yishuv). Still, that morning we were worlds apart.

Then there were those in the central and northern parts of Israel who had very different experiences to the residents of the south – with some of them celebrating Simchat Torah almost as normal.

And then there were Jews in different parts of the diaspora who heard aspects of what was happening at different points of that day.

Like different fish in different parts of a sea, the experience of Simchat Torah last year was very different from Jew to Jew – depending on who they were, and where they were.

At the same time, over the past year the Jewish people have been like a single unified body of water, and we have all seen so many remarkable moments of achdut (unity) across the Jewish world.

So, as we approach Simchat Torah and the reading of Parshat Bereishit this year, along with my heartfelt prayers for the return of the hostages, for the safety of our soldiers, for the safety of our people and our land, and for the healing of our brave injured soldiers and other citizens who have suffered so much, I also hope and pray that notwithstanding the many differences within the Jewish people, we can still hold onto that sense of achdut and that remarkable feeling that, though we may vary as Jews, we are still one people.

Chag Sameach & Shabbat Shalom