Comentario sobre Génesis 1:1

בראשית IN THE BEGINNING — Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation? Because of the thought expressed in the text (Psalms 111:6) “He declared to His people the strength of His works (i.e. He gave an account of the work of Creation), in order that He might give them the heritage of the nations.” For should the peoples of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan”, Israel may reply to them, “All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed He gave it to them, and when He willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187).

בראשית ברא אלוקים, let the “intellectuals” realize that all the words of our sages and their interpretations are true and accurate. This is what the Talmud (Shabbat 63) had in mind when it quoted Rav Kahane saying that he had studied the Talmud until the age of 18 and had not yet appreciated that although the laws of the Torah are derived from the text, none of the interpretations are such that they can uproot the plain meaning of the text. They are based on anomalies in the text, not on the text itself wherever the law derived from the Torah appears to conflict with the plain meaning of the text. One example is Genesis 2,4 where the word בהבראם, a most unusual construction, used by the sages to declare that the world was created “for the sake of, or with the help of אברהם,” (Bereshit Rabbah 12,9) seeing that the letters in that word are the same as the ones in the name אברהם, [though in a different sequence. Ed.]
I shall list the explanations of earlier commentators of old, in order to demonstrate why I did not follow in their footsteps. Some scholars understand the first verse to mean that “at the beginning G’d created heaven and earth.” This is an erroneous explanation, seeing that water preceded the creation of heaven and earth as we know from verse 2 where “the spirit of G’d” is described as already “hovering over the surface of the water.” Moreover, the Torah did not write בראשונה, which would have been appropriate if it had wanted to tell us that heaven and earth preceded all other phenomena in the universe. The word בראשית is in a construct mode, as in Genesis 10,10 ותהי ראשית ממלכתו בבל “the mainstay of his kingdom was Babylon.” A construct mode like this cannot describe the commencement of something but refers to something already in existence. As to the scholars who understand the word as equivalent to the word תחלה in Hoseah 1,2 i.e. so that it would mean “at the beginning G’d created the heaven,” i.e. before He created heaven and earth there was chaos, darkness on the face of the water, etc., so that it emerges that water had been created first, this too is nonsense. How could the Torah refer to a state of the earth prior to creation of the heaven?
The plain meaning of the text is, as occurs many times, that something may be mentioned first in one instance although elsewhere this same phenomenon is mentioned as having occurred at a later stage. In Genesis 9,18 we are told about the three sons of Noach who left the ark after the deluge being Shem, Cham and Yephet, and the Torah adds that Cham was the father of Canaan. Although the information about Canaan is quite out of place at this juncture, the fact that later on the Torah tells us that Noach cursed Canaan, makes it necessary to mention him here, as otherwise we would not have known who this Canaan was whom Noachh cursed in verse 25 of the same chapter. We have a similar situation in Genesis 35,22 where, although Reuven’s conduct with Yaakov’s concubine Bilhah is mentioned, Yaakov’s reaction is not mentioned until shortly before his death when he explains why Reuven had not been viewed by him as suitable to occupy the position normally accorded to a firstborn (Genesis 49,3-4). In 35,22 the Torah already tells us that Yaakov had heard about what Reuven had done. Had the Torah not done so, the reader would have been taken aback at Yaakov’s remonstrating with Reuven at this late stage.
There are many such examples. Our entire paragraph here was written by Moses in order for us to understand what is written in the Ten Commandments concerning the reason why the Sabbath is holy, i.e. that it is a symbol reminding us of the fact that G’d created the universe in 6 days and rested on the seventh day. (Exodus 20,10) If anyone were to think that the universe as such had already existed then in the format that we see it now, the Torah corrects such thinking by continuing with

