Oct 2026 - Ki Tov, and It Was Good

As I write this, we are heading into Simchat Torah, when we will read the last verses of Deuteronomy and then the first verses of Genesis, completing the Torah reading cycle and starting over again. You may remember that in the beginning of Genesis, Bereisheet, we read about each day’s creation and that when God saw all that He/She had made, “it was very good.” This phrase comes several times, one for each day. However, after creating man, God says, “lo tov lehyot adam l’vado, It is not good that man be alone.” This is one of only two times in the whole Torah when God says “lo tov, it is not good.” 

Something the Torah makes clear is that aloneness in life is not good. We as individuals have great resources, but they are not enough. All the current corporate wisdom about working in teams, and the importance of interactions between experts in different disciplines, facilitating groups to be more creative, etc., can be seen as an outgrowth of the phrase above: it is not good to be alone. Certainly the musician in her practice room, the writer at his computer, and even Moses on the mountain, have their place and time, but only if each also enters the community to enrich and be enriched. We saw this during COVID, and now we see the necessary return to offices and in-person experiences of all types.

Rabbi David Wolpe, whom I like to quote and credit with many insightful ideas, says that “to be alone is to go into battle without troops, or better, is to try harmonies with a single voice.  It cannot be done.”  He also says it is “lo tov,” not good, to always sing alone.  What an example!  I truly identify with this one!  But it’s really a metaphor for life.  We need friends, partners, and community, to become and feel whole and to be most productive.

There is a Rabbinic maxim in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 1:6) that says, “Make for yourself a teacher, and acquire for yourself a friend.” This usually refers to a study partner, but can generalize to other teachers we may learn from. This fall and beyond, we will be bringing in several teachers who we also consider friends of Beth Samuel, including, Rabbi Danny Schiff, Todd De Pastino, Rabbi/Cantor Jon Haddon, Cantor Julie Newman, and others. Some of these are colleagues of mine who are new to you, but my natural  networking gives me opportunities to invite them here, in person or on zoom.  Be sure to catch the wonderful learning sessions and become part of the community.  We will all be enriched by your presence.

B’shalom,
Cantor Rena