Chasidut sobre Génesis 1:3
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃
Y dijo Dios: Sea la luz: y fué la luz.
Mareh Yechezkel on Torah
Sermon on Parashat Bereshit
In Midrash Tehillim, it says, “’The beginning of Your words gives light’ (Psalms 119:130) – the beginning of Your words in the Creation was (Genesis 1:3), ‘Let there be light’; From there, ‘You make the fools understand,’ and they will begin with words of Torah” – and Rashi on Psalms cites this midrash. And it appears that his words can be elucidated according to the Mishnah (Avot 5:1), “With ten utterances the world was created, etc.” And see the book, Orchot Tzaddikim, as he explains that the teacher [of this mishnah] had two questions: One is, what was the benefit of having informed us that the world was created with ten utterances? And also, why was it created with ten utterances? And he answered about the first question, that an evildoer should know to be careful not to sin – for his punishment will be great, since he is destroying the world that was created with ten utterances. And about the second question, he answered that it is to give a goodly reward to the righteous. But that itself is difficult – why should the evildoer be punished with a severe punishment? As what does it matter that it was created with ten utterances, was He not able to have created it with one utterance? For if a craftsman makes a utensil in ten days that he could have made in a day, is his payment any greater as a result; and does one who breaks it have to pay any more? Likewise is it difficult – why should the righteous receive any more reward [as a result of this]? And see what he writes.
In Midrash Tehillim, it says, “’The beginning of Your words gives light’ (Psalms 119:130) – the beginning of Your words in the Creation was (Genesis 1:3), ‘Let there be light’; From there, ‘You make the fools understand,’ and they will begin with words of Torah” – and Rashi on Psalms cites this midrash. And it appears that his words can be elucidated according to the Mishnah (Avot 5:1), “With ten utterances the world was created, etc.” And see the book, Orchot Tzaddikim, as he explains that the teacher [of this mishnah] had two questions: One is, what was the benefit of having informed us that the world was created with ten utterances? And also, why was it created with ten utterances? And he answered about the first question, that an evildoer should know to be careful not to sin – for his punishment will be great, since he is destroying the world that was created with ten utterances. And about the second question, he answered that it is to give a goodly reward to the righteous. But that itself is difficult – why should the evildoer be punished with a severe punishment? As what does it matter that it was created with ten utterances, was He not able to have created it with one utterance? For if a craftsman makes a utensil in ten days that he could have made in a day, is his payment any greater as a result; and does one who breaks it have to pay any more? Likewise is it difficult – why should the righteous receive any more reward [as a result of this]? And see what he writes.
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Kedushat Levi
Another approach to the last paragraph. it is the duty of every Jew to serve his Creator at all times from feelings of awe and fear and to look at fellow Jews with a benevolent attitude, interpreting actions that appear inappropriate in a favourable light, and not to harm any fellow Jew; the first step in serving G’d is always based on fear, awe. Man’s awe when serving G’d results in a mixture of awe and satisfaction, pleasure. Moses had attained this level of possessing wisdom while at the same time remaining in awe of the Creator, as we know from psalms 111,10 ראשית חכמה יראת ה', “all wisdom has its beginning in a feeling of awe and respect of G’d,” and is therefore symbolic of יראה, while Aaron’s name contains the letters נהר א, i.e. the letter אלף of the word יראה, and the letters spelling “water” in the sense of a blissful stream, providing irrigation, the first such water that we find in Genesis 2,10 i.e. ונהר יוצא מעדן, “and a river originated from Eden, and irrigated, etc.” Awe and fear lead to satisfaction תענוג. Seeing that the term יראה, awe, cannot be an attribute of the Creator, and תענוג, the feeling of pleasurable satisfaction preceded the dispensation by G’d of His largesse to Israel, (the process being comparable to what our sages meant when they said that “the cow is more intent of nursing the calf than the calf is consciously looking for its mother’s milk,”) when it comes to the results of Moses and Aaron intervening in the process of preparing Pharaoh to release the Israelites, Moses is mentioned first when the Torah writes: הם המדברים אל פרעה מלך מצרים להוציא את בני ישראל ממצרים, “they were the ones speaking to Pharaoh to permit the Children of Israel to leave Egypt.”[By mentioning Aaron last, the Torah associated him with the execution directly; he was mentioned immediately before the word להוציא, “to release,” i.e. the type of largesse about to be dispensed by G’d to the Jewish people. Ed.].
I have heard in the name of my revered teacher Rabbi Dov Baer from Mezerich that he explained Proverbs 10,1 בן חכם משמח אב, “a wise son brings joy to his father,” as Solomon paraphrasing the relationship between Jews loyal to Torah and their Father in heaven. When a Jew serves his Father in heaven he causes Him satisfaction and joy. Similarly, when someone makes complimentary remarks about fellow Jews, G’d also derives pleasure from such compliments. We are not to serve G’d for selfish reasons at all, such as the reward we have been promised for doing this. We must strive to provide G’d with satisfaction from our service to Him. This is so although there are a few benedictions in the 19 benedictions of the amidah, the central prayer, in which we ask for something for ourselves, such as intelligence to serve G’d properly, the ability to repent our sins, and a cure for our diseases. Seeing that G’d derives pleasure from our prayers, even these benedictions in which we turn to Him for help, also give Him pleasure. G’d derives pleasure from the very fact that we, His people, enjoy our existence on earth. This is what the sages had in mind when they responded to the question (Bereshit Rabbah 3,4) ,מהיכן נבראת האורה “from where did the light in which G’d garbed Himself originate?” The word for “light” in that Midrash is אורה as opposed to אור, the light G’d had created on the first day (Genesis 1,3) [There the word for “light” was in the masculine mode, whereas in the Midrash it is in the feminine mode, reminding us that it was something passive, received. Ed.] The answer given by Rabbi Shmuel ben Nachman in that Midrash is that it originates from the site on which the Holy Temple was built. The Talmud, pursuing this subject also asked whence the light originated from.
