Bereishis – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

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

The first Rashi in the Torah is famous: “Amar Rabbi Yitzchak, ‘The text of the Torah should have commenced with Sefer Shemos 12, in which the commandment regarding the month of Nissan is written. Instead, the Torah begins with Creation. This is to indicate that Hashem created the world. Thus, it was His prerogative to give Eretz Yisrael to whichever nation He chose. He gave the Holy Land to the Jewish People as an inheritance.’” This statement is questionable, since many basic teachings and lessons can be derived from Sefer Bereishis, such as: Maaseh avos siman l’banim, “The actions of…

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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5769

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

The Midrash relates what Rabbi Yehudah ben Pazi and Bar Kappara expounded regarding the Creation: “Why was the world created with a bais – Bereishis, in the beginning? Because it is an expression of brachah, blessing. And why not with an aleph? Because it is an expression of cursing, arirah.” The commentators point out that Chazal’s statement is not necessarily consistent with other pesukim in Tanach in which the letter bais is not always used as blessing. Indeed, we find in Yeshayah 24:1, “Behold, Hashem empties (bokeik) the land and lays it waste (bolkah).” Also, in Yechezkel 16:40, “They will tear/pierce…

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ויברא אלקים את התנינם הגדלים... ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5769

And G-d created the great sea-giants… G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. (1:21; 2:3)

Upon studying the story of Creation, we confront what seem to be two inconsistencies in the language of the text. On the fifth day of Creation, Hashem created the taninim ha’gedolim, the great sea-giants. Interestingly, this is the only creation of which the Torah does not conclude with the words, va’yehi chein, “and it was so.” Why is this? Clearly, if Hashem created them, then it was so. Why is this creation different than the others? Rashi cites a comment from Chazal in Meseches Bava Basra 74b that these giant sea-creatures are none other than the Livyasan and its mate….

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ויקרא האדם שמות לכל הבהמה ולעוף השמים ולכל חית השדה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5769

And the man assigned names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to every beast of the field. (2:20)

One of the seven blessings which comprise Sheva Berachos is Sameiach tesamach reiim ha’ahuvim k’sameichacha yetzircha b’Gan Eden mikedem, “Gladden the beloved companions as You gladdened Your creature in the Garden of Eden from aforetime.” This brachah asks Hashem to gladden the couple who stand before us as He did for Adam and Chavah in Gan Eden. One question confronts us immediately upon grasping the scope of this request: Is it reasonable to expect that every contemporary couple experiences such a heavenly relationship on par with that of the first couple in Gan Eden? Let us face it, we are…

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ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמתנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5768

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

Man was created in Hashem’s image. This means that every humanbeing, regardless of his or her position, shares a unique quality withHashem. This is the Tzelem Elokim, image of G-d. While man’sphysical appearance does not mirror G-d, he has a quality which is uniquelyendemic to man – his ability to exercise free will, which relates him in someway to Hashem. While Hashem always chooses correctly – man does not. Manerrs and is subject to his inclinations which very often reign over him. Thus,man’s ability to choose between good and evil is what makes him G-d-like. Hehas the potential to choose…

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ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמתנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5768

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

Man was created in Hashem’s image. This means that every human being, regardless of his or her position, shares a unique quality with Hashem. This is the Tzelem Elokim, image of G-d. While man’s physical appearance does not mirror G-d, he has a quality which is uniquely endemic to man – his ability to exercise free will, which relates him in some way to Hashem. While Hashem always chooses correctly – man does not. Man errs and is subject to his inclinations which very often reign over him. Thus, man’s ability to choose between good and evil is what makes him G-d-like….

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ויברא אלקים את האדם בצלמו בצלם אלקים ברא אותו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5768

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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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

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

בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

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

ויברא אלקים את התנינם הגדלים... ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו

And G-d created the great sea-giants… G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. (1:21; 2:3)

ויקרא האדם שמות לכל הבהמה ולעוף השמים ולכל חית השדה

And the man assigned names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to every beast of the field. (2:20)

ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמתנו

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

ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמתנו

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

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)

YEARS

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