I know you’re not supposed to play favorites with Tanach, but if I had to choose my preferred book, it would be Genesis, hands down. Why? Although some of the family structures in Bereishis are out of favor now (I’m looking at you, polygamy) the emotions that come out in these familial conflicts are all too familiar. The figures in Genesis don’t just passively go about their lives; they yearn, they rage, they see the with jealousy, they love, they cry, they mourn.
As an avid true crime podcast listener, I can tell you that thousands of years later, not much has changed. The intense emotionality of Genesis comes up all the time, in stories, in conflicts, behind closed doors in family homes and on the world stage. Even with the advent of technology, industrialism, and social revolutions, humanity is still humanity, for better or worse.
What I love most about Genesis is that it demonstrates that no matter how intense (and human!) our emotions may be, we must choose how to act, despite how we feel. From G-d’s admonition to Cayin that he has a choice in responding to Hevel, to Rachel’s sharing Yaakov’s secret signs with her sister, disregarding her own envy and love, Genesis is full of people rising beyond their emotions.
This year, may we find the strength to direct our actions towards good, no matter the feelings.
