Parshat Bereshit · Shabbat, 10 October 2026 / 29 Tishrei 5787
Parshat Bereshit begins with the creation of the world. We often picture Creation as a majestic event that happened long ago: Hashem spoke, the heavens and earth came into being, and history began.
Chassidic teaching asks us to see something even deeper. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi explains in the first chapter of Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, the second part of the Tanya, that the Divine words through which the world was created did not disappear after completing their task. Hashem’s creative life-force remains present within creation, continually sustaining and renewing it.
In other words, Creation is not only something that happened “in the beginning.” At every moment, the world receives its existence anew.
This idea can change the way we see our own lives. We sometimes allow yesterday to define today. A mistake becomes an identity; a disappointment becomes a permanent expectation; a strained relationship feels as though it can never change. Bereshit reminds us that the present moment is not merely a repetition of the one before it. It is a fresh gift, carrying new possibilities and new responsibility.
Renewal does not mean pretending that the past never happened. It means recognising that the past does not have to dictate our next choice. We can speak more gently, begin a neglected mitzvah, repair something we have damaged, or approach another person without reducing them to an old impression.
This is especially meaningful on the first Shabbat after the festivals of Tishrei. The special days may be over, but their purpose is only beginning: to help us bring fresh spiritual energy into ordinary life.
May Parshat Bereshit give us the courage to begin again—and to recognise every new moment as an opportunity to add gratitude, purpose and kindness to Hashem’s world.
Shabbat Shalom.