May Hope Be with You Amidst these Challenges🙏

Published: Tue, 10/14/25

Updated: Fri, 10/17/25

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

Genesis 2:2,3

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Hi friend,

This coming Shabbat's Torah portion, read on Saturday, October 18th, is Parashat Bereishit. In the Torah‘s opening reading, Bereishit, G‑d creates the world in six days and rests on the seventh. Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge and are expelled from the Garden of Eden. Cain slays Abel and is punished accordingly. Enumeration of the ten generations between Adam and Noah, the birth of Noah, and the degeneration of mankind.

Join us in exploring the Weekly Bible Chapter: The Pointed Love of Esau with Rabbi Avraham Norin, and let’s learn and reflect together!

Please enjoy this teaching of our beloved Root Source teacher, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz of blessed memory, about this week's Torah portion, Bereishit, and share your thoughts with us!

Last week, our popular Root Source teacher Rabbi Gedalia Meyer talked about Simchat Torah. Watch it below.

Participate in our enlightening lesson Gidon Ariel Explains Religious Zionism with the insightful Teacher Bob O’Dell. Learn more below.

Check below to hear what Gidon Ariel and Alan Latta have to share.

We sign off with a nice comment and a beautiful photo of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.

Shalom,

Gidon Ariel and Bob O’Dell
Root Source Founders

Parashat Bereishit

G‑d caused Adam to fall into a deep slumber and formed a woman, Eve, from one of his sides. Adam was delighted with his new mate. The serpent, at the time the wisest of all animals, sweet-talked Eve into eating from the fruit of the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Eve shared the fruit with Adam, and imbued with a new sense of knowledge and awareness, they were ashamed of their nakedness and clothed themselves. The fallout was quick to come: G‑d cursed the serpent, Eve, and Adam too, with various maledictions.

Weekly Bible Chapter:

The Pointed Love of Esau

The sages viewed the encounter between Jacob and Esau as a guidebook to dealing with our enemies. Three major lessons that are emphasized are the need for: prayer; gifts; and preparedness for battle. I would humbly like to add one more lesson: be aware of the ambiguity of motivation.

Read here!

Parashat Bereishit: Which God Created To Do- Man As Partner In Creation

Shaar Hagilgulim, a kabbalistic work, identifies two types of souls – those with Abel’s nature and those with Cain’s nature. This is not a division between good and evil, as even great leaders possess Cain’s nature, but rather a distinction of character: Abel souls are gentler and more pleasant, while Cain souls are stronger and more creative. Cain is the first person to build. He constructs a city, and his descendants become the fathers of human civilization: the first shepherd, the inventor of music, the creator of weapons. This nature contains tremendous power for innovation and creation, but also danger. Cain is also the first murderer. It’s possible this nature continued through Naama, daughter of Lemech, who according to one midrash was Noah’s wife (Genisis Rabba 23:3), and thus both lines – Seth’s (through Noah) and Cain’s (through Naama) – continue in humanity.

Read Here!

Simchat Torah:
Rabbi Gedalia Meyer's Weekly Torah Study

Can we be happy and sad at the same time? Dance and mourn at the same time? Laugh and cry at the same time? Logic would tell us that this is impossible. But we all know there are greater forces in life than logic. This coming Simchat Torah will be a time of conflicting emotions for the entire people of Israel. Chag Sukkot Sameach!חג סוכות שמח

Watch the video

Lesson 3: Gidon Ariel Explains Religious Zionism

Gidon Ariel from Root Source explains the origins of Religious Zionism (starting at 5:09) in the context of his own personal story of how he came to Israel.

Watch the video

Conversations:

Gidon Ariel and Alan Latta - July 1, 2024

Gidon and Alan engaged in a detailed discussion about the Hebrew language, exploring the meanings and derivations of certain words, and the significance of the letter ‘hey’ in indicating gender. Lastly, they touched on the biblical story of Adam and Eve’s creation and the concept of feminine and masculine in Hebrew.

Listen here!

Comments

We get so many comments!
Here is one from Stephanie Wheeler on

Weekly Bible Chapter: Leah’s Gratitude Amidst Heartbreak

"Thank you for this insightful teaching, Rabbi!"

Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Enjoy this photo of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel by Adam Jang.

Blessings and Shalom,
Bob and Gidon

https://root-source.com

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