Backgound
The Shabbat that concludes this month packed with holidays is known as “Shabbat Bereishit,” since it marks the beginning of the annual cycle of Torah readings with the Torah portion of Bereishit.
- On this Shabbat, the entire Book of Psalms should be recited before Shacharit, as we do on every Shabbat Mevarchim.
Because Shabbat Bereishit takes place after the holiday season, and because it is the time when we read about the very beginning of world history, it is a particularly appropriate time for renewal on a personal level. This is an excellent time to turn over a new leaf and embark on a better approach toward our relationship with G-d and our interactions with our friends and neighbors.
Shabbat Bereishit is much more than simply “another” Shabbat. The rest of the year—all of the weekdays, all of the Shabbatot, and all of the holidays, as well as every personal and family event we will experience—derive their energy and vitality from this special Shabbat.
We must try to make the most of this special Shabbat by praying, learning, and rejoicing on it, with the knowledge that however we “present” ourselves on this Shabbat, that is how we will appear throughout the rest of the year.