IN THE BEGINNING G-D CREATED. Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah, which is the book of laws, should have begun with the verse, This month shall be unto you the first of the months,¹Exodus 12:2. which is the first commandment given to Israel.²It is true the book of Genesis contains three commandments (1:28; 17:10; 32:33), but after the Revelation on Sinai these laws became incumbent upon Israel. Hence the verse this month, etc., is “the first commandment given to Israel” as a people. What then is the reason that it begins with the creation? Should the nations of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers because you took unto yourselves the lands of the seven nations of Canaan,” they [Israel] may reply to them, “The whole world belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He. He gave it to whom He pleased, and according to His Will, He took it [the land] from them and gave it to us.”
This is a homiletic exposition³Found in Tanchuma (Buber), Bereshith 11. See also Rashi (Berliner) p. 424. as quoted by Rabbi Shlomo [Rashi] in his commentaries.
One may object that it was indeed very necessary to begin the Torah with the chapter of In the beginning G-d created for this is the root of faith, and he who does not believe in this and thinks the world was eternal denies the essential principle of the [Judaic] religion and has no Torah at all.⁴A person who thinks the world is eternal cannot believe in miracles since, if G-d did not create the world, He cannot possibly change it. Ramban explains in many places (e.g., see further, 17:1; 46:15) that all Divine promises concerning the blessings or imprecations which will follow upon our observance or disregard of the Torah are miraculous in nature of “invisible miracles.” A person who believes that the world is eternal thus has “no Torah at all.” See further my English work, Ramban: His Life and Teachings, Chapter 13.
The answer is that the process of creation is a deep mystery not to be understood from the verses, and it cannot truly be known except through the tradition going back to Moses our teacher who received it from the mouth of the Almighty, and those who know it are obligated to conceal it.⁵Chagigah 11 b: “The process of Creation may not be expounded before two.” It is for this reason that Rabbi Yitzchak said that it was not necessary for the Torah to begin with the chapter of In the beginning G-d created and the narration of what was created on the first day, what was done on the second and other days, as well as a prolonged account of the creation of Adam and Eve, their sin and punishment, and the story of the Garden of Eden and the expulsion of Adam from it, because all this cannot be understood completely from the verses. It is all the more unnecessary for the story of the generations of the flood and of the dispersion to be written in the Torah for there is no great need of these narratives, and, for people who believe in the Torah, it would suffice without these verses. They would believe in the general statement mentioned to them in the Ten Commandments: For in six days the Eternal made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day,⁶Exodus 20:11. and the knowledge of the process of creation would remain with individuals as a tradition from Moses who received the law on Sinai together with the Oral Torah.
Rabbi Yitzchak then gave a reason for it. The Torah began with the chapter of In the beginning G-d created and recounted the whole subject of creation until the making of man, how He [G-d] granted him dominion over the works of His hands, and that He put all things under his feet;⁷See Psalms 8:7. and how the Garden of Eden, which is the choicest of places created in this world, was made the place of his abode until his sin caused his expulsion therefrom; and how the people of the generation of the flood were completely expelled from the world on account of their sin, and the only righteous one among them — he [Noah] and his children — were saved; and how the sin of their descendants caused them to be scattered to various places and dispersed to different countries, and how subsequently they seized unto themselves places after their families, in their nations,⁸Genesis 10:5. as chance permitted. If so, it is proper that when a people continues to sin it should lose its place and another people should come to inherit its land, for such has been the rule of G-d in the world⁹The Hebrew word ba’aretz (world) may also refer here to “the land,” especially the Land of Israel. See Ramban further, 26:5. from the beginning. This is true all the more regarding that which is related in Scripture, namely that Canaan was cursed and sold as a servant forever.¹⁰Genesis 9:25. It would therefore not be proper that he inherit the choicest of places of the civilized world. Rather, the servants of G-d — the seed of His beloved one, Abraham¹¹See Isaiah 41:8. — should inherit it, even as it is written, And He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took the labor of the peoples in possession; that they might keep His statutes, and observe His laws.¹²Psalms 105:44-45. That is to say, He expelled those who rebelled against Him, and settled therein those who served Him so that they know by serving Him they will inherit it, whereas if they sin against Him, the land will vomit them out, just as it vomited out the nation before them.¹³See Leviticus 18:28.
Elucidating the explanation I have written are the words of the Sages in Bereshith Rabbah, wherein they say as follows:¹⁴1:3. “Rabbi Yehoshua, of the city of Siknin, in the name of Rabbi Levi opened [his discourse on this chapter of Creation with the verse]: He hath declared to His people the power of His works.¹⁵Psalms 111:6. Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal to Israel what was created on the first day and what was created on the second day? It is on account of the seven nations who inhabited the land of Canaan, so that they should not taunt Israel and say to them: ‘Are you not a nation of robbers?’ Israel could then reply to them: ‘And you, is it not booty in your hands? Have not the Caphtorim that came forth from Caphtor destroyed them and dwelt in their stead?¹⁶Deuteronomy 2:23. The world and the fullness thereof belong to the Holy One, blessed be He. When He willed it, He gave it to you, and when He willed it, He took it from you and gave it to us.’ It is this which Scripture says, To give them the heritage of the nations.¹⁵Psalms 111:6. He hath declared to His people the power of His works in order to give them the heritage of the nations. Hence He told them the account of creation.”
There is yet another source for the subject I have mentioned: the mysteries in the process of creation. It is what our Rabbis of blessed memory have said:¹⁷This Midrash is quoted by Rambam in his Preface to Moreh Nebuchim. See Batei Midrashoth, ed. Wertheimer, I, p. 251. “He hath declared to His people the power of His works.¹⁵Psalms 111:6. To declare the power of the process of creation to a mortal being is impossible. Therefore, Scripture closed the matter: In the beginning G-d created.” Thus is elucidated what we have said on this subject.¹⁸That the details in the process of creation and the settlement of the earth were written for the purpose of justifying Israel’s possession of the land while the essential process of creation itself remains a mystery.

