Bereishis – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

ויברא אלקים את האדם בצלמו בצלם אלקים ברא אותו

And G-d created man in his image, in the image of G-d He created him. (1:27)

According to Chazal, the creation of man was perfection personified. It was only after he sinned that his stature was diminished, that he became imperfect. Ever since then, no man has been born perfect. He must spend his infancy and youth developing his strength, his physical and intellectual abilities, leading up to a more perfect version of that to which man can and should aspire. This is accomplished through years of study, guidance from those more experienced, and much hard work. Why is it this way? The animal world does not seem to have this “problem.” Immediately after birth, animals enter the…

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ותאמר האשה אל הנחש... ומפרי העץ אשר בתוך הגן אמר אלקים לא תאכלו ממנו... פן תמותון. ויאמר הנחש אל האשה... לא מות תמותון.

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5768

The woman said to the serpent… “Of the fruit of the tree which is in the center of the garden, G-d has said: ‘You shall not eat of it… lest you die.’”TThe serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die.” (3:2-4)

The serpent immediately went to work enticing Chavah to commit the sin which forever altered world history. The question that glares at us is: Where was Adam during this time? It is not as if there was much to do. The world had just been created. Human beings had just entered the scene, with the female as the last creation. One would expect Adam to spend some “time” with his wife. Chazal ask this question, and the replies vary. One answer that deserves insight is given by Abaye: “Adam went for a nap.” Adam’s nap was not like ours in any…

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וקוץ ודרדר תצמיח לך ואכלת את עשב השדה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5768

Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. (3:18)

The Bnei Yissachar offers a homiletic rendering of this pasuk. Prior to the sin of eating of the Eitz HaDaas, Tree of Knowledge, man’s perception of good and evil was unequivocally clear. There was good and there was evil, with no question whatsoever concerning their distinct definitions. Then Adam ate the forbidden fruit, and his vision blurred. Good and evil suddenly took on a new look – one that was ambiguous – one that was subject to personal prejudice and pre-disposition. This is implied by the words kotz v’dardar tatzmiach lach, “Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you.” Every…

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וגם אחרי כן אשר יבאו בני האלהים אל בנות האדם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5768

And also afterward when the sons of the rulers would consort with the daughters of man. (6:4)

The nephillim, giants, had apparently been around for some time. Thoroughly evil, they were given the title nephillim, a derivative of nafal, to fall, because they had fallen and caused others to fall. The Midrash Rabba explains their iniquity, saying, “The latter did not learn (a lesson) from its predecessors.” The generation of the Flood did not derive mussar, an ethical lesson, from the generation of Enosh when one third of the world was flooded. Likewise, the generation of the Dispersion did not derive a lesson from the generation of the Flood. While it is certainly important to learn from…

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ויאמר אלקים יהי אור ויהי אור

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5767

And G-d said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (1:3)

In Sefer Tehillim (119:130) David Ha’melech says, “The introduction ofYour words illuminates.” The Midrash in Sefer Shemos explains that thispasuk refers to the opening words of the Torah, “In the beginning G-dcreated.” Light preceded all of the rest of Creation. Similarly, the AronHaKodesh, which housed the Torah, also called ohr, light, preceded the othervessels of the Mishkan. Light must precede every other creation; in fact, it mustprecede everything. The ability to see clearly, to understand the basic foundationof knowledge, is a prerequisite for an undistorted view of life. Clarity of visionis the framework upon which all understanding is based. How…

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ויאמר אלקים יהי אור ויהי אור

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5767

And G-d said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (1:3)

In Sefer Tehillim (119:130) David Ha’melech says, “The introduction of Your words illuminates.” The Midrash in Sefer Shemos explains that this pasuk refers to the opening words of the Torah, “In the beginning G-d created.” Light preceded all of the rest of Creation. Similarly, the Aron HaKodesh, which housed the Torah, also called ohr, light, preceded the other vessels of the Mishkan. Light must precede every other creation; in fact, it must precede everything. The ability to see clearly, to understand the basic foundation of knowledge, is a prerequisite for an undistorted view of life. Clarity of vision is the…

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וירא אלקים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5767

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

After Hashem created the world in its entirety, the Torah declares that it was not only good, but it was very good. On an individual basis, each creation in isolation may be viewed as inherently good. When everything is combined into the larger context, it becomes very good. Even those creations that appear to be evil – such as misery, pain and even death – have their place in the larger scheme of things. Thus, in the total context of existence, we can view them as being very good. Indeed, the Midrash says: “Tov, good: this is the angel of…

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ארורה האדמה בעבורך... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5767

“Accursed is the ground because of you…For you are dust, and to dust shall you return.” (3:17,19)

It is difficult to understand the way in which Adam HaRishon, the crown of Creation, Hashem’s handiwork, transgressed His explicit command, a command that was punishable by death. If this is so, as the Rambam states in his Moreh Nevuchim (1,2), why was he punished so severely? Anybody can err. Furthermore, why did Chavah believe the serpent’s assurances over Hashem’s explicit warning? Indeed, something was wrong with her reply to the snake, “Lest we die” (Bereishis 3:3). Did Hashem not say that death would clearly be the punishment? In his Madreigos Ha’Adam, the Alter, zl, m’Novardok, Horav Yosef Yozel Horowitz,…

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לפתח חטאת רובץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5767

Sin rests at the door. (4:7)

The yetzer hara, evil inclination, does not give up. It waits vigilantly for the yetzer hara, evil inclination, does not give up. It waits vigilantly for the opportunity to entice the individual to sin. The Midrash draws a comparison between the evil inclination and the dogs in Rome. Apparently, the dogs in Rome were extremely astute in providing sustenance for themselves. They would park themselves at the back of the baker’s door, where he stacked his freshly baked breads. As the baker stacked the breads, the dog feigned sleep in order not to arouse the baker’s vigilance. As soon as many breads…

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ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5766

And G-d said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” (1:26)

Why is the word naaseh, let us make, in the plural form, used todescribe the creation of man? It should have said, “I willmake.” The Imrei Emes explains that man is not createdcomplete with an array of middos tovos, positive character traits. Therefinement of these character traits entails considerable hard work. Indeed,man is a microcosm of the animal world. The nature of all of the animals thatpreceded his creation is a part of him. He must refine and cleanse himself ofany base character traits as he ascends the ladder of spirituality. He mustrecreate himself and become G-d-like. To accomplish this…

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ויברא אלקים את האדם בצלמו בצלם אלקים ברא אותו

And G-d created man in his image, in the image of G-d He created him. (1:27)

ותאמר האשה אל הנחש... ומפרי העץ אשר בתוך הגן אמר אלקים לא תאכלו ממנו... פן תמותון. ויאמר הנחש אל האשה... לא מות תמותון.

The woman said to the serpent… “Of the fruit of the tree which is in the center of the garden, G-d has said: ‘You shall not eat of it… lest you die.’”TThe serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die.” (3:2-4)

וקוץ ודרדר תצמיח לך ואכלת את עשב השדה

Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. (3:18)

וגם אחרי כן אשר יבאו בני האלהים אל בנות האדם

And also afterward when the sons of the rulers would consort with the daughters of man. (6:4)

ויאמר אלקים יהי אור ויהי אור

And G-d said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (1:3)

ויאמר אלקים יהי אור ויהי אור

And G-d said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (1:3)

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)

ארורה האדמה בעבורך... כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב

“Accursed is the ground because of you…For you are dust, and to dust shall you return.” (3:17,19)

לפתח חטאת רובץ

Sin rests at the door. (4:7)

ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו

And G-d said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” (1:26)

YEARS

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