Oct 16th 2009, 00:00

You probably never gave it much thought, but it is very telling that our Torah begins not with the birth of the first Jew or the story of our patriarchs, not with the Exodus from Egypt, not with the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, not even with the creation of the first human, but with the beginning of creation itself. The story of the Jewish people is the story of humanity. Our story begins at the very beginning, before there was anything but the Creator. Why is this so striking? Why is this so telling? Why is this so important? Because it reflects the universal nature of Judaism. For sure, there is much that is particular about Judaism just as there is in all religious systems. And more often than not we emphasize that which makes us different, that which sets us apart from others, that which makes us unique. But along comes this week’s Torah portion, the very beginning of the Torah itself, to remind us of our commonality with all other peoples, races, and religions. Judaism has always taught that all of humanity has a common history and beginning in order that no one could claim superiority over another. It is our Torah and our Creation story that gave the world the idea of equality. The holy books and story of most other religions begins with the birth of their prophet or messiah; but not Judaism. Our holy book and our story begin before humanity itself, with the creation of the world. Again, this is to emphasize the universality of Judaism and humanity. Tonight at Temple we will have Tot Shabbat at 6:00 PM and our regular Shabbat service at 7:30 PM. As always, if you cannot be here in person, you can watch the service live on the Internet at www.templebethtikvah.com (click on Live Services). Tomorrow, religious school, Torah Study, and our Shabbat morning service as usual. Tomorrow night, join us for Dinner and a Movie at 6:30 PM. Please see the Scroll for details and RSPV today if you plan on coming. Have a great weekend.