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Torah Portion -
Bereishis
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Written by Administrator
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Torah Portion -
Bereishis
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Written by ShortVort
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There is no shortage of talking points this week; from the many interesting details about how the world was created, to the first man, the first sin, and the first murder. In fact, the Vilna Ga’on used to say that the entire Torah is contained within the word bereishis. Consequent to this statement, someone asked him where pidyon haben (the mitzvah to redeem one’s firstborn) can be found in the word bereishis. The Ga’on replied on the spot that bereishis can be read as an acronym for Ben Rishon Achar Shloshim Yom Tifdeh; ‘you shall redeem your first son after thirty days.’ We shall focus on one rather cryptic Rashi. The pasuk following the completion of the creation of the world reads (2;4) ‘These are the products of the heavens and the earth in their having been created (be’hibar’am), on the day that HaShem the L-RD made earth and heavens.’ As you have noticed, there seems quite a bit of repetition in the pasuk, but of particular interest is the word
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Torah Portion -
Bereishis
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Written by Administrator
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The sages point out that the Torah, in the first depiction of creation, creates the world using the name Elokim representing his attribute of strict justice. Yet they also point out that in the second depiction of the creation story the Torah uses the name HaShem, which correlates with his aspect of loving-kindness, along with the name Elokim. Rashi points out that G-d first thought to create the world with strict justice, but realizing that the world couldn’t exist in such a way decided to create the world as a balance between strict justice and loving-kindness. This balance between G-d’s attributes has existed throughout creation and can be seen in the world today although today it is quite unstable. Reb Moshe Feinstein
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Torah Portion -
Bereishis
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Written by Administrator
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Song of G-d The first word in the Torah is Bereishis. The letters of Bereishis are Beis-Resh-Aleph-Shin-Yod-Tav. These same letters rearranged make up the words Shirat Av—the song of the father (Shin-Yod-Resh-Tav and Aleph-Beis). All of creation is really a song created by our Father. Creation is G-d’s symphony. We are all notes in it. Just as a symphony exists only for beauty and pleasure; life is also a masterpiece that ultimately exists only for beauty and pleasure. G-d didn’t create the world for himself, but rather for us to give us pleasure. Just as a classical musician appreciates Beethoven much more than the neophyte, so to life is cherished much more by the people who listen to its notes and study its patterns. Those who listen to the depths of creation and study it begin to hear the song of G-d, and will ultimately create their own notes that harmonize with G-d’s masterpiece. But the people who do not open their hearts to listen and their minds to see,
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Torah Portion -
Bereishis
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Written by Administrator
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I just want to repeat over a thought (it's actually much more than that) which the Beis Halevi says in Parshas Bereishis. It is really really worth looking up; it's in beis halevi al hatorah at the end of parshas bereishis and starts with the words 'iissa besukkah.' This is the gist of it… The Beis Halevi asks what exactly changed from prior to Adam's sin to after the sin? [That particular question is a massive one; see Ramchal's Derech HaShem chelek aleph perek 3 who explains that before the sin, death was not needed in the world, since the soul could purify and uplift the body. But after the sin, the soul could not do this any longer and thus HaShem had to
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