Kol Shearith Israel Congregation
The Word light appears five times in the first chapter of the Torah. According to our sages, this provides a reference to the five books of Moses. The first use appears as “God said, „Let there be light‟" referring to Bereshit, which enlightens us on the origins of Creation. The next, “… and there was light,” refers to the book of Shemot, which contains the story of Israel‟s transition, from the darkness of slavery to the light of freedom. Then we read, “God saw that the light was good,” which represents the book of Va-yikra, which through its mitzvot and ritual services helps the people to become more benevolent and better people. The fourth reference, “…and God separated the light from the darkness,” refers to Bemidbar, the story which gives us a division between the Israelites who departed from Egypt and those who entered the land of Israel. And the final reference, “God called the light Day,” refers to the book of Devarim, which we just finished reading in Simchat Torah. The fact that the word light and the word day appear together, even though they are synonyms, means that this book is a general repetition of the first four books.
