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Oct. 10, 2008

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The limitations of scientific miracles

Caroline B. Glick: Lebanon on the brink --- and why it matters

Oct. 8, 2008

Rabbi Berel Wein: The day when the sane talk to themselves

Ana Veciana-Suarez: Many nonobservant Jews are finding religion

Oct. 7, 2008

Gary Rosenblatt: Of politics and prayer

Caroline B. Glick: The ironies of the West's collusion with the Arabs and Iran

Oct. 6, 2008

Rabbi Yitzchok R. Rubin: Mamma to the masses

Jonathan Tobin: Ahmadinejad Isn't Too Impressed

Oct. 3, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: The 'living dead' are all around us

Caroline B. Glick: Olmert's parting blows

Oct. 2, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: Often customers looking for our competitor accidentally enter our store. Can we just serve them without comment?

Jonathan Tobin: Jewish pundit quiz on next year's news

Sept. 29, 2008

Rabbi Eli Gewirtz: Lehman Brothers and the Day of Judgment

Rabbi Leiby Burnham: Apples, Honey and You

Sept. 26, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The shofar and the Echo of Sinai

Caroline B. Glick: A road paved on reality

Sept. 24, 2008

Greg Crosby: Home for the Holy Days

Ethel G. Hofman: Rosh Hashanah Favorites: Old-fashioned taste, reduced calories

Sept. 23, 2008

Caroline Glick: Liberalism or lives!?

Michael Ledeen: Dear President Ahmadinejad

Sept. 22, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I gave a check to a local merchant, but it hasn't been cashed in months. Probably they lost it. Do I have to tell them?

Diana West: We are losing Europe to Islam

Sept. 19, 2008

Rabbi Berel Wein: On harvesting success

Caroline B. Glick: It is time to act

Sept. 18, 2008

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Is camping the panacea to save Jewry from self-destruction?

Craig Gordon: Was SNL hilarity too much for Hillary?

Sept. 17, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: The Whole World Is Watching

The Kosher Gourmet By Linda Gassenheimer: East meets Southwest in this quick meal: MEXICAN-ASIAN TOSTADOS

Sept. 16, 2008

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. : Into the fire

Everything's Relative : Your Official Jewish Guide to the 2008 USA Presidential Election

Sept. 15, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Enabling risky behavior

Diana West: A day that will live in ... accommodating Islam

Sept. 11, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The skeleton in my closet

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein: Persecution and systematic destruction of Christians in the Middle East must be stopped

Sept. 10, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: There's Something About Sarah

The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: Who needs Chili's when you have these? Recipes for Mexican that taste great and are dietetic! Our commitment to freedom

Sept. 9, 2008

Daniel Pipes: Must counterinsurgency wars fail?

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.:

Sept. 8, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: How far must one go to help somebody out of a contract?

Barry Rubin: Waiting For Something

Sept. 8, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : How far must one go to help somebody out of a contract?

Barry Rubin: Waiting For Something

March 22, 2007

J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Oct. 24, 2003 / 28 Tishrei, 5764

The Book of Genesis: The book of — and for — mankind

By Rabbi Berel Wein


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http://www.jewishworldreview.com | The first book of the Torah (Bible), which will begin being read publicly this Sabbath, is a perplexing compilation of stories about people. No apparent master plan or blueprint of morality is readily discernible from its contents. It does not prescribe a set of rules to live by. There are no "Ten Commandments" within its pages. It's almost completely devoid of mitzvas — divine ritual commandments — and the narrative details of the lives of its heroes are incomplete and sometimes cryptic. As such, who needs the book? What does it come to teach us? What is its purpose?


Rashi, the foremost biblical commentator, raises all of these questions in the opening paragraph to his immortal commentary on Torah.


"Said Rabbi Yitzchak: The Torah should have begun from the first commandment regarding the mitzvah of the New Moon!" Rashi presents the answer that the Torah begins with creation in order to impress upon us G-d's control over the world's events and property and that He parcels out land to whomever He desires and has assigned the Land of Israel to the people of Israel.


But that does not answer why all of the other narratives and stories appear in this holy book. In fact, the entire book of Bereshis, Genesis, is an enigma. It tells us much but not all about the founders of our people; it records historical events that shape world civilization but does not really place them in a true historical perspective; and it certainly reveals almost nothing to us about the nature of the G-d of creation and Israel. So, again we ask: Why the book?


My rabbinic teachers taught me over a half-century ago that the secret of the entire book of Bereshis lay in the simple understanding of the verse: "This is the book of the generations of mankind." The Torah does not come to define G-d; it leaves that to the theologians. The Torah does not explain creation; it leaves that to the astrophysicists and geneticists. The Torah comes to direct, counsel, guide and strengthen each and every individual human being in that person's journey through life and its vicissitudes.

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Therefore, the Torah is devoted to personal detail about people's lives. It tells of human heroism and greatness, as well as to record the petty, violent and dark side of our nature. But most importantly, it provides us with role models, real heroes who inspire and challenge us to live up to our humanity and to the service of our Creator. Each of the heroes, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebbeca, Rachel, Leah, Josef, Judah, etc., illustrates the unique path in life that a Torah believer should follow. We become aware how to overcome adversity, how to accept defeat and even tragedy, how to be positive in a negative society, and how to be G-d-centered in an earth-bound mortal body.


It is no wonder that the rabbis of the Talmud demanded that Jews ask of themselves: "When will my actions in life reach the level of faith and performance of my original (Book of Bereshis) forbearers?" I may never be able to achieve or accomplish what Abraham and Sarah did, but I am duty bound to measure my goals and attitudes in life according to the goals and standards that they established for their descendants- the people of Israel, many millennia ago.


And the establishment and explanation of those attitudes and standards, as actually lived by these heroes, is the basic message of the Book of Bereshis.


In a world where standards and morality change swiftly, where there are no fixed definitions of right and wrong behavior, the example of the people of Bereshis remains vital, perhaps even more vital than in previous eras.


The evil people bring destruction to civilization, no matter how enticing the momentary enjoyment of that evil appears to society.


The righteous person preserves all humanity and brings eternal blessing to generations yet unborn. Therefore each of us should write our own book of Bereshis, through our behavior, our loyalty to Torah and its standards, our learning the lessons of the original book of Bereshis. Then we will appreciate the true greatness of this first book of the Torah.

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Rabbi Berel Wein is one of Jewry's foremost historians and founder of the Destiny Foundation. He has authored over 650 tapes, books and videos which you can purchase at RabbiWein.com. Comment by clicking here or calling 1-800-499-WEIN (9346).

© 2003, Rabbi Berel Wein