HaMaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat B'reishit Volume VI/Number 1 (235) 27 Tishrei 5752/October 5, 1991 Parasha Overview Parashat B'reishit tells about the creation of the world and the first ten generations of mankind. Little detail is given; the Torah is not intended as a history book. Rather, we are given the basic information that we need in order to understand the purpose of our creation. A basic theme that emerges from this Parasha is that Hashem has created a world of many facets, a world designed to force us to choose between good and bad (BeDibur Echod). Paralleling the dichotomy that exists in creation, many things were created in twos: heaven and earth, man and woman, body and soul. Also, Adam and Chava's original family consisted of two children, one of whom was exceedingly righteous (Hevel), the other of whom became evil (Kayin). This ideal is what the Mishnah (Avot 5:1) means when it says: "Hashem could have created the world all at once, but He created it in ten steps in order to give reward to the righteous and punishment to the wicked." A world created in one step is a world with no variations or choices; a multi-faceted world, on the other hand, is a world where one can be good or bad, and can influence others to do the same (Sefat Emet: Avot, ibid). It was Hashem's hope that the first man and woman would choose good and perfect all that was imperfect in their world, but as the sin of the "Etz Hada'at" - "Tree of Knowledge" - demonstrates, they failed in their mission. So too did the remaining generations mentioned in this Parasha. In the words of the Mishna (Avot 5:2): "There were ten generations from Adam until Noach...and all of them angered G-d." The last verses of our Parasha tell us that Hashem saw the evil of the world and placed all of His hope in Noach. The results of that decision will be seen in next week's Parasha. The Haftara (Yishayahu 42:5-43:10) teaches us that Hashem still waits patiently for the time when the mission of Adam and Chava will have been fulfilled, and Mashiach can arrive (Alshich). Therein lies one connection between our Parasha and Haftara, for the Parasha which speaks of the beginning of time is fittingly paired with a Haftara which alludes to the "End of Time". Furthermore, the Haftara's first verses alludes to the same theme that characterizes the Parasha, mentioning as it does the dual creations - heaven and earth. Also, that verse refers to two kinds of people - those who are inspired to follow Hashem, and those who do not care to be different from their neighbors (Rashi; Malbim.) But although man has free choice, the future of the world is not left to chance. The soul of every righteous person has already been created (Zohar III, 303b, interpreting verse 42:9 of our Haftara), and each one will come into this world at a time when it can perfect itself (Alshich). So certain is it that mankind will ultimately fulfill its mission, that Chazal teach that just as the Torah (the blueprint for that mission) was created before the world's creation, so too was the identity of Mashiach, the person in whose time that mission will be completed (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer, ch.3). ************************************* From Our Sages... The outer letters of the word "Breishit" spell "Brit" - covenant. The middle letters spell "Eish" - fire. We have a covenant with the Torah: If we merit, it will warm us and give us light. If we do not merit, it will burn us. (Al Hatorah) "And G-d blessed the seventh day." (2:3) According to the Midrash, the blessing of Shabbat is that a person's countenance changes when Shabbat begins. The Halacha is that on each day of a "Sheva Berachot" new guests must be invited. However, on Shabbat this is not so; one may invite the same guests as on previous days. This is because of the blessing of Shabbat - on this day, each guest is a new person. (Sefat Emet) "You shall eat dust all the days of your life." (3:14) This was the curse of the snake, but is it really a punishment? What is more plentiful than dust?! Yes, this is the greatest punishment. The snake's livelihood is so plentiful that he has no reason to look towards Hashem. G-d has in effect said to the snake, "Leave my presence and never return." (Yalkut Tov) "And Hevel became ('Vayehi') a shepherd, and Kayin was ('Hayah') a worker of the earth." (4:2) Chazal teach that "Vayehi" connotes sorrow, whereas "Hayah" connotes joy. Thus this verse suggests that Hevel, being completely spiritual, worked only out of necessity. He would rather have engaged full-time in G-d's service. Kayin, on the other hand, was happy to devote himself completely to his material pursuits. (R' Yisrael of Rizhin) ************************************ From the Midrash... Rabbi Yitzchak said: "The Torah should have started