The Hebrew Letter Bet – A Season of Renewal

(Edmonton) – As the days shift toward a new season, many of us feel an inner call a moment to pause, reflect, and realign. This time is more than just a point on the calendar; it is a sacred window inviting us to step into stillness and examine the state of our inner world.

This process of honest self-reflection is rooted in the understanding that life is not fixed. We are always in motion, always becoming. Each breath offers a fresh chance to begin again. This is why the story of beginnings does not start with the very first letter Aleph, but with Bet ( ב) the opening of Bereishit, “In the beginning.”

The Midrash Rabbah teaches us that Bet was chosen to start the story because it stands for bracha, blessing. The world itself was created with blessing, and so too, our lives are meant to receive and pass on that blessing. Bet also begins bayit, home a place of peace, presence, and connection. The home is a sacred space, a sanctuary where we are grounded and open to growth.

The shape of Bet, closed on three sides but open to the front, carries deep meaning. The sages in Midrash Tanchuma explain that this form reminds us we cannot fully see what came before or what lies beyond, but our responsibility is to move forward. The path ahead is what matters most: growth, renewal, and light.

Yet moving forward does not mean forgetting. The prophet Malachi shares the Divine call: “Return to Me, and I will return to you.” This return is not about shame or regret, but about becoming whole. The Rambam teaches that genuine return involves recognition, remorse, confession, and inner resolve. It is a path to healing and wholeness.

This power of return is so fundamental that the Zohar describes it as woven into the fabric of creation itself. It offers forgiveness as a doorway to transformation and elevation.

Bet also begins b’rit, covenant. We are connected, anchored, part of a larger story, one that supports us even when we stumble. While the ultimate beginning represented by Aleph speaks to divine unity beyond, Bet grounds us in the everyday: in building, acting, and becoming.

As the new year approaches, we are each called to build our own mikdash me’at a small sanctuary within our homes and hearts. Every kind word, every act of integrity, every effort toward compassion becomes a foundation stone in this sacred space.

So we pause and ask ourselves: “Have I created a bayit, a home for peace and meaning within myself?

Have I brought bracha, blessing into the world through my actions and truth?

Have I honoured my b’rit, my commitment, and lived in alignment with it?”

Bet is more than a letter; it is a breath of renewal. It reminds us that life is not about perfection, but participation. Not retreat, but return. To build homes filled with purpose, communities of connection, and lives that shine with light.

May this year be a true Bereishit, a beginning of clarity, healing, and lasting blessing. May each of us be inscribed for peace, for life, and for goodness. And may we witness the day when the world is filled with knowledge and compassion.

Wishing you a sweet, and soul-renewing New Year.

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