Parashat Bereshit will be read this coming Shabbat, October 10, 2026. In Porto, the twelfth consecutive year of minyan will begin next Shabbat. Two synagogues operating at the same time is no small matter, especially in a country where Christian temples - of which there are many thousands - tend to be reduced to assemblies of old people. The situation is similar to what occurs throughout formerly Christian Europe.
Bereshit marks the beginning of the annual Torah cycle, moving from the end of Deuteronomy straight back to the story of Creation in Genesis. While Parashat Bereshit is an ancient text, its narrative arcs offer profound philosophical framing for several modern geopolitical and societal challenges facing Europe today.
The portion opens with a description of the world starting as Tohu vaVohu (chaos and void) before God systematically separates light from darkness, land from water, and creates an environment capable of sustaining life. It serves as a reminder that structural order, sustainable infrastructure, and balance require intentional, step-by-step separation of resources.
Humanity is placed in the Garden of Eden with a dual mandate: L'ovdah u'l'shomrah—to till/work the land, but also to guard and preserve it. The narrative shifts quickly from cosmic harmony to human fracture: the defiance in Eden followed by the ultimate tragedy of Cain murdering Abel.
No matter how dark the narrative gets—ending on the cusp of the flood—the very existence of Bereshit ("In the beginning") is rooted in the concept of renewal. Europe faces a pervasive sense of anxiety regarding economic stagnation, demographic shifts, and social cohesion.
The spiritual essence of Shabbat Bereshit is that systems are not static; societies possess the inherent agency to hit the reset button, innovate, and rebuild their foundations even after periods of deep crisis.