בראשית, at the beginning of time; this is the first moment which is indivisible into shorter periods. There had not been a concept “time” previous to this, i.e. there had only been unbroken continuity. [The author perceives “time” as one of the creations. Ed.]

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth: The reason that the Torah started with the letter 'bet' is that King Shlomo, in all of the book of Kohelet, compares the Torah to the Sun, which only moves in three directions like the shape of the 'bet,' that is only open on its north side [according to ancient maps that would place north on the left of the page and east on top]; and because it was given through Moshe, whose face is like the sun; and maybe the reason is that the evil inclination that opposes the Torah comes from the North and it 'breaks the fence' of the Torah, as it is stated (Joel 2:20), "And the northern one will I distance from you." And also because gold, which comes form the North, opposes the Torah; and they generally flee from one another, as it is stated (Psalms 119:71), "It is good that I have become poor, so that I can learn your statute;" And this is not the place to speak more about this. And it is possible to also explain it, in the way that it is stated (Proverbs 9:1), "Wise women have built their house;" hence, the wisdom of the Torah began with 'bet' [which sounds like bayit, the Hebrew word for house], since it is the mistress of the larger 'house.'

The enlightened ones will understand that the intent of the Torah is not to inform about the natural sciences; and that the Torah was not given except to straighten the ways of man to righteousness and justice, and to establish in their hearts the belief in [His] unity and providence, since the Torah was not only given to sages but [rather] to the whole people. And just like the matter of providence and reward is not explained (and it would not have been fitting that it be explained) in a philosophical manner, but the Torah [rather] spoke about it like the language of [ordinary] people ([as in] "the anger of the Lord will flare against you" [Deuteronomy 7:4]; "and it grieved His heart [Genesis 6:6]; and there are many [other examples] like this); so too, the matter of creation is not told (and it is not fitting that it would be told) in the Torah in a philosophical manner. And it is as the Rabbis, of blessed memory, have stated (Midrash HaGadol, Genesis 1:1), "To tell the power of the story of creation to flesh and blood is not possible." Hence it is not fitting for the follower of Torah to uproot the verses from their understanding in order to make them agree with the natural sciences. It is also not fitting for the scientist to deny that the Torah is divine (min hashamayim) if he finds things in its stories that don't agree with natural science. But it is fitting for this one and that one, that they contemplate the inner workings of human hearts and the ways of wisdom that is used by nature in speaking to the heart of every individual: to the youth according to his manner and to the young man in a different manner and to the old man in a different manner [still]; to the strong in a particular manner and to the weak in a particular manner; to the rich man in one manner and to the poor man in another manner; and so [too] with all groups of men, nature speaks to their hearts in a specific way that is fitting to the people of that group. And nature does not reveal the pristine truth - without any mask or cover - to any one of these groups. And so [too] the Giver of the Torah, may He be blessed, (since the God that created nature and the God that gave us the Torah is one God.) in his speaking with people was required to speak according to their levels, and not according to His level, may He be blessed. And behold, God wanted to inform people of the unity of the [universe] and the unity of mankind; since error in both of these matters caused great evils in ancient times: from the lack of awareness of the unity of the [universe], it came out that people would believe in the existence of specific gods, with defects and inferior character traits; and they would do evil acts in order to please [these gods] (see what I have written in Parshat Yitro on the verse, "There shall not be for you" [Exodus 20:3]). And from the lack of awareness of the unity of mankind, it came out that the people of one nation would hate and revile the people of another nation and they would act towards them with the force of arms, and not with justice and righteousness. And these two fundamental principles (the unity of the [universe] and the unity of mankind) are the main point of the stories of the creation saga; and details of the book also include other intentions, as will be explained.