with the verse 'This month shall be...' (Sh'mot 12:2) which describes the first Mitzvah commanded to Bnei Yisrael [as a group]. Why then does the Torah begin with B'reishit? Because 'The strength of His deeds He declared to His nation, in order to give them the heritage of peoples' (Tehilim 111:6). If the nations of the world shall ever say to the Jews, 'You are thieves, for you captured the lands of the seven nations [of the Canaanites],' the Jews can respond, 'The whole world is G-d's, and He gives it to whomever He wishes. He gave it to them and took it back, and then He gave it to us.'" (Rashi based on the Midrash) R' Eliyahu Mizrachi comments on the above, "Our inheriting the land is the reward for our Mitzvot and is itself a Mitzvah." What does this mean? R' Eliyahu Meir Bloch, explains as follows: One might argue that even though G-d has given us Eretz Yisrael as a reward for our good deeds, we should turn down His gift. Why? Because there are people living there, and our settling the land will displace them. Surely, as a nation of compassionate people, we should give up our inheritance rather than do such a deed! To this R' Mizrachi says, "Our inheriting the land is the reward for our Mitzvot and is itself a Mitzvah." As a rule, we are not rewarded in this world for our good deeds; that comes later. However, among the few exceptions is the case where receiving the reward now will aid us in performing more Mitzvot in the future. Our inheriting Eretz Yisrael is itself a Mitzvah because it aids us in performing more Mitzvot. This is why we may not turn down G- d's gift. While we may refuse to accept our reward for Mitzvot, we may not refuse to do Mitzvot. [As our Haftara (43:7) states:] The world was created and the Torah given in order to increase G-d's glory. We may not refuse to carry out that plan! (Shiurei Da'at: "Menuchat Hanefesh", p.115) *********************************** R' Eliyahu, the Vilna Gaon It is said that the transition between eras in Jewish history is marked by the emergence of a Torah scholar so great that he appears out of place in his time. The students of R' Eliyahu of Vilna (1720-1797) considered him such a person, for they compared his achievements to those of the "Amoraim" and "Rishonim". The Vilna Gaon (also known as "Gra" for "Gaon R' Eliyahu) left numerous works, but his greatest legacy is his influence on the modern Yeshiva. The style of learning found in the "Lithuanian Yeshiva" (as opposed to its Polish and Hungarian counterparts) derives in large part from the teachings of the Gra, and in the post-World War II era, this "Litvishe Derech" (literally: "Lithuanian way") has spread into the majority of Israeli and American Yeshivot. The ultimate purpose of Torah study, according to the Gra, is to learn how to behave in practice. Thus, the Gra's sons (Introduction to Gra's commentary on Shulchan Aruch) and his student, R' Yisrael of Shklov (Introduction to Taklin Chaditin, R' Yisrael's commentary to Tractate Shekalim), describe R' Eliyahu's concern for determining the correct (i.e. original) wording of the Talmud and the Halachic Midrashim. This was not an academic endeavor, an end in itself, but was based on Gra's realization that variant readings of the Talmud are an impediment to the determination of Halacha. Where proponents of "Pilpul" constructed abstract, hair-splitting discourses to explain an enigmatic phrase in the Talmud or commentaries, the Gra recognized that the "Girsa" (wording) in question was simply a scribe's error. Of course, R' Eliyahu did not change a Girsa lightly. R' Yisrael writes that his teacher would spend days and nights on-end attempting to justify an apparently incorrect Girsa, and would always discuss the matter with at least two of his disciples. Most importantly, he changed no word in the Talmud unless that one change answered fifteen or more questions that impeded his understanding of the Talmud. Similarly, his sons write, the Gra sought to show that every Halacha of the Shulchan Aruch directly from the Talmud or from the commentaries of Rashi and Tosfot. Again, this was in opposition to the methods of the "Pilpulists". This attention to the Talmud's exact wording and to the relationship of each phrase to Halachic determination is the essence of the Lithuanian study method. ************************************** The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Daily Mishnah Me'ilah 2:3-4 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Daily Halacha Orach Chaim (Mishnah Berura) 310:1-3 (Learn three paragraphs each day) Daf Yomi Yoma 63 (Learn two sides of a page each day) Shmirat HaLashon: 1:3-4 or Guard Your Tongue: Chapter 6:12-14 ************************************* The hard copy distribution of this week's HaMaayan is sponsored by: The Parness family in memory of Anna Parness