Parashat Bereshit – Shabbat 10/10/26

By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields

In Parashat Bereshit, the world itself comes into being through speech: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Creation is framed as an act of divine voice, where words bring order, meaning, and possibility out of chaos. From the very beginning, language is not just communication—it is creative power.

This connects deeply to Shema Koleinu—“hear our voice.” In prayer, we turn toward the Source of creation and ask that our own words be received. Just as God’s speech in Parashat Bereshit brings the world into existence, our speech in prayer becomes a way of participating in that ongoing creation. We are not only living in a created world; we are still part of a living dialogue.

Parashat Bereshit also introduces the vulnerability of human voice. Adam and Eve hide, Cain cries out after his wrongdoing, and God continues to speak into human confusion. Shema Koleinu affirms that even in that confusion, our voices are not lost. We are still heard, still engaged in a relationship.

Together, Parashat Bereshit and Shema Koleinu teach that beginnings are always rooted in voice—divine and human. God speaks the world into being, and we respond by speaking back in prayer. In that exchange, creation continues, and relationships are renewed.