In the beginning, God created: The verse is telling that when it went up into His will, may He be blessed, to create the world, He created the material of all of the creation in one instant; as the heavens that are mentioned here includes all of the existence of the upper world, and the earth includes all of the existence of the lower world. Except, given that all of the things were mixed up together and without order, the Creator decreed to refine all of the offspring of the heaven and the offspring of the earth in six days; in order that everything should be in its place that is fitting for it, and that it should act according to its law. For example, He commanded that the waters should gather and the dry land should be revealed; He commanded the earth that is should bring forth grasses and that it should bring forth living souls; he commanded the waters that they should swarm living souls; and so [too] with everything. Behold that all of these commandments were refinements, not new creations - since they were made and completed from material [already] created on the first day; however that material was created ex nihilo. And hence, the verse here did not say, "God said, 'let there be heavens, 'let there be earth;'" to teach us that the first creation was from absolute nothingness - since it is not possible to have the expression of speaking [to something] before the creation of [that] something. As behold, there was not yet material or anything that God, may be blessed, could command to bring out the heavens and the earth. But with the other creations that [emerged] from something else - even though they were miraculous and similar to ex nihilo, nonetheless, there was already material that they could emerge from - about them, it is fitting to say "And God said;" which is to say that He commanded to that in existence to bring forth something else. Still, in spite of this, even the heavens and the earth were created with His proclamation and through His will, may He be blessed, as it states (Psalms 33:6), "With the word of God were the Heavens made," and so [too] our Sages, of blessed memory, stated, "'In the beginning' is also a proclamation."

In the beginning, created: has a numerical equivalent (gematria) of 'On Rosh Hashanah was created (the world).' Bereishit (In the beginning) is the acronym of berishona raah Elohim sheyikablu yisrael Torah (first God saw that Israel would accept the Torah). The last letters of Bereishit bara Elohim (In the beginning, God created) form the acronym, emmet (truth), [which] teaches that God created the world with truth, as it is stated (Psalms 119:160), "The beginning of Your word is truth;" and so [too], there are many verses, which the last letters of of its words form the acronym, emmet.

With the help of the Creator of light, I will elucidate the explanation of the Torah, to unite His awesome name; Who made me from the beginning and advised and called upon me first, to work pleasantly first; I will begin to explain the Book of 'In the Beginning' (Genesis):

בראשית ברא אלוקים את השמים ואת הארץ. The word Bereshit is not in a genitive possessive mode, i.e. “at the beginning of,” as for instance in Jeremiah 26,1 where we find בראשית ממלכת יהויקים, where it means: “at the beginning of the reign of Yehoyakim,” but is a word in its own right as in Isaiah 46,10 מגיד מראשית אחרית, “foretelling the end from the beginning,” or, as in Deuteronomy 33,21 וירא ראשית לו, “He chose the choicest for himself.” In other words: when G’d began to create the universe, He first created heaven and earth. The word בראשית is necessary as one cannot speak of either ראשית or אחרית except in terms of “time.” At that point “time” did not exist yet as it is a concept indivisibly linked to motion. Motion commenced only when the planets were placed in the sky (on the fourth day). These motions were described in terms of “days.” At the “time” described in our verse there were only “moments,” “hours,” etc., but a recurring cycle of time such as days had not yet come into existence.

In the beginning Elohim [God] created: Elohim means judge. Indeed, just like the statutes of the Torah are called judgement [or laws]. Similarly, the properties of nature that the Holy One, blessed be He, ingrained in His world are called judgement [or laws]. As is explained in [Tractate] Shabbat 155, "'The righteous One knows the judgement of the poor ones' (Proverbs 29:7); the Holy One, blessed be He, knows that that the dog's food [supply] is sparse, etc.;" and the matter is not in the category of punishment, but rather this is [its] nature, and that is called judgement. And behold [regarding] the name, God/Judge, even though its simple understanding is the One who runs His world in judgement, nonetheless, here, its understanding is the One who creates His world with judgement. And this is its understanding in the Sifri, at the beginning of Parshat Ve'etchanan concerning the prayer of Moshe, "Lord, God/Judge, in judgement have you created the world." And there, we explained with His help, may He be blessed, why the Sages, of blessed memory, explained the intention of Moshe in this way. And also see, what I have written further, Genesis 9:16, and in the Book of Exodus 6:2.