[I have not been able to authenticate what follows, supposedly in the Talmud. Ed.]
The Talmud wonders whence the light in which G’d drapes Himself originates. Seeing that the word אורה used for “light,” is in the feminine mode it must have been created at some time, having been the recipient of input from another source. Seeing that man needs to serve the Lord for the sake of providing Him with pleasurable satisfaction, תענוג, as opposed to our receiving blessings and material benefits in the earthly part of the universe, the question is logical. The answer given in the Talmud to the question posed is that G’d derives pleasure from man’s service which enables Him to dispense His largesse to man. He even enjoys prayer when it is offered as a means to secure this largesse. The reason He does so is because the very fact that He has reason to dispense this largesse is a source of satisfaction for Him.
I have heard in the name of my revered teacher Rabbi Dov Baer from Mezerich that he explained Proverbs 10,1 בן חכם משמח אב, “a wise son brings joy to his father,” as Solomon paraphrasing the relationship between Jews loyal to Torah and their Father in heaven. When a Jew serves his Father in heaven he causes Him satisfaction and joy. Similarly, when someone makes complimentary remarks about fellow Jews, G’d also derives pleasure from such compliments. We are not to serve G’d for selfish reasons at all, such as the reward we have been promised for doing this. We must strive to provide G’d with satisfaction from our service to Him. This is so although there are a few benedictions in the 19 benedictions of the amidah, the central prayer, in which we ask for something for ourselves, such as intelligence to serve G’d properly, the ability to repent our sins, and a cure for our diseases. Seeing that G’d derives pleasure from our prayers, even these benedictions in which we turn to Him for help, also give Him pleasure. G’d derives pleasure from the very fact that we, His people, enjoy our existence on earth. This is what the sages had in mind when they responded to the question (Bereshit Rabbah 3,4) ,מהיכן נבראת האורה “from where did the light in which G’d garbed Himself originate?” The word for “light” in that Midrash is אורה as opposed to אור, the light G’d had created on the first day (Genesis 1,3) [There the word for “light” was in the masculine mode, whereas in the Midrash it is in the feminine mode, reminding us that it was something passive, received. Ed.] The answer given by Rabbi Shmuel ben Nachman in that Midrash is that it originates from the site on which the Holy Temple was built. The Talmud, pursuing this subject also asked whence the light originated from.
[I have not been able to authenticate what follows, supposedly in the Talmud. Ed.]
The Talmud wonders whence the light in which G’d drapes Himself originates. Seeing that the word אורה used for “light,” is in the feminine mode it must have been created at some time, having been the recipient of input from another source. Seeing that man needs to serve the Lord for the sake of providing Him with pleasurable satisfaction, תענוג, as opposed to our receiving blessings and material benefits in the earthly part of the universe, the question is logical. The answer given in the Talmud to the question posed is that G’d derives pleasure from man’s service which enables Him to dispense His largesse to man. He even enjoys prayer when it is offered as a means to secure this largesse. The reason He does so is because the very fact that He has reason to dispense this largesse is a source of satisfaction for Him.
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Mareh Yechezkel on Torah
And with this we can understand [the Gemara’s statement] (Rosh Hashanah 32a), “’In the beginning’ is also considered an utterance, as it is stated (Psalms 33:6), ‘By the word of the Lord the heavens were made’” – and see Rashi’s commentary. For the holy Torah also caused and assisted the Creation, that it be able to exist – and as it is written (Kiddushin 30b), “I created the evil impulse, [and] I created the Torah as a remedy.” And this is the intent of the midrash at the beginning: That because the Holy One, blessed be He, only started using the expression, “And He said,” with, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3); but, “And He said” is not said regarding the creation of the heavens and the earth – therefore [we derive that] the heavens and the earth exist on account of the Torah, and did not need an utterance [other than the Torah itself]. And that is why the Torah weakens the strength of the evil impulse. Hence the fools will understand the Torah’s uniqueness, “and they will they will begin with words of Torah.” And this is the meaning of that which is written (Jeremiah 33:20), “Were it not for My covenant […], I would not have made the laws of heaven and earth.” For the heavens and the earth were created by way of the Torah.
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Kedushat Levi
Moses’ song was inspired by the immensity of the miracle that he and the people had witnessed at the time. They had witnessed the “death” and “resurrection” of the universe, albeit in miniature. If the letter ז is symbolic of the עולם העשיה, the universe after its completion on the seventh day, the letter א is symbolic of the very beginning of creation, so that Moses alluded to the process of a reversal in the creative process as having occurred as part of the miracle they had witnessed at that time. It is not accidental that in the Torah scroll instead of writing the שירה, “song” in the normal fashion, the lines are broken, interrupted so as to convey the manner in which bricks are laid, not one exactly above the other, but in a pattern that enables the wall to survive sudden impacts. This is true even of stone walls that are not joined by cement.
At this point the author allegorically describes חיות, the essence of “life” as the word of G’d which was the cement that holds together the different parts of the universe, all of which came into existence by His ten oral directives enumerated in the first chapter of Genesis. The empty spaces between the letters (words) are an allusion to the part of the world where this miracle occurred having retreated toward its origin before the definite contours of that universe had been finalized.
At this point the author allegorically describes חיות, the essence of “life” as the word of G’d which was the cement that holds together the different parts of the universe, all of which came into existence by His ten oral directives enumerated in the first chapter of Genesis. The empty spaces between the letters (words) are an allusion to the part of the world where this miracle occurred having retreated toward its origin before the definite contours of that universe had been finalized.
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