Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
“Shalom, My name is Shiri Vidan and I’m a tour guide from Kibbutz Na’an.
Last year I heard you explain how we complete the reading of the entire Torah on Simchat Torah and then immediately begin to read it again, starting from Bereshit.
I was very taken by this idea, and it gave me a lot of strength. I decided that I too would start to read the weekly parasha, starting last Simchat Torah. But we all know what happened that day…
Nonetheless, I decided to continue with my Torah study. During the turbulent periods we experienced last year, the weekly parasha became my anchor. When I read the parasha, I always searched for an idea that resonated with me.
For example, in Parashat “Ki Tetzei,” we learn about returning a lost object.
That week, I told my students (young counselors from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority) about this mitzvah, adding that I had recently discovered a lost object in my car—a flashlight- and I had yet to find its owner.
One of my students asked, “Is it a large, black flashlight?” I replied that indeed it was. Then she said, “I’m so happy that you found it- I’ve been looking for it, it’s mine!”
Thus, I was able to return her flashlight precisely during the week in which we read about this mitzvah in the Torah.
In a deeper sense, I believe that many of us have “lost” our flashlight-the weekly parasha - which helps to light our way. We need to return this precious “object”- to ourselves.
So as this challenging year draws to a close, I feel so fortunate that I was able to begin reading the weekly parasha, and I strongly recommend it to everyone. This Shabbat, I will be starting again from “Bereshit” (the beginning).”