 בראשית. Rabbi Yitzchok said that G’d had no need to begin the Torah prior to chapter 12,2 in Exodus, until the words החודש הזה וגו', “this month will be the first of the months for you, etc.” Nachmanides, in justifying Rabbi Yitzchok’s comment, writes that the story of creation is of great consequence and provides the root for our faith in G’d, and that anyone who does not believe what is written in that chapter does not believe that this present universe is G’d’s creation but believes that the universe preceded G’d in historical terms. He who does so is an outright heretic and has no share in G’d’s Torah at all. Chapter 12 in Exodus contains the first commandment addressed specifically to the Jewish people as a people. [the commandment of circumcision also applies to those of Avraham’s descendants who would not be Jews. Ed.] Notwithstanding the latter consideration, seeing that the fact that G’d created the universe is not spelled out anywhere else in the five books of the Torah, it was important to record this vital message at the very beginning. Seeing that the story of creation had been handed down verbally by one generation to the next during the 2448 years which preceded the giving to the people of Israel of the written Torah, Rabbi Yitzchok was correct in saying that inasmuch as people had such a tradition already, the written Torah could have commenced only with chapter 12 in Exodus and the legislative part of the Torah would have been unimpaired. G’d considered it imperative to dictate to Moses the sequence of the 6 days (stages) of creation culminating in the creation of man and G’d assigning man to be in charge of the life-supporting part of the universe, i.e. earth. Rabbi Yitzchok’s comment is especially pertinent as the Talmud in Chagigah 11 warns those who have acquired knowledge of how earth came into being to conceal such knowledge from the public at large. We could have questioned then why the Torah at that stage saw fit to reveal to one and all what only a chosen few had been aware of? G’d wanted us to know that He was at home on earth in a place called גן עדן, and that but for man having been expelled from there due to his sin he could have remained in constant direct contact with his Creator without the need for any intermediary. It also was necessary to record that after the total corruption of mankind save for a single family, the Creator saved that family and destroyed the surface of the earth during the deluge. These short paragraphs summarizing over 1600 years of the history of mankind, serve as a warning to later generations of what might happen if they too would become guilty of deliberately flouting the Creator’s design collectively. Seeing that the inhabitants of the land of Canaan behaved in a manner most displeasing to G’d, the Torah by giving us a short history of man, explains that the forced removal of the Canaanites from their land, was no more than what they had brought upon themselves by ignoring history. Still on the quote by Rashi of what Rabbi Yitzchok said, etc. Notwithstanding the fact that mankind as a whole had received 7 other commandments, the commandment to sanctify the new moon was the first commandment addressed to only a single nation, the Jewish nation. Seeing that at that point the Jewish people still constituted an integral part of mankind as a whole, and they were all subject to these 7 universally applicable commandments, it might have been deemed appropriate to commence the Torah, the Book containing legislation addressed exclusively to that nation only, with the point at which the first of such national commandments was introduced. Rashi explains therefore, that by commencing the Torah at Bereshit bara, the Torah wanted to demonstrate not only that G’d was the Creator, but that He is also the sole and undisputed owner of His universe and may decide which nation is entitled to live on which part of the earth. In other words, if the Jewish people supplanted the Canaanites in the land of Canaan and they were helped by numerous supernatural miracles in doing so, it was clear that their success was G’d’s will, that it was not robbery instigated by Moses and Joshua their leaders. There appears to be a contradiction here, seeing that when the Torah describes who lived in the land of Canaan during Avraham’s time, the Torah first refers to the Canaanite living there, (Genesis 13,7) whereas in chapter 14,18 Malki Tzedek, a Semite, is described as King in Jerusalem (שלם). We would have to answer that the only minute part of the land of Canaan not yet taken over by the Canaanites was that city of Jerusalem. Still, seeing that Canaan had been, cursed by his grandfather Noach to be a slave to Noach’s other two sons, how are we to explain the ascendancy of that nation at that time? Moreover, why should the Canaanites have dispossessed the descendants of Shem more than the descendants of Yaphet? The Torah may wish to hint that seeing the Canaanites obtained their homeland by dispossessing the Semites, the people relatively most loyal to G’d already, put a great question mark on their legal and moral right to occupy the choicest land on earth. [the Canaanites, the most morally corrupt nation, took aim at the Semites, the most morally superior. Ed] Rashi explains the word בראשית as being in a construct mode, to the verb ברא, “He created,” i.e. the line is to be understood as: “at the beginning