[Par-reg] for Parshat Breishit - shiur
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Mon Oct 13 14:17:31 EDT 2014
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag
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PARSHAT BREISHIT
How many stories of Creation are there in
Parshat Breishit,
ONE or TWO? Although this question is often
discussed more by
Bible critics than yeshiva students, its
resolution may carry
a significant spiritual message.
In this week's shiur, we discuss the
structure of Parshat
Breishit, in an attempt to better understand
the meaning of
the Torah's presentation of the story of
Creation. Our
analysis will also 'set the stage' for our
discussion of the
overall theme of Sefer Breishit in the
shiurim to follow.
INTRODUCTION
From a literary perspective, it is quite
easy to
differentiate between two distinct sections
in the Torah's
account of the story of Creation:
SECTION I - THE CREATION IN SEVEN DAYS
/1:1->2:3
SECTION II - MAN IN GAN EDEN / 2:4 ->3:24
In our shiur, we will first explain what
makes each section
unique. Afterward we will discuss how they
complement one
another.
PEREK ALEPH
SECTION I, better known as PEREK ALEPH, is
easily discerned
because of its rigid structure, i.e. every
day of creation
follows a very standard pattern. Each day:
* Begins with the phrase: "VA'YOMER
ELOKIM...", heralding a
new stage of creation (see
1:3,6,9,14,20,24);
* Continues with "VA'YAR ELOKIM. KI TOV"
(see
1:4,10,12,18,21,31);
* Concludes with "VAYHI EREV VAYHI BOKER,
YOM..." (see
1:5,8,13,19,23,31).
In fact, one could construct a 'blank form'
that would fit
just about any day of Creation, that would
look something like
this:
"va'yomer Elokim" - And God said...
_________
[followed by some act of Creaton.]
"va'yhi chen" - And so it was
[often followed by some naming process:
like
"va'yikra.Elokim... , or some divine
'comment']
"va'yar Elokim... ki tov" - And God saw
it was good
"va'yhi erev va;yhi boker, yom __#__"
Even though certain days may vary from
this basic format,
certainly each day begins with the phrase
"va'yomer
Elokim...".
This observation allows us to identify the
first two psukim
of this unit (1:1-2) as its header, for Day
One must begin
with the first "va'yomer Elokim" (in the
third pasuk/ see 1:3
and Rashi on the meaning of the word
"Breishit" in his
interpretation to 1:1).
We reach a similar conclusion in regard
to the 'Seventh
Day' (i.e. 2:1-3). Since these psukim
describe 'Day Seven',
they must be part of this overall Story of
Creation; yet
because they begin with "va'ychulu..." - and
not with
"va'yomer Elokim" - they form the conclusion
of this unit.
To verify this, note the beautiful parallel
between these
two 'bookends' (i..e 1:1-2 and 2:1-3, noting
the phrase
"shamayim v'aretz" and the verb "bara"!), and
how Day Seven
'concludes' that which was introduced in 1:1.
This introduction and conclusion define
for us the
primary topic of this entire unit - - "briyat
ha'shamayim
v'ha'aretz" - God's Creation of the Heavens
and the Earth.
This topic is presented through a daily
progression of God's
creations that span over six days.
With this general framework defined, we
can now begin our
analysis of the progression of Creation from
one day to the
next. We will pay attention to how each day
either follows,
or slightly varies from the standard format
discussed above.
[For example, the fact that day two does not
include the
phrase "va'yar Elokim ki tov " should be
significant.]
A DAILY "CHIDUSH"
As we mentioned above, within this unit,
the phrase
"va'yomer Elokim" begins each day, and is
always followed by
an act God's Creation - or at least some type
of "chidush"
[i.e. something new, that didn't exist the
day before].
After the execution each act of Creation,
we may find
'peripheral' comments such as God giving
names or duties to
what He just created. However, we will show
how the next
"chidush" of Creation doesn't take place
without an additional
"va'yomer Elokim"!
We should also point out that in Days
Three and Six we
find our basic form repeated twice, i.e. the
phrase "va'yomer
Elokim" appears twice on each of these days,
and each time
followed by a distinct act of Creation,
followed by the
evaluation of - "va'yar Elokim ki tov". This
suggests that
each of these days will contain two acts of
Creation. [The
deeper meaning of this will be discussed as
we continue.]
Therefore, .our analysis begins by
identifying what was
the precise "chidush" of each day. Then, we
will discuss the
'peripheral comments' of each day, showing
how they relate to
that "chidush".
