Bereishis – Page 12 – Peninim on the Torah

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

TIn the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and earth. (1:1)

The Baal HaTurim notes that the last letters of the words Bereishis bara Elokim — taf, aleph, mem — spell out (when rearranged) the word emes, truth. This teaches us that the world was created via the attribute of emes. Interestingly, the Torah alludes to the word emes in an indirect manner, since the sequence of the letters is out of order. Horav Shmuel David Walkin, zl, infers a profound lesson from here. The Torah teaches us that one must strive for the truth, regardless of the situation. One is not obligated to be truthful only during times of smooth sailing…

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וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5763

And G-d saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. (1:31)

Life is comprised of successes and failures. Some of us have a greater number of successes. Others look at failure more often than at success. This is not a perfect world, but our perspective on life and the world can make a “world” of difference. Hashem created the world that we know in Six Days of Creation. He made some subtle changes during Creation in order to offset some of the problems that arose. Hashem first created light. This was a powerful, intense and very spiritual light. In fact, it was so spiritually illuminating that the wicked would never be worthy…

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ועץ החיים בתוך הגן ועץ הדעת טוב ורע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5763

And the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and bad. (2:9)

Sforno explains that daas, knowledge, means to focus one’s heart on (what is) good and evil. This explanation of the word daas, is also found in the phrase v’haAdam yoda, “and Adam knew,” i.e., he became aware and now concentrated his heart on her (Chavah). This is also why a relative is called a moda, as it says in Rus 2:1, moda l’ishah, “a relative of her husband,” for it is natural that one concerns himself with the needs of his relative. Horav Shmuel David Walkin, zl, infers from here that a relative is a moda, because the foundation of…

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בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב. ויקרא האדם שם אשתו חוה כי היא היתה אם כל חי. ויעש ד' אלקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5763

“By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread… For you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Chavah, because she had become the mother of all the living. And Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin. (3:19,20,21)

The commentators question the sequence of the pesukim. The fact that Adam named Chavah should have been written earlier, at the end of Perek bais, where the Torah relates how Adam gave names to all the creatures. Why is the naming of Chavah juxtaposed to Hashem making garments for Adam and Chavah? The Kehillas Yitzchak explains that when Adam realized what Chavah’s act had catalyzed, when he understood that his death and the deaths of all future generations was the result of Chavah’s eating and sharing of the Eitz HaDaas, he immediately became severely depressed and angry. After awhile, it dawned…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5762

G-d said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate between water and water…and it was so…And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” (1:6-8)

Although Hashem created the heavens on the first day they remained in a state of transition. He solidified them on the second day, creating a separation between the waters above and the waters below. For a deeper explanation of the meaning of this division between waters, one should delve into the various commentaries on the Torah. For our purposes, we look to the end of the pesukim where the Torah writes that “it was so,” followed by the statement that this was the second day. This is the only day of Creation about which the Torah does not say “ki…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5762

“And Hashem G-d formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of Life.” (2:7)

Man is comprised of two aspects: spiritual and physical. The guf, body, is his physical dimension; the neshamah, soul, the “chelek Elokah miMaal,” portion which comes directly from Hashem Above, is his spiritual dimension. Life is a constant struggle between the spirit and the physical: Who will prevail? Horav Sholom Schwadron, z.l., cites his rebbe Horav Leib Chasman, z.l., who explained this with the following compelling analogy. It happened that those who sought to undermine the Jewish religion were finally successful in slandering the saintly Chafetz Chaim. The government, looking for any opportunity to put away anyone who was seditious,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5762

Hashem G-d said, “It is not good that man be alone; I will make him a helper corresponding to him.” (2:18)

Sforno focuses on the concept of eizer k’negdo, “a helper corresponding to him” and interprets it as being the defining point in the relationship between husband and wife. He explains that “it is not good that man be alone.” The intended purpose in creating man in the image and likeness of Hashem will not be realized if man has to occupy himself alone in order to supply the needs of life. He must have a helper that is equal to him in image and likeness, so that the helper is able to appreciate his needs and meet them at the…

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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5761

“In the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth.” (1:1)

The foundation of any structure determines its strength and permanence. The Torah is a spiritual structure which is founded and sustained on the union of a number of positive attributes. There is no room for any negative trait in the Torah’s foundation. This idea, cited by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, is expressed by Rabbeinu Bachya in his Sefer Kad HaKemach. He notes that in the first pasuk, verse, in the Torah, every vowel sound is present except one. The komatz, patach, segol, tzeirei, cholem, sh’vah and chirik are all present. There is only one missing sound: the shuruk, the “ooh” sound….

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ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5761

“G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” (2:3)

he average person understands the negative aspect of Shabbos, the various acts of labor that are forbidden. What about the positive side of Shabbos? How does one “celebrate” Shabbos? How does one act “Shabbosdik”? We all know that one is required to have an oneg Shabbos. What does “oneg,” enjoyment, mean? Horav Sholom Schwadron, z.l., contends that the idea of oneg Shabbos can have many definitions, based upon the individual and his religious/spiritual perspective. Some will enjoy Shabbos on a spiritual plane, with Torah and tefillah, heightened Torah study and prayer. Others will enjoy its physical/material aspect either through relaxation, sleep and peace of mind. Alternatively, is the individual who…

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ויאמר לו איכה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5761

He (Hashem) said to him, “Where are you?” (3:9)

When the Baal HaTanya was incarcerated by the Russian government, one of the leading “thinkers” of the day came to visit with him. This visit was just another opportunity to present one of his mocking questions to the Rebbe. The answer was unimportant, his objective was accomplished by simply asking the question: “What is the meaning of the ‘Ayeca?’, ‘Where are you?’ which Hashem asked Adam? Did Hashem not know where Adam was?” The Rebbe looked at the thinker and responded, “Do you believe that the Torah is eternal?” “Certainly,” he responded. The Rebbe said, “Since the Torah is eternal,…

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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

TIn the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and earth. (1:1)

וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

And G-d saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. (1:31)

ועץ החיים בתוך הגן ועץ הדעת טוב ורע

And the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and bad. (2:9)

בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב. ויקרא האדם שם אשתו חוה כי היא היתה אם כל חי. ויעש ד' אלקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור

“By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread… For you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Chavah, because she had become the mother of all the living. And Hashem G-d made for Adam and his wife garments of skin. (3:19,20,21)

G-d said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate between water and water…and it was so…And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” (1:6-8)

“And Hashem G-d formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of Life.” (2:7)

Hashem G-d said, “It is not good that man be alone; I will make him a helper corresponding to him.” (2:18)

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

“In the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth.” (1:1)

ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

“G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” (2:3)

ויאמר לו איכה

He (Hashem) said to him, “Where are you?” (3:9)

YEARS

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