of G’d’s creating heaven and earth, the earth was in a state of chaos.” At that point G’d issued the directive: “let there be light.” Accordingly, the only thing G’d created on the first day was “light.” Nachmanides explains the words בראשית ברא אלוקים את השמים ואת הארץ, as meaning that G’d’s first creative activity consisted of His calling into existence out of total non-existence, heaven and earth. This “earth” however, was something so insubstantial, something referred to as tohu vavohu, matter which was ready to assume definitive form and substance at a subsequent stage. This “matter=tohu vavohu, is equivalent to what the ancient Greeks called ”hiayuli.” The meaning of the word ברא is the creation of something of substance which had never possessed any substance at all, known in philosophy as “ex nihilo.” Subsequent to this act of creating matter out of pure spirit, any other creative activity made use of this basic and original raw material. Such stages of creative activity are described as יצירה, “providing form and substance,” but are never referred to as בריאה, “creation.” The original not quite definitive form and shape of that matter, is referred to in the Torah as בהו, “vohu.” At that stage, heaven and all its components consisted of a single raw material, and earth and all it is comprised of consisted of another single raw material. According to Rashi on Kohelet 7,19, the word describes the super terrestrial wisdom with which G’d created the universe, a wisdom that leaves even the wisest of men in utter amazement, תוהא. [transliteration from the ancient Greek. Ed.] Both the raw material used to create heaven and that used to create earth are unique and distinct, and the word ברא refers exclusively to the creation of these two phenomena.. The “names” תהו and בהו given by the Torah to these raw materials are intended to forestall man changing the names in question and renaming them to suit his purpose. The words are composites, i.e. בו הוא parallels Isaiah 34,11 ונטה עליה קו-תהו ואבני בהו, “and He shall measure it with a line of chaos and with weights of emptiness.” The word קו is derived from קוה, hope, i.e. the builder employs the plumb line to check if the results of his efforts justified his hopes and expectations. אבני בהו, refer to the stones which the building consists of. [the foregoing is taken from Nachmanides. Ed.] After the Torah reported that initially G’d created heaven and earth, it reverts to the subject of “earth,” explaining that after the initial creative activity producing tangible matter, the phenomenon known as “earth” (in contrast to that known as “heaven”) was in a state of תהו, meaning tangible matter devoid of distinct shape and contours, so that it was best described as בהו, as G’d proceeded to provide it with distinct shape and contours. This meant that what had originally been a single raw material, now became “split” into the four basic raw materials we are all familiar with, i.e. fire, water, earth and atmosphere, air, wind. Ever since that stage of development, whenever we refer to the word הארץ, we mean the phenomenon which is composed of varying proportions of these four raw materials. When the Torah refers to the completion of G’d’s creative activity on the seventh day and describes it as ויכלו השמים והארץ וכל צבאם, it refers to the totality of what is known in our literature as the עולם התחתון, “the lower universe,” the part of the universe inhabited by living bodies. The word חשך describes the element fire, because the original fire is black. Had it been reddish it would have illuminated the night so that the darkness of night would be impossible to observe. The water which is the raw material used to mould the dust of the earth, is referred to by the Torah in our chapter as תהם, This is why the waters of the ocean are referred to as תהומות as in Exodus 15,8 קפאו תהומות בלב-ים, “the normally mobile waves became inert (as if frozen) in the midst of the ocean.” The bedrock of the ocean is referred to as תהום as we know from Isaiah 63,13 מוליכם בתהומות כסוס במדבר, “He guides them through the depths of the sea as one guides a horse through the desert.” In our context here, what we know as “air,” is referred to as רוח It is a well known fact that the combination of these four raw materials comprise what we know as ארץ, the globe we all inhabit. The pillar holding this lower universe together is the globe of earth, surrounded by water on most of its surface surrounded further by the atmosphere we call air or רוח. The fire in turn surrounds this atmosphere. [the heat of the sun emanates from beyond the atmosphere. Ed.] What our verse reveals is that this phenomenon described as ארץ, was “dressed up” in a shape, meaning that the element fire surrounded it on the outside, the atmosphere, air, רוח being an element in constant motion interweaving with the other elements. The innermost spot within all these layers is known in the language of our sages as אבן שתיה, the foundation stone of the earth, i.e. the stone which “waters” the entire globe. To sum up, the meaning of the first two verses is: “at the beginning G’d created heaven and He created earth, both out of non-existent matter. When the earth was first created, it was in a chaotic state devoid of form and contours, a mixture of the four basic elements fire, water, earth and wind, none of which had been defined as yet as to their functions.

