Bereishis – Page 10 – Peninim on the Torah

ארור אתה מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה על גחנך תלך ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך.

“Accursed are you beyond all the cattle and beyond all the beasts of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life.” (3:14)

Hashem cursed the serpent with what seems to be an ambiguous curse. What are the repercussions of dirt being its staple forever? At least the serpent will always have ready access to its food, which is more than can be said for any other creature. Furthermore, why does the pasuk add the words: yemei chayecha, “days of your life?” It would have sufficed to simply write, “all of your days.” Why is emphasis placed on chayim, life? The Rebbe, zl, m’Piltz, explains that herein lies the greatest curse. Since the serpent will always have food available, it will never have…

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ולאדם אמר...ארורה האדמה בעבורך...

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5766

And to Adam He said, “…the ground will be cursed for your sake.” (3:17)

How often have we read these pesukim and ignored its message? Adam sinned, and he was punished. In detailing the punishment, Hashem says that the earth will be cursed for his sake, and he will have to go through various challenges and vicissitudes in order to earn his daily bread. Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, makes note of the fact that at no point in Hashem’s verdict is a curse pronounced against man. The verdict is only against the ground and the animals. Man, however, is not placed under a ban for committing his first act of disobedience. In all that was…

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ויהי מקץ ימים ויבא קין מפרי האדמה מנחה לד'. והבל הביא גם הוא מבכורות צאנו ומחלבהן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5766

After a period of time, Kayin brought an offering to Hashem of the fruit of the ground; and as for Hevel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and from their choicest. (4:3,4)

Both Kayin and Hevel brought sacrifices to Hashem. Hevel’s sacrifice was accepted, while Kayin’s was not. Kayin was bitter and took it out on Hevel, whom he killed. So goes the incident of the first murder in history. The commentators, each in his own manner, delineate the characterizations of Kayin’s sacrifice that were unacceptable. Simply, Hevel gave of his choicest possessions, while Kayin did not. Is this a reason to lose it and kill Hevel? Furthermore, did Hevel deserve to die? Every occurrence is calculated and validated by a Divine computer. What about Hevel was inappropriate – on his lofty…

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ויבא קין מפרי האדמה מנחה לד'. והבל הביא גם הוא מבכורות צאנו ומחלבהן וישע ד' אל הבל ואל מנחתו. ואל קין ואל מנחתו לא שעה.

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5766

Kayin brought an offering to Hashem of the fruit of the ground, and as for Hevel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and from their choicest. And Hashem turned to Hevel and to his offering, but to Kayin and his offering He did not turn. (4:3-5)

There is a fundamental Halachah that is derived from the seemingly unceremonious depiction of the first murder in history. While Kayin was the innovator of the idea of offering a korban, sacrifice, to Hashem, it was Hevel who followed him with a korban of his own, but his was of a different nature. Kayin brought his offering from the inferior portion of his crop, while Hevel brought from the finest of his flock of sheep. We derive from here the concept of hiddur mitzvah, the obligation to beautify and enhance the performance of a mitzvah, as befits the king to…

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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5765

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

Sefer Bereishis is aptly given its name since it is the “first” of theChumashim. The Talmud in Avodah Zarah 25a has another name forSefer Bereishis: Sefer HaYashar or Sefer Yesharim, the Book ofRighteousness. Yashar means more than righteousness. It means straightforwardness,integrity, mentchlichkeit, human decency. Sefer Bereishischronicles the lives of the Avos, Patriarchs, men who exemplifiedrighteousness to G-d and mentchlichkeit to all human beings. In the prefaceto his commentary on Sefer Bereishis, the Netziv, zl, expands on this idea.The Patriarchs distinguished themselves not only in their relationships withHashem, which was on the highest spiritual plane, but also in their dailydealings with…

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בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5765

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

Sefer Bereishis is aptly given its name since it is the “first” of the Chumashim. The Talmud in Avodah Zarah 25a has another name for Sefer Bereishis: Sefer HaYashar or Sefer Yesharim, the Book of Righteousness. Yashar means more than righteousness. It means straightfor- wardness, integrity, mentchlichkeit, human decency. Sefer Bereishis chronicles the lives of the Avos, Patriarchs, men who exemplified righteousness to G-d and mentchlichkeit to all human beings. In the preface to his commentary on Sefer Bereishis, the Netziv, zl, expands on this idea. The Patriarchs distinguished themselves not only in their relationships with Hashem, which was on the…

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ותוצא הארץ דשא עשב מזריע זרע למינהו ועץ עשה פרי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5765

The earth brought forth vegetation, grass producing seed of its kind, and trees producing fruit. (1:12)

There is a fascinating Midrash concerning this pasuk that should give us all something to ponder. Chazal teach us that when Hashem created iron, the trees became distressed, because the sharp blade of the axe could destroy them. Hashem replied to the trees, “Do not worry. As long as you do not provide wood for the axe handle, the blade will remain harmless.” The simple lesson from this Midrash is: We are our own worst enemies. We shoot ourselves in the foot. No one can impose worse harm on us than the harm we cause ourselves. Ask anyone, however, who…

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אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם ביום עשות ה' אלקים ארץ ושמים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5765

These are the products of the heaven and the earth when they were created on the day that Hashem G-d made earth and heaven. (2:4)

The Torah now focuses on the events preceding the creation of man. In the second interpretation he offers in his commentary to this pasuk, Rashi explains the word b’hi’baram, “when they were created,” to mean that Hashem created them with the letter “hay.” This is supported by the pasuk in Yeshayah 26:4, “With ‘kah’ (G-d’s Name is spelled with “yud” and “hay”), G-d created worlds.” In other words, b’hay baram means that the two worlds – this temporary world and the Eternal world – were created with the letters that connote Hashem’s Name, “yud” and “hay.” The letter “hay” was used…

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ויאמר קין אל הבל אחיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5765

Cain spoke with Hevel, his brother. (4:8)

Targum Yonasan gives us a clue concerning the conversation that took place between the world’s first two brothers. Kayin said, “There is no Judge, and there is no Justice; there is only one world; there is no reward for the righteous and no punishment for the wicked.” Hevel, of course, disputed each point. These words led to physical violence, during which Hevel was killed. We wonder at Kayin’s hypocrisy. Here is a man who had just offered a sacrifice to Hashem, and he was distraught that Hashem was more pleased with Hevel’s sacrifice than his. If Kayin felt there was…

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ויהי ערב ויהי בקר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Bereishis, 5764

“And there was evening and there was morning.” (1:5)

The Midrash interprets the reference in the pasuk to night and day from a different perspective. “It was night” denotes the activities of the wicked, while “it was morning” is a reference to the actions of the righteous. Hashem asserts that the light is good. It seems strange that the Torah would have to tell us that Hashem favors the actions of the righteous, symbolized by the light. Such a statement is not novel. Certainly, Hashem prefers the activities of the righteous. We do not need a Midrash to teach us this lesson. The Dubno Maggid, zl, gives a practical…

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ארור אתה מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה על גחנך תלך ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך.

“Accursed are you beyond all the cattle and beyond all the beasts of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life.” (3:14)

ולאדם אמר...ארורה האדמה בעבורך...

And to Adam He said, “…the ground will be cursed for your sake.” (3:17)

ויהי מקץ ימים ויבא קין מפרי האדמה מנחה לד'. והבל הביא גם הוא מבכורות צאנו ומחלבהן

After a period of time, Kayin brought an offering to Hashem of the fruit of the ground; and as for Hevel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and from their choicest. (4:3,4)

ויבא קין מפרי האדמה מנחה לד'. והבל הביא גם הוא מבכורות צאנו ומחלבהן וישע ד' אל הבל ואל מנחתו. ואל קין ואל מנחתו לא שעה.

Kayin brought an offering to Hashem of the fruit of the ground, and as for Hevel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and from their choicest. And Hashem turned to Hevel and to his offering, but to Kayin and his offering He did not turn. (4:3-5)

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)

ותוצא הארץ דשא עשב מזריע זרע למינהו ועץ עשה פרי

The earth brought forth vegetation, grass producing seed of its kind, and trees producing fruit. (1:12)

אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם ביום עשות ה' אלקים ארץ ושמים

These are the products of the heaven and the earth when they were created on the day that Hashem G-d made earth and heaven. (2:4)

ויאמר קין אל הבל אחיו

Cain spoke with Hevel, his brother. (4:8)

ויהי ערב ויהי בקר

“And there was evening and there was morning.” (1:5)

YEARS

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