Welcome to the website of Ohev Sholom -- The National Synagogue.

There is a wonderful short story by Joseph Epstein called "Felix Emeritus." In this story there is a conversation between two residents of a retirement home. Both of them are pretty much alone in the world. One is a bitter, divorced man who lost his entire business in a lawsuit. The other is a reflective, homosexual English professor who keeps secret the fact that he is a survivor of the Holocaust.

The divorced man shares his own very depressing autobiography with the professor. After reading this work, the professor turns to him and says, "They are dark, very dark, your thoughts about life…Does life really seem so unremittingly bleak to you?" To which he responds, "Only when I think about it."

We see darkness all around us. It is very easy to see the darkness. After all, the world is based upon darkness being all around us. Even before there was light in the world, there was darkness. At the very beginning we are told, ve-choshekh al penei tehom---and there was darkness over the abyss.

Notice that the Torah never tells us that God created darkness. It says God created heaven and earth. And there was darkness over the abyss. And God said let there be light. The first words God utters is "Let there be light." But at that point darkness has already been created. Clearly, God created darkness. How else could it exist? And, yet, we are not told that God created darkness. Why not?

The Beis Halevi (R. Yosef Dov Ber Soloveitchik, 19th c.) who was for a while a Rosh Yeshiva in Volozhin, explains that God's name is not associated with darkness because God does not want to associate His name with evil. Darkness represents evil. It exists in the world, but God distances Himself from it.

This is the most simple, and yet most fundamental teaching of the creation story. God is about light, not darkness. The teaching is so simple, but its lesson is often lost. Often God becomes a "kardom lachpor bo, an axe to gore with;" often God becomes associated with darkness, not light.

Think about when people most often invoke God's name. It can be used in a hurtful manner, i.e. to tell people that they are wicked sinners, or that they are infidels, or that they are the ones causing disease to spread. It is often associated with darkness.

This is the exact opposite of the image of God that we know from the creation story. According to the creation story our responsibility as human beings is to be God-like. Va-yivra elokim et ha-adam be-tzalmo, God created man in His image. Our responsibility is to reflect God's image; to bring light into the world like God; to speak so that there may be light. So, how do we do that?

An approach to this question is offered by the Beis Ha-Levi's colleague in Volozhin, R. Naftali Zvi Yehuda of Berlin (Netziv, d. 1893) in his introduction to Bereishit.

But first, some background on the Netziv and the Beis Ha-Levi. In 1854, Netziv took over the famous Yeshivah of Volozhin and the Beis Ha-Levi was named assistant Rosh Yeshivah. Their learning styles were very different. The Netziv focused on developing broader concepts from nuances. While the Beis ha-Levi was more casuistic making connecting themes from seemingly unrelated sources. These two different styles led to the creation of two different factions in the yeshiva—Netziv loyalists and Beis Ha-Levi loyalists. It was always the custom that the Netziv gave the Rosh Hashanah sermon in the community to the common families, while the Beis ha-Levi spoke to the students in the academy.

In 1857, to the surprise of many, the Netziv spoke to the students in the yeshiva on Rosh Hashanah instead of the Beis Ha-Levi. A major controversy ensued. Some people tried to depose the Netziv. Outsiders were needed to quell the internal controversy. Although the two scholars had no ill will towards each other, the great Beis Ha-Levi decided to move on. (See the introduction to Beis Ha-Levi on Bereishit, translated by Herzceg.)

In the context of internal fighting by the students of the great yeshiva of Volozhin, I share with you a teaching from the Netziv. Netziv notes that the Book of Bereishit is referred to in rabbinic literature as Sefer Ha-Yashar, the Book of the Upright. He wonders why this book is known as the book of the yashar, and not the book of the tzaddikim (righteous) or chasidim (pious).

To answer this question, Netziv delves into Second Temple history. Netziv explains that in the time of the Second Temple, Jews were tzaddikim and chasidim, and they were constantly involved in Torah study, but they were not yashar. This defect is what led to the destruction of the Temple. Mipnei sinat chinam be-libam chashdu et mi she-rau she-noheg she-lo ke-datam be-yirat Hashem she-hu tzaduki ve-apikores. On account of hatred in their hearts they suspected anyone who did not act like them in matters of faith to be a heretic! Even though they might be acting for the sake of heaven, nevertheless these actions cause churban ha-beriah, the destruction of the universe."

The actions of our patriarchs were in fact the exact opposite of such hateful actions. Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom. He was called, av hamon goyim, father amongst all the nations; Isaac was easily appeased by Avimelekh; and Jacob spoke softly with Lavan who wanted to kill him. The point of Bereishit is not that the Patriarchs spread their teachings or that they built a large family. The point is the way they behaved even with the people with whom they disagreed. "She-hitnahagu im ovdei elilim mechuarim, hayu imam be-ahavah ve-chashu le-tovatam ba-asher hi kiyum ha-beriah. They acted with great love towards idolaters. They were concerned for their welfare. In this way they maintained the existence of the world.

The teaching of Netziv is simple but it is also profound. The Creation story teaches us how we can maintain our world. We do so by acting like the Patriarchs, by loving those with whom we disagree, by looking out for their welfare and benefit. Ultimately, this is what it means to be Godlike. We spread light in the world by going to places of darkness and illuminating the light that is there.

This sounds easy in theory, but in practice it is very difficult. Our natural tendency is to withdraw from people and ideas that we don't care for. In reality we must be doing the opposite. When we see someone or an idea that repulses us, we must pursue; we must seek to uncover the light therein; we must allow ourselves to see the light. This basic message is the essence of what it means to be yashar. Before we can be tzaddikim and chasidim, we must be yesharim.

Alas, the pubic face of religion today has become a distasteful one. It has become a about rebuking people who are sinning. More often than not , it is not finding light amidst darkness. In order to fulfill the mission of God's creation, we must do everything in our power to change that view. We must constantly work to spread the light, to publicize the light, to let the light overpower darkness.

Let us go back to Joseph Epstein's short story. Do you know what the closet Holocaust survivor said to the depressed businessman? He said, "Maybe each of us brings his own darkness into the world with him. Also his own light. I continue to see life as a gift."

Life is a gift. But it is our job to spread the light. Let there be light.