R. Yitzchok said. Some commentators object that neither the Talmud nor the Midrash mention this statement in the name of R. Yitzchok. [The Midrash] states only what Rashi said [later]: מה טעם פתח בבראשית וכו' but states no more than that. [These commentators then explain] that R. Yitzchok was Rashi’s father and he was not a great Torah scholar. Rashi wished to honor his father by mentioning him in the beginning of his work. Thus Rashi asked his father to pose a difficulty that could be cited in his name. His father asked: למה התחיל בבראשית but did not ask מה טעם פתח בבראשית [as the Midrash does. Thus, Rashi cites the question in his father’s name.] This explanation, found in an old manuscript, is incorrect. For Rashi’s commentary on Avodah Zarah (75a) cites [a scholarly explanation of the Talmud] and says, “This is the explanation of my father, my teacher, may he rest in peace...” Thus it is clear that Rashi’s father was learned in Torah. (Divrei Dovid)

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בראשית ברא אלקים Die Lautverwandtschaft mit רעש und רחש, wovon das Eine eine Ortsbewegung und das Andere eine innere Bewegung bedeutet, lehrt, dass wir ראש als den Sitz der Bewegung, als dasjenige Organ zu begreifen haben, von welchem alle äußere und innere Bewegung den Ausgang nimmt. Daher heißt ראשית: der Anfang einer Bewegung, der zeitliche Anfang, nie der räumliche. Der räumliche Anfang heißt wie das Ende קצה; es sind eben die beiden Endpunkte einer Ausdehnung, die, je nachdem man seinen Standpunkt nimmt, Anfang oder Ende sein können. בראשית וגו׳ heißt somit: im Anfang alles Werdens war es Gott, der schuf; oder mit den beiden nachfolgenden Objekten zusammengefasst: uranfänglich schuf Gott den Himmel und die Erde. Jedenfalls spricht בראשית das Faktum aus, dass dem Schaffen Gottes Nichts vorangegangen, dass der Himmel und die Erde nur aus dem Schaffen Gottes hervorgegangen. Es ist damit die Schöpfung aus Nichts, יש מאין konstatiert, eine Wahrheit, die den Grundstein des Bewusstseins bildet, welches die Lehre Gottes uns aufbauen will. Das Gegenteil, die Urewigkeit des Weltstoffes, die den Schöpfer nur als den gestaltenden Bildner zulässt und die ebenso den Grundstein des heidnischen Bewusstseins bis auf den heutigen Tag bildet, ist nicht nur eine metaphysische Lüge, die den kosmogonischen VorStellungen der Menschen die Wahrheit, d. h. die Übereinstimmung mit der Wirklichkeit geraubt: sie ist die noch weit verderblichere, alle Sittlichkeit untergrabende Leugnung aller Freiheit in Gott und im Menschen. War dem Weltbildner der Stoff gegeben, so konnte er aus dem gegebenen Stoff nicht die absolut gute, sondern nur die relativ beste Welt gestalten. Alles physische und sittliche Übel würde unabwendbar in der Mangelhaftigkeit des Stoffes liegen. Gott selbst könnte die Welt weder vom physischen noch vom sittlichen Übel erlösen. Der Mensch könnte eben so wenig Herr seines Leibes werden, wie Gott Herr des Weltstoffes. Die Freiheit wäre aus der Welt geschwunden, eine blinde, trostlose Notwendigkeit würde über die Welt samt ihrem Gott und dem Menschen gebieten. Diese trostlose Nacht des Gottes- Welt- und MenschenBewusstseins verscheucht sofort das erste Wort der Gotteslehre, von dem es in Wahrheit heißt: "בראשית .פתח דבריך יאיר ברא אלקי׳!" hiermit steht und fällt alles Folgende. Alles, Stoff und Form alles Seienden ist aus dem freien, allmächtigen Schöpferwillen hervorgegangen. Frei steht und waltet noch heute der Schöpfer über Stoff und Form aller Wesen, über die Kräfte, die im Stoffe wirken, über die Gesetze, nach welchen sie wirken, und über die Formen, die sie gestalten; denn sein freier, allmächtiger Wille hat ja den Stoff geschaffen, ihm diese Kräfte einverleibt, diesen die Gesetze gesetzt, nach welchen sie die Formen gestalten. Und wie Er frei über seine Welt gebietet, so konnte Er auch dem Menschen, dem Er einen Funken seines freien Wesens eingehaucht, mit diesem Funken die Freiheit über seine kleine Welt, die Freiheit über den Leib und dessen Kräfte verleihen und ihn zum freien Ebenbilde des freien Gottes in die von Seiner Allmacht beherrschte Welt dahin stellen. Die בראשית von Gott erschaffene Welt ist nicht die möglichst beste, sondern die einzig gute; sie entspricht mit allen ihren scheinbaren Übeln dem Weisheitsplane ihres Schöpfers, der sie anders hätte erschaffen können, wenn dieses Andere seinem Willen entsprechender gewesen wäre. Der בראשית von Gott erschaffene Mensch hat mit allen seinen sittlichen Mängeln die Fähigkeit, in höchster sittlicher Vollkommenheit dem ihm von seinem Schöpfer vorgesteckten sittlichen Ideale zu entsprechen; die Möglichkeit seines Fehlens selbst gehört mit zu seiner sittlichen Vollendung, sie ist ja die Grundbedingung seiner sittlichen Freiheit, und beide, Welt und Mensch, werden das höchste Ziel des Guten erreichen, für welches sie beide erschaffen; denn der Gott, der ihnen dieses Ziel gesteckt, hat sie beide für dieses Ziel mit seinem allmächtigen, durch nichts gehinderten, freien Willen geschaffen. Er hätte sie anders geschaffen, wenn dies dem von Ihm frei gesetzten Ziele förderlicher gewesen wäre. Eine Wahrheit, die wir uns immer wieder aufs neue im קדיש in's Bewusstsein rufen, in welchem wir die Überzeugung aussprechen, dass Sein großer Name sicherlich die von Ihm gewünschte "Anerkennung und Heiligung in einer Welt gewinnen werde, די ברא כרעותיה ,die Er ja ganz nach seinem Willen für dieses Ziel geschaffen." In diesem Sinne gewinnen auch die Sätze der Weisen: בזכות ישראל בזכות משה בזכות חלה מעשר ובכורים נברא עולם die alle ,ראשית genannt werden, oder der Satz: ה"ב"ה היה מביט בתורה ובורא העולם ihre tiefe Begründung. Wenn Israel und Moscheh als ganz neue Anfänge einer ganz neuen Phase der Geschichtsentwicklung erscheinen und daher ראשית genannt werden, oder diesen Namen als erste Verwirklichung des mit der Menschenschöpfung vorgesetzten Ideals, gleichsam als Erstlinge der Gottesernte verdienen; wenn חלה מעשר ובכורים nichts als die Ausdrücke sind für die huldigende Zurückgabe der Welt an Gott, deren Spender; wenn vor allem das Gesetz der erste Baustein für den mit der Schöpfung und aus derselben zu erreichenden Gotteszweck ist und darum ראשית genannt wird: so waren alle diese, wenn gleich spät sich entwickelnden Ziele schon mit dem Beginn der Welt gesichert, eben weil diese בראשית geschaffen ist, ganz aus Gottes Händen hervorgegangen, somit von vorn herein für diese höchsten Ziele gebildet worden. Gott, heißt es, schaute in die תורה und schuf danach die Welt. Wir erkennen somit in diesem בראשית den Eckstein unseres Gott- und Welt- und Menschen Bewusstseins und begreifen, wie, als dieses Bewusstsein geschwunden war und wieder neu aufgerichtet werden sollte, das freie, unumschränkte Schalten Gottes mit der Welt, ihren Stoffen, Kräften und Gesetzen, durch Wunder zu konstatieren war, die eben als נסים, hochaufgesteckte Merk- und Leitzeichen, uns zur Wiedergewinnung des Bewusstseins von der durch nichts gehinderten freien Allmacht Gottes führen sollten, ein Bewusstsein, das, wie angedeutet, die Vorbedingung alles sittlichen Menschenbewusstseins, somit die Vorbedingung unseres ganzen Verhaltens zur תורה bildet.