DAY ONE (1:3- 5)
God's first act of creation (i.e. what
follows the first
"va'yomer Elokim") was making "OR" - or what
we call 'light'.
This creation is followed by a 'naming
process' where God
calls the light - 'Day', and the darkness
(the lack of light)
is called 'Night'.
DAY TWO (1:6-8)
God makes the "rakiya" - whose function
is to divide
between the 'water above' and the 'water
below'.
Then, God names these 'waters above' -
"shamayim"
[Heavens]. Note that the 'waters below' are
not named until
Day Three. Note as well that this is only
time when God's
creation is not followed by the phrase
"va'yar Elokim ki tov".
Hence, it appears that something on this day
is either 'not so
good' or at least incomplete. [We'll return
to this
observation later in the shiur.]
DAY THREE (1:9-12)
* Stage One: (i.e. the first "va'yomer
Elokim").
Gods makes the "yabasha" [dry land].
Then God names this 'dry land - ARETZ
[Earth?] and the
remaining "mayim" - YAMIM [Seas].
Followed by God's positive evaluation:
"va'yar Elokim ki
tov"
* Stage Two (i.e. the second "va'yomer
Elokim" / 1:11-12)
God creates what we call 'vegetation',
i.e. all the
various species of vegetables and fruit
trees. Note how these
psukim emphasize precisely what makes the
'plant kingdom'
unique - i.e. how these species contain seeds
that will
produce the next generation - e.g. "esev
mazria zera" and "etz
pri oseh pri".
Note that God no longer gives 'names'
to what He
created. However, we still find the
standard positive
evaluation "va'yar Elokim ki tov". [You
were probably aware
that "ki tov" is mentioned twice in Day
Three, but you
probably weren't aware that it was because
it contains two
"va'yomer Elokim's"!]
A QUANTUM LEAP
Note the 'quantum leap' that takes place
in stage Two on
Day Three. Up until Stage Two, everything
that God had
created was 'inanimate' (non-living). From
this point on,
livings things are created. [Keep this in
mind, as we will
uncover a similar 'quantum leap' when we
discuss the
progression from Stage One to Two in Day
Six!, i.e. when we
jump from animal to man.]
This may explain why Stage One of Day
Three is the last
time that we find God giving names. It seems
as though God
gave names only to His 'non-living'
creations.
[In chapter two, we will see how it becomes
man's job to
give names to other livings things (see
2:19), and maybe
even to God Himself! (see 4:26)!]
Furthermore, note the 'separation
process' that emerges
as God created "shamayim v'aretz". In the
introduction, we
find "mayim" - with "ruach Elokim" [God's
spirit?] hovering
over it (see 1:2). Then, in Day Two, God
takes this "mayim"
'solution' and separates it ["va'yavdel"]
between the "mayim"
'above' and 'below' the "rakiya". The 'water
above' becomes
"SHAMAYIM", but the 'water below' needs
further separation,
which only takes places on Day Three - when
the remaining
'solution' separates between the "ARETZ"
[Land] and the
"YAMIM" [Seas].
Technically speaking, this is how God
created "shamayim
v'aretz". [The creation of the remaining
"v'kol tzvaam" - and
all their hosts (see 2:1) - takes place from
this point and
onward.]
DAY FOUR (1:14-19)
God creates the "meorot", i.e. the sun,
moon and stars.
This time however, note how God explains
the function of
His new creations (instead of giving names).
For example,
"va'hayu l'otot u'moadim " - and they shall
be for signs and
appointed times; and later - " l'ha'ir al
ha'aretz" - to give
light on the land (see 1:14-15). And
finally: "l'mshol ba'yom
u'va'layala" - to rule over day and night
(1:18). [Note as
well how this day relates back to Day One.]
DAY FIVE (1:20-23)
On this day, we find yet another
'quantum leap', as God
begins His creation of the 'animal kingdom'
(i.e. in contrast
to the 'vegetation' created on day three).
God creates all
livings things that creep in the water or fly
in the sky (i.e.
fish and fowl).
Even though this day follows the
standard 'form'
(discussed above), we do find two very
important additions.
1. The verb "bara" is used to describe how
God creates this
animal kingdom: "va'yivrah Elokim et
ha'taninim ha'gedolim
v'et kol nefesh ha'chaya..." (1:21).
