Happy 250th Birthday America & Happy New Year to us as we welcome in 5787 and begin again with Bereshit! Each year at Simcha Torah we read the last portion in Devarim, we read that Moshe died, and then immediately we turn to Bereshit and watch as G-D speaks the whole world into living color! It is the promise we hear, year after year. Death is not the end, it does not have the last say. Yehoshua enters the land with B'nei Yisrael, we are invited to share that promise of the olam haba with Yeshua in resurrection. Life wins, G-D has won, HE makes a way. As popular songs puts it: If it’s not good, then He’s not done, No He’s not done with it yet. And the story isn't over If the story isn't good. From the very outset of the Bible, G-D Himself establishes the battlefield and the two sides of the conflict. The battlefield is the Earth that He spoke into existence and the opposing forces are order vs. chaos. In the opening chapters of the Bible, we find the opening battle begins to rage as we read these words from Genesis 1:1-5: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was chaos and waste, darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light!” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good. So God distinguished the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” So there was evening and there was morning—one day. Notice as we read these words that when G-D spoke the world into being, we read that chaos and darkness are on the earth and G-D is hovering over its surface. Then, with one short phrase, G-D defeats the adversary when He speaks the words: “Let there be light.” The immediate result of this first victory is order. Light and Darkness are separated and named day and night. From these very first words until the very end of the book of Revelation, everything we read is the continuing battle between order and chaos. Throughout the Bible as we turn from page to page, we see this battle rage, and every time chaos begins to get a foothold, G-D, time after time, repeats those words: let there be light. If you would like to know more about our Responsibility to read and accept HIS word check out this weeks' activity. If you have ever wondered about what grown up means, this activity is for you! Be sure to get your parents permission before you download and print the lesson and activities for this week. (links are below attached to the cartoons of children.).