There is a midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 1), that the reason why [the Torah] opened with a "bet" and not with an "aleph", is because the "bet" has a connotation of blessing ("B"racha), and "aleph" has a connotation of cursing ("A"rirah). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will open with a "bet", with a connotation of blessing, and if it would only be that it should be able to be fulfilled! Alternatively: [The reason the Torah opens with a "bet", which equals two in gematria] is because of the two worlds that were created, this world and the world to come. Alternatively: [The reason the Torah opens with a "bet", which equals two in gematria] is because of the two Torahs, the written Torah, and the oral Torah, to teach you that the world was created in the merit of the Torah and its learners. Bereishit: The [same Hebrew] letters as "Bet Resh" [="first house"], meaning the first Temple, as it says (Jeremiah 17:12) "An honorable throne, exalted from the beginning, the place of our Temple." Alternatively: The [same Hebrew] letters as "A' B'Tishrei" [="1st of Tishrei"], which was when the world was created. Alternatively: The [same Hebrew] letters as "Yirei Shabbat" [="Awe of the Sabbath"], to tell you that the world was created in the merit of Shabbat. Alternatively: The [same Hebrew] letters as "Brit Aish" [="Covenant, Fire"], that in the merit of "covenant", which is circumcision, and in the merit of fire, which is the Torah, we will be saved from the judgement of Gehinnom. Alternatively: The [same Hebrew] letters as "Briat Yesh" [="Creation of something/310"], for the creation of 310 worlds for every righteous individual.

בראשית, the reason why the Torah did not commence with the letter א but with the letter ב, is that the universe, i.e. earth, resembles that letter, i.e. it is enclosed from three sides as in the letter ב only the left side being open, i.e. the north side. [I presume that what the author means is that when we read the Torah, and the reader in the synagogue is facing east, as is customary in the synagogues in the northern hemisphere, the open side of that letter is on his left, i.e. north. Ed.] According to tradