BEREISHIS 1:1- 6:4, PART TWO
Among other things Parshat Bereishis concerns the origin of the universe.
Modern day Physicists call a point that has an infinite density and infinite temperature at a finite time in the past a “singularity”. In terms of the creation of the universe, these physicists call that point a primordial singularity or the “Big Bang”…basically something from nothing. Try to imagine everything in the universe compressed into an infinitesimally small speck of matter…not so easy.
The Ramban commenting on the Parshah about 800 years ago at 1:1 interprets the opening words of the Chumash to be “In the beginning of everything that God created…”. In a similar fashion to scientists today, the Ramban describes the creation of the universe from a dot or point, נְקוּדָה,
הקדוש ברוך הוא ברא כל הנבראים מאפיסה מוחלטת
“The Holy One, Blessed is He, created all creations from an absolute nothingness”.
Talk about being ahead of your time...wow!
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The opening verse of the Torah is:
רֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ בְּ
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
I heard an interpretation which said to the effect:
At the outset Hashem has done the creation, but it is left to us to reach our own potential and complete the job.
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The Chumash opens with Hashem creating our universe. He is the Creator.
בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
"In the beginning of God's creation of the heavens and the earth."
At 1:27 Hashem creates us in His image.
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ: זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, בָּרָא אֹתָם.
"And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Being created in the image of God, the Creator, lays a responsibility on us to be Re-Creators, to make things better. How to start: One of the pluses of making Aliyah is that we have the opportunity to recreate ourselves, to make ourselves better.
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Keep in mind that the Torah is not a science book. But it might as well be: Light is an energy form. Every physical thing that we have originated from energy at the time of the Big Bang.
In the process of creating, the first thing that Hashem creates is “light”.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִי־א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר
And Hashem said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Without light, there is no life.
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What exactly did Hashem create during the six days of Creation before He ceased Creating and rested on the 7h day?
People, the world over have sought t determine the foundations upon which the world is built. For two thousand years it served as a basis for scientific theory, explaining the physical world.
The Persian philosopher Zarathustra, 6th century BCE described four elements of creation: earth, water, air and fire. He considered them sacred.
Later on it was the Greek philosopher Empedocles in the 5th century BCE who proposed that all matter is composed of earth, water, air and fire in different combinations of one another.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle, who lived in the 4th century BCE, adopted the theory of the four elements and added a fifth, ”ether,” the sacred element from which, he believed, the heavens are formed.
As proposed by Aristotle, the theory of four elements served as a scientific theory which was meant to explain the physical world. It was seen as true and almost everyone clung to it until the 18th century CE, for more than two thousand years.
No credit was given to Hashem for the creation of these elements.
The theory of four elements is found in the basic book of Kabbalah, the Zohar. The Zohar that Man was created from the four elements: fire and wind and dust and water. Here we see the influence of Greek culture or Hellenism on Torah Judiasm. We should not lose sight of the effect of assimilation on our way of life.
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In a letter written in Jaffa in 1905, Rav Kook responded to questions concerning evolution and the geological age of the world. In summary (from Chanan Morrison):
Ancient Jewish sources also refer to worlds that existed prior to the current era of six thousand years.
One should not assume that the latest scientific theories are eternal truths.
The purpose of the Torah is a practical one — to have a positive moral influence on humanity, and not to serve as a primer for physicists and biologists. It could very well be that evolution, etc., are the tools by which God created the world.
Some ideas are intentionally kept hidden, as the world may not be ready for them, either psychologically or morally
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In the Parshah at 1:21, the Chumash says:
"And God created the great sea monsters..."
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים
What exactly are the הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים, the great sea monsters?
Some of us who believe that they are huge crocodiles; others believe that they are dinosaurs or precursors to the dinosaurs.
Possibly they were sea-going dinosaurs similar to the plesiosaur that I found in a wall located in Akko.
The plesiosaur is a long necked marine reptile. You can see its eye, jaw, dorsal fin? And spinal column.
I think that the הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים is a monstrous fish, maybe the mythological Leviathan, perhaps similar to the creature pictured in the illustration below. That creature lived 350 million years ago. It was 20 feet long, weighed one ton and had no natural enemies. It has been found in Cleveland, Ohio where Reb Yitz is from.
It’s a stretch, but I wonder if there is a connection between the upright walking serpent that tempted Eve and the other reptilian candidates. Until the serpent showed a negative trait, was it going to share an evolutionary spotlight with human beings?
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I heard an interesting take by Rabbi Eric Levy on a portion of the Cain-Abel episode that I want to pass on to you:
When Eve gave birth she called her son קַ֔יִן, Cain.
