The Torah begins twice.
Genesis 1 tells the story of the seven days of creation, charting the progression from Chaos to Order. In Genesis 2, God first creates Man, fashioning him out of dust and breathing into his nostrils, and then placing him in the Garden. Later, God creates the animals and, eventually, Woman from Man’s rib.
When the Torah begins with two different tales of Creation, it is telling us from the get-go: You are entering a zone of multiple meanings. Interpretation is required here. Don’t take what follows literally.
Indeed, that’s the Jewish approach to Scripture. We embrace and encourage a wide range of readings, and know that the human insight is the key that unlocks the Torah’s deeper meanings. “The text … reveals itself through the accumulated readings of its many seekers and learners … [The Bible] speak(s) now only through the spirit and breath of its interpreters.” (Michael Fishbane in Etz Hayim Study Companion, pp. 11-12) We – with our ideas and life experience -- bring the Torah to life. We are not asked to abdicate our intellect to do so.
The Torah’s opening also holds a powerful truth for us in our daily, messy, frustrating lives. When things go bad, do what the Torah does: begin again. And don’t forget to breathe.
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