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Bereishit October 9, 2026
Dear CAS Friends, When I was a hospice chaplain, some of my most meaningful work was helping people engage in what we called life review. I remember Vanessa, a woman nearing the end of her life. She told me about her grandchildren, her work as a nurse, and the pride she took in her son’s work on the police force. We made space for her to reflect on the life she had lived, the people she had loved, and the things she was proud of. I think about Vanessa when I read the creation story in Genesis. After creating the world, God pauses to look at what God has made and declares, “And God saw everything that God had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Before resting on Shabbat, God takes time to reflect. But the Torah also reminds us that reflection is complicated. By the time we reach the story of Noah, God sees that humanity has gone terribly wrong. The same creation that was once declared very good has become corrupted. Our tradition makes room for both truths: the goodness of what we create and the ways things can go off course. This fits perfectly with an initiative that is starting back up at CAS, the Legacy Writing Workshop led by Beth Gerson, PHD. By putting our stories into words, we make space to look back honestly, to recognize the moments and relationships that have shaped us, to celebrate what we are proud of, and to acknowledge what we wish had gone differently. We can see our lives not as perfect, but as meaningful, complicated, and worthy of being remembered. We do not have to wait until the end of our lives to tell our stories or recognize what matters. Shabbat invites us to pause each week, reflect on what we have created, and consider what we want to carry forward. May we find the time to look at our lives with honesty, gratitude, and compassion, making room for both the good and the difficult, and discovering where we can still make things better. Shabbat shalom. Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein
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