Bereishis 4:1
וְהָאָדָם, יָדַע אֶת-חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ; וַתַּהַר, וַתֵּלֶד אֶת-קַיִן, וַתֹּאמֶר, קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת-יְהוָה.
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, and she said, "I have acquired a man with the Lord."
However when the second son was born, no one names him; neither his Mother or Father or Hashem.
Bereishis 4:2
And she continued to bear his brother Abel, and Abel was a shepherd of flocks, and Cain was a tiller of the soil.
וַתֹּסֶף לָלֶדֶת, אֶת-אָחִיו אֶת-הָבֶל; וַיְהִי-הֶבֶל, רֹעֵה צֹאן, וְקַיִן, הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה.
Abel הָ֑בֶל or is not given a name per se. הָ֑בֶל means nothingness or mist or smoke. There is no dialogue. He speaks no words, leaves no descendants. הָ֑בֶל is smoke; הָ֑בֶל is gone.
Now you see him; now you don't; he's gone.
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Genesis 6:1–4 (English Only)
"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives, whomsoever they chose.
And the LORD said: 'My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.'
The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown".
So who were the Nephilim?
Were they fallen angels or giants? Were they daemons or space aliens?
They appear again the Book of Numbers; Ten of the twelve spies were afraid of them. Witness Og and his iron bed.
The consensus is that the Nephilim were giants.
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MAX’S PARSHAT BEREISHIS QUIZ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Olim:
Max has come up with a quiz that relates to the Parshat Bereishis Torah portion.
Attached are his questions and answers. How did you do? Maybe you have to study more; I do.
Stay Inside; Stay Safe and Stay Healthy. Wear your mask.
Wishing You a Good Shabbos,
Mick
1-What is one of the major lessons of the narrative of Genesis?
A person may sin, but he can repent and God allows him the opportunity
2-What is the prime Goal of Creation?
The Creation of Man
3-Which Attribute of God was used to start the creation of the world?
God used the attribute of Elohim (Justice) at first but then added Mercy
4-What is meant when the Torah states that it was Good?
This term was used only to indicate a Finished Creation
5-What is special in the First Six Days of Creation?
The first 3-Days parallel and compliment the last 3-Days
Day 1-Light, Day 3-Luminaries, Day-2 Seas & Atm.Day 5-Acquatic & Bird Life
Day 3-Dry Land & Veg ,Day 6-Populated by Animals &Man
6-What was implied in the sequence Creation ?
God tells Adam the World is placed in your hand to make it function properly
7-What is meant by God when he Stated "Let us make Man" ?
God was talking to Ministering Angels, who were created on the 2nd Day
8-What is meant at the end of Creation that "It Was Very Good"?
When all creations are considered together the world is very Good
9-What is meant that it was THE SIXTH DAY of creation ?
This refers to the Sixth of Sivan when we accepted the Torah
10-Why did HASHEM create two worlds ?
One World to perform and Earn Rewards, and One world to receive and Enjoy
11-Why people before the Flood lived long lives (average 850 years)?
The Soil was extremely Healthy, and to enable Human to perform at best
12-Who was the first person to Pray to HASHEM and why ?
Adam HaRishon to allow plantation to Grow
13-Why are the sky and the Sea clear blue ?
This color reflects HASHEM's Heavenly Throne of Glory, (Sapphire)
14-Which species of fruit grew on the tree of knowledge?
Grapevine, or Fig Tree, or Wheat Stalk, or Estrog, or Apple
15-Which Mitzvah can atone for one׳s sin ?
Keeping the Shabbat properly
16-Which 7-Things HASHEM created before the world ?
Torah. TESHUVA, Gad Eden, Gehinom, Kisei Hakabod,
Beis Hamikdash, and MOSHIACH
17-How long did CHAVA lived, and who buried her ?
CHAVA was 987 years old when she died, she was buried by Chanoch
18-Who brought the first Korban to HASHEM?
Adam HaRishon, then Kayin , then Hebel
19-What was the maximum age human lived after the Flood?
With few exceptions , the maximum age was 120 years
20-When did a Tzadik created a man from the ground?
In 1580, the Maharal made Yossele the Golem to protect city of Prague
22-How many years from Creation before receiving the Torah ?
We received the Torah 2,448 years after Creation
23-Why was it good the HASHEM made GEHINOM?
So that People would be afraid to Sin
24-Who lived the longest life in Man History ?
Methuselah lived 969 years,he was the son of Enoch, son of Lamech
25-Why do we make a blessing on the moon once a Month ?
Just as the Month is renewed monthly , so a Jew can renew Path of Life
26-Why did HASHEM ask Adam "Ayekah" ?
Where are you Morally, Have you Grown, Have you learned anything?
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