Note how this is the
first usage of this verb since the first
pasuk of "breishit
bara..." (1:1)! The Torah's use of the
verb "bara"
specifically at this point may reflect
this 'quantum leap' to
the animal kingdom in this critical
stage of the Creation.
2. A 'blessing' is given (for the first
time) to these fish
and fowl after their creation: "va'yvarech
otam Elokim laymor
- pru ur'vu..." - that they should be
fruitful and multiply
and fill the seas and skies. Note how this
blessing relates
to the very essence of the difference
between the 'plant
kingdom' and the 'animal kingdom'. Whereas
self produced
seeds allow vegetation to reproduce itself,
the animal kingdom
requires mating for reproduction to take
place, and hence the
need for God's blessing of "pru u'vru" to
keep each species
alive.
DAY SIX (1:24-31)
Here again, like in Day Three, we find
two stages of
Creation, each beginning with the phrase
"va'yomer Elokim,
with yet another 'quantum leap' in between:
* Stage One (1:24-25)
God creates the living things that roam
on the land, i.e.
the animals. There is really nothing special
about this
stage, other than the fact that God found it
necessary to
create them 'independently' on the first
stage of Day Six,
instead of including them with His creation
of the rest of the
of the animal kingdom (i.e. with the fish and
the fowl) in Day
Five.
In fact, we find an interesting parallel
between both
days that contain two stages (i.e. days Three
and Six). Just
as Stage One of Day Three (separating the
Earth from the
'water below') completed a process that God
had begun in Day
Two, so too Stage One of Day Six (the
animals) completed a
process that God began in Day Five!
* Stage Two (1:26-31)
God creates MAN - "btzelem Elokim"!
Note how many special words and phrases
(many of which we
encountered before) accompany God's creation
of man:
First of all, we find once again the use
of the verb
'bara' to describe this act of creation,
suggesting that the
progression from animal to man may be
considered no less a
'quantum leap' than the progression from
vegetation to animal.
Secondly, God appears to 'consult' with
others (even
though it is not clear who they are) before
creating man
("naaseh adam b'tzalmeinu").
Here again, we find not only an act of
creation, but also
a 'statement the purpose' for this creation -
i.e. to be
master over all of God's earlier creations:
"v'yirdu b'dgat ha'yam u'b'of ha'shamayim"
- Be fruitful
and multiply and be master over the fish of
the seas and the
fowl in the heavens and the animals and all
the land, and
everything that creeps on the land. (see
1:26).
Thus, it appears that man is not only God's
last Creation,
but also His most sophisticated creation,
responsible to rule
over all other creations 'below the heavens'.
This explains we find yet another
blessing (following
this act of creation / similar to the
blessing on Day Five).
This blessing to man includes not only
fertility, but also
relates to his potential to exert dominion
over all that
Elokim had created. ["pru u'rvu v'kivshuha,
u'rdu b'dgat
ha'yam" / see 1:28, compare with 1:26)
It should be noted that we find one
final section, that
also begins with the phrase "va'yomer Elokim"
(see 1:29), but
quite different than all the earlier ones, as
this statement
does not introduce an act of Creation, but
rather the
administration of food. In a nutshell, in
these psukim God
allows the animal kingdom to consume the
plant kingdom. The
green grass is given for the animals (to
graze upon), while
man receives the 'added privilege' of eating
the fruit of the
trees (see 1:29-30).
SOMETHING SPECIAL
As you surely must have realized, all of
these
'variances' from the 'standard format' in
regard to God's
creation of man emphasize that there must be
something very
special about man's creation, and hence his
purpose. But this
should not surprise us, for that is precisely
what we should
expect from a book of prophecy, a divine
message to man to
help him understand his relationship with
God, and the purpose
for his existence.
All of these special points about man's
creation should
be important, but before we discuss their
significance, we
must take into consideration one more
observation concerning
the progression of Creation during these six
days.
A PARALLEL STRUCTURE
Let's summarize our conclusions thus far
concerning what
was created on each day (and each statement
of "va'yomer
Elokim."):
DAY GOD CREATED...
==== =============
I. "OR" = LIGHT
II. "RAKIYA" - separating:
A. the MAYIM above [=SHAMAYIM], and
B. the MAYIM below [=YAMIM].
IIIa. "YABASHA", called the ARETZ (the Land)
-
IIIb. Vegetation (on that ARETZ)
A. seed-bearing plants / "esev
mazria zera"
B. fruit-bearing trees / "etz pri
oseh pri"
IV. LIGHTS in the SHAMAYIM (sun, moon,
stars etc.)
V. LIVING CREATURES:
A. birds in the sky [=RAKIYA
SHAMAYIM]
B. fish in the sea [=MAYIM]
VIa. LIVING CREATURES who live on the ARETZ
(land)
animals - all forms
VIb. MAN - b'tzelem Elokim, blessed by God
to dominate all other living
creatures
Then, God assigns the appropriate
food for these
living creatures:
1. Man - can eat vegetation and
fruit (see 1:29)
2. Animals - can eat only
vegetation/grass - (see 1:30)
VII. SHABBAT - God rested, as His Creation
was complete.
Now, let's turn our list into a table.
If we line up the first three days against
the last three
days, we find a rather amazing parallel:
DAYS 1-3 DAYS 4-6
========= =========
I. LIGHT IV. LIGHTS in
the heavens
II. RAKIYA - dividing: V.Living things:
SHAMAYIM (above): Birds in the
SHAMAYIM
MAYIM (below) Fish in MAYIM
(sea)
III. ARETZ (land) VI. Animals & Man
on the ARETZ
Seed bearing plants ---> to be eaten by
the Animals
Fruit bearing trees ---> to be eaten by
Man
Note how this parallel reflects our
discussion above
concerning the internal progression of these
six days of
Creation; and our observation that from Day
Four and onward,
God not only creates, but He also states the
purpose of His
creations.
It also shows how the last three days 'fill
in' the
potential for what God created in the first
three days.
Basically, from day four and onward, nature
'goes into
motion', as we find 'movement' both in the
Heavens above and
in the Earth below.
In summary, when these six days are
complete, what we
call 'nature' has gone into motion.
DIVINE EVOLUTION
If we understand the phrase "tohu
va'vahu" in the
introductory section (see 1:2) as total
chaos, then from this
primordial state - six days later, we find a
beautifully
structured universe containing all of the
various forms of
life that we are familiar with; including
plants, animals, and
man.
Note that the Torah emphasizes that each
form of life is
created in a manner that guarantees its
survival, i.e. its
ability to reproduce:
a. plants: "esev mazria zera" -
seed-bearing vegetation
"etz pri oseh pri" -
fruit-bearing trees (1:11-12)
b. fish and fowl: "pru u'rvu"- be fruitful
& multiply (1:22)
c. Man: "pru u'rvu..." - be fruitful &
multiply (1:28)
One could summarize and simply state
that the end result
of this creation process is what we call
NATURE - in other
words - the exact opposite of TOHU VA'VAHU.
In this manner, PEREK ALEPH describes God's
creation of
nature, i.e. the entire material universe and
its phenomena.
Even though 'nature' itself remains
dynamic, with living
things constantly changing and reproducing,
its basic
framework remains constant - for after
"va'ychulu" (2:1),
nothing 'new' will be created, and certainly,
nothing more
advanced or sophisticated as man.
This established, we must now ask
ourselves the more
fundamental question, which is - what can we
learn from the
unique manner by which the Torah tells over
the story of
Creation? Is it recorded for the sake of
our curiosity,
simply to let us know 'how it all happened'
- or does it
carry a prophetic message - for any human
being contemplating
the purpose of the world that surrounds him!
ONE GOD, OR MANY?
Certainly, one primary message that emerges
from this
presentation is that the creation of nature,
with all its
complexities and wonders, was a willful act
of GOD. Hence, by
keeping Shabbat, resting on the seventh day,
as God did, we
assert our belief that God is the power the
created nature
(and continues to oversee it).
This analysis can also help us
appreciate why the Torah
uses the name -Elokim - to describe God
throughout this entire
chapter. As Ramban explains (toward the end
of his commentary
on 1:1), the Hebrew word "el" implies someone
with power (or
strength) and in control. Therefore, "shem
ELOKIM" implies
the master of all of the many forces of
nature.
[This can explain why God's Name is in the
plural form- for
He is all of the powers / see also Rav
Yehuda ha'Levi, in
Sefer Kuzari, beginning of Book Four.]
This understanding can also help us
appreciate the
Torah's use of the verb "bara" in PEREK
ALEPH. Note how the
THREE active uses of the verb "bara" in PEREK
ALEPH reflect
each level of sophistication in Creation,
i.e. "tzomeyach"
[plant kingdom], "chai" [animal kingdom] and
"m'daber" [man].
This also reflects the three 'quantum leaps'
that we discussed
in the evolutionary development of nature
during these six
days.
* STEP ONE - All matter and plants -
"Breishit BARA Elokim et ha'SHAMAYIM
v'et ha'ARETZ"
(1:1)
This includes everything in the SHAMAYIM
and on the ARETZ,
i.e. the creation of all "domem"
(inanimate objects) and
"tzomeyach" (plants). Note that this
takes place during
the first FOUR days of Creation.
* STEP TWO - The animal kingdom
"va'YIVRA Elokim - and God created the
TANINIM and all
living creatures... by their species"(1:21)
This includes the birds, fish, animals, and
beasts etc.
which are created on the fifth and sixth
days.
* STEP THREE - Man
"va'YIVRA Elokim et ha'ADAM..." (1:27)
The creation of man b'tzelem Elokim, in
God's image.
Now we must ponder what may be the
Torah's message in
telling man that the creation of nature was a
willful act of
God?
In his daily life, man constantly
encounters a
relationship with nature, i.e. with his
surroundings and
environment. Man does not need the Torah to
inform him that
nature exists; it stares him in the face
every day. As man
cannot avoid nature, he must constantly
contemplate it, and
struggle with it.
Without the Torah's message, one could
easily conclude
that nature is the manifestation of many gods
- a rain god, a
sun god, a fertility god, war gods, etc. - as
ancient man
believed. Nature was attributed to a
pantheon of gods, often
warring with one another.
In contrast, modern man usually arrives
at quite the
opposite conclusion -- that nature just
exists, and doesn't
relate to any form of god at all.
One could suggest that Chumash begins
with story of
Creation, for man's relationship with God is
based on his
recognition that nature is indeed the act of
one God. He
created the universe for a purpose, and
continues to oversee
it.
But how does this relate to man himself?
MAN - IN PEREK ALEPH
In Perek Aleph, man emerges not only as
the climax of the
creation process, but also as its MASTER:
"And God blessed man saying: Be fruitful
and multiply,
fill the earth and MASTER it, and RULE
the fish of the
sea, and the birds in the sky, and the
living things that
creep on the earth..." (1:28).
Note that this is God's BLESSING to man,
and NOT a
commandment! One could consider this
'blessing' almost as a
definition of man's very nature. Just as it
is 'natural' for
vegetation to grow ["esev mazria zera"], and
for all living
things to reproduce ["pru u'rvu"], it is also
'natural' for
man to dominate his environment; it becomes
his natural
instinct.
The Torah's use of the verb "bara" at
each major stage of
creation, and then in its description of
God's creation of man
- may shed light on this topic. When
contemplating nature and
his relationship with the animal kingdom, man
might easily
conclude that he is simply just another part
of the animal
kingdom. He may be more advanced or developed
than the
'average monkey', but biologically he is no
different. The
Torah's use of the verb "bara" to describe
God's creation of
man informs us that man is a completely new
category of
creation. He is created "b'tzelem Elokim", in
the image of
God, i.e. he possesses a spiritual potential,
unlike any other
form of nature.
[See the Rambam in the very beginning of
Moreh N'vuchim
(I.1), where he defines "tzelem Elokim" as
the
characteristic of man that differentiates
him from animal.]
In other words, man's creation in a
separate stage of Day
Six, and the use of the verb "bara", and his
special blessing
etc. all come to impress upon man that he is
indeed a 'quantum
leap' above all other creations. He should
not view himself
as just the most sophisticated animal of the
universe, but
rather as a Godly creation.
Perek Aleph teaches man to recognize
that his very nature
to dominate all other living things is also
an act of God's
creation.
However, man must also ask himself,
"Towards what
purpose?" Did God simply create man, or does
He continue to
have a relationship with His creation? Does
the fate of
mankind remain in God's control; does there
remain a
connection between man's deeds and God's
"hashgacha"
(providence) over him?
The answer to this question begins in
PEREK BET - the
story of Gan Eden, and will continue through
the rest of
Chumash!
PEREK BET (2:4-3:24)
PEREK BET presents what appears to be
conflicting account
of the story of Creation. As your review
chapter two, note
how:
1) Nothing can grow before God creates man
(see 2:5),
therefore:
2) God creates man FIRST (2:6-7), then:
3) God plants a garden for man, vegetation
develops (2:8-14);
4) God gives man the job to work and guard
this garden(2:15);
5) God commands man re: what he can/cannot
eat (2:16-17);
6) God creates animals for the sake of man
(2:18-20)
7) God creates a wife for man, from his own
rib (2:21-25).
Clearly, the order of creation is very
different. In
PEREK BET we find that man is created FIRST,
and everything
afterward (i.e. the plants and the animals)
are created FOR
him. In contrast to perek Aleph where man was
God's final
Creation - the most sophisticated - and
blessed to exert his
dominion over the entire animal kingdom; in
Perek Bet we see
how man is simply a servant of God, tending
to His Garden (see
2:15-16), and searching for companionship
(see 2:18-25). In
perek Aleph, he emerged as 'ruler', almost
like a god himself
("b'tzelem Elokim"); in perek Bet he is a
servant.
In addition, there are several other
obvious differences
between these two sections:
* Throughout this section, God's Name is no
longer simply
ELOKIM, rather the name HASHEM ELOKIM
(better known as
"shem Havaya").
* In contrast to the consistent use of verb
"bara" (creation
from nothing) in Perek Aleph, Perek Bet
uses the verb
"ya'tzar" (creation from something'/ see
2:7,19).
Although it is possible to reconcile
these apparent
contradictions (as many commentators do), the
question remains
- Why does the Torah present these two
accounts in a manner
that (at least) appears to be conflicting?
We obviously cannot accept the claim of
the Bible critics
that these two sections reflect two
conflicting ancient
traditions. Our belief is that the entire
Torah was given by
God at Har Sinai - and hence stems from one
source.
Therefore, we must conclude that this special
manner of
presentation is intentional and should carry
a prophetic
message. For this reason, our study of Sefer
Breishit will
focus more so on how the Torah's 'stories' of
Creation explain
the nature of man's relationship with God,
and less so on how
to resolve the 'technical' problems to
determine what events
actually took place and when.
Two renowned Torah scholars of the 20th
century have
discussed this issue of the two creations
stories at length.
The analytical aspect, the approach of "shtei
bechinot" (two
perspectives), has been exhausted by Rabbi
Mordechei Breuer in
his book Pirkei Breishit. The philosophical
implications have
been discussed by Rav Soloveichik ZT"L in his
article 'The
Lonely Man of Faith' (re: Adam I & Adam II).
It is beyond the scope of this shiur to
summarize these
two approaches (it is recommended that you
read them).
Instead, we will simply conduct a basic
analysis of PEREK
ALEPH & PEREK BET and offer some thoughts
with regard to its
significance. Hopefully it will provide a
elementary
background for those who wish to pursue this
topic in greater
depth.
With this in mind, we begin our analysis
in an attempt to
find the primary message of each of these two
sections. We
begin with a review of our conclusions
regarding Perek Aleph.
PEREK ALEPH - THE CREATION OF NATURE
Nature - the entire material universe
and its phenomena
["ha'shamayim v'haretz v'chol tzvaam"] - was
the end result of
the Seven Days of Creation. Without the
Torah's message, man
may logically conclude that the universe that
surrounds him is
controlled by various different powers, each
controlling their
own realm (or what ancient man understood as
a pantheon of
gods).
Chumash begins by informing us that nature
itself, with all
its complexities and wonders, was a willful
act of the 'one
God' - who continues to oversee His
creations. [Hence the name
-Elokim -(plural) all of the powers of
nature.]
However, if there is one phenomenon in
nature that
appears to contradict this conclusion of
unity, it is the very
existence of "shamayim" [Heaven] and "aretz"
[Earth]. Two
totally different realms, with almost not
contact between
them, separated by the
"rakiaya"! This observation may explain why
there was
'nothing good' about Day Two, when God made
the "rakiya", for
it was this very first division that leaves
us with the
impression that there must be 'many gods',
and not one.
This may also explain why the entire
story of Creation
begins with the statement that Elokim made
[both] "shamayim
v'aretz" (see 1:1), and concludes with a very
similar
statement (see 2:1 & 2:4).
[Note as well See Breishit 14:19-22 & 24:3.
Note as well
Devarim 31:28 & 32:1. See also Ibn Ezra on
Devarim 30:19
(his second pirush on that pasuk)!]
One could suggest that this may be one
the primary
messages of the Torah's opening story of
Creation - that the
apparent 'duality' of "shamayim v'aretz" is
indeed the act of
one God. Hence, the only aspect of Creation
that could not be
defined a 'good' was the creation of the
"rakiya" which
divides them. Later on, it will becomes
man's challenge to
find the connection between "shamayim
v'aretz"!
PEREK BET - MAN IN GAN EDEN
Perek Bet presents the story of creation
from a totally
different perspective. Although it opens with
a pasuk that
connects these two stories (2:4), it
continues by describing
man in an environment that is totally
different than that of
Perek Aleph. Note how man is the focal point
of the entire
creation process in Perek Bet, as almost
every act taken by
God is for the sake of man:
* No vegetation can grow before man is
created (2:5)
* God plants a special garden for man to
live in (2:8)
* God 'employs' man to 'work in his
garden' (2:15)
* God creates the animals in an attempt to
find him a
companion (2:19/ compare with 2:7!)
* God creates a wife for man (2:21-23)
In contrast to Perek Aleph, where man's job
is to be
dominant over God's creation, in Perek Bet
man must be
obedient and work for God, taking care of the
Garden:
"And God took man and placed him in Gan
Eden - L'OVDAH
u'l'SHOMRAH - to work in it and guard
it." (2:15)
Most significantly, in PEREK BET man
enters into a
relationship with God that contains REWARD
and PUNISHMENT,
i.e. he is now responsible for his actions.
For the first time
in Chumash, we find that God COMMANDS man:
"And Hashem Elokim commanded man saying:
>From all the trees
of the Garden YOU MAY EAT, but from the
Tree of Knowledge of
Good and Bad YOU MAY NOT EAT, for on the
day you eat from it
YOU WILL SURELY DIE... " (2:16-17)
This special relationship between man
and God in Gan
Eden, is paradigmatic of other relationships
between man and
God found later on in Chumash (e.g. in the
Mishkan).
God's Name in perek Bet - HASHEM ELOKIM
(better known as
"shem HAVAYA") - reflects this very concept.
The shem HAVAYA
comes from the shoresh (root) - "l'hiyot" (to
be, i.e. to be
present). This Name stresses that Gan Eden is
an environment
in which man can recognize God's presence,
thus enabling the
possibility of a relationship.
Should man obey God, he can remain in
the Garden,
enjoying a close relationship with God.
However, should he
disobey, he is to die. In the next chapter,
this 'death
sentence' is translated into man's banishment
from Gan Eden.
In biblical terms, becoming distanced from
God is tantamount
to death. [See Devarim 30:15-20.]
In the Gan Eden environment, man is
confronted with a
conflict between his "taava" (desire) and his
obligation to
obey God. The "nachash" [serpent],
recognizing this weakness,
challenges man to question the very existence
of this Divine
relationship (3:1-4). When man succumbs to
his desires and
disobeys God, he is banished from the Garden.
Whether or not man can return to this
ideal environment
will later emerge as an important biblical
theme.
A DUAL EXISTENCE
From PEREK ALEPH, we learn that God is
indeed the Creator
of nature, yet that recognition does not
necessarily imply
that man can develop a personal relationship
with Him. The
environment detailed in PEREK BET, although
described in
physical terms, is of a more spiritual nature
- for God has
created everything specifically for man.
However, in return he
must obey God in order to enjoy this special
relationship. In
this environment, the fate of man is a direct
function of his
deeds.
So which story of Creation is 'correct',
PEREK ALEPH or
PEREK BET? As you probably have guessed -
both, for in daily
life man finds himself involved in both a
physical and
spiritual environment.
Man definitely exists in a physical
world in which he
must confront nature and find his purpose
within its framework
(PEREK ALEPH). There, he must struggle with
nature in order to
survive; yet he must realize that God Himself
is the master
over all of these Creations. However, at the
same time, man
also exists in a spiritual environment that
allows him to
develop a relationship with his Creator
(PEREK BET). In it, he
can find spiritual life by following God's
commandments while
striving towards perfection. Should he not
recognize the
existence of this potential, he defaults to
'spiritual death'
- man's greatest punishment.
Why does the Torah begin with this
'double' story of
Creation? We need only to quote the Ramban
(in response to
this question, which is raised by the first
Rashi of Chumash):
"There is a great need to begin the Torah
with the story of
Creation, for it is the "shoresh
ha'emunah", the very root
of our belief in God."
Understanding man's potential to develop
a relationship
with God on the spiritual level, while
recognizing the purpose
of his placement in a physical world as well,
should be the
first topic of Sefer Breishit, for it will
emerge as a primary
theme of the entire Torah.
shabbat shalom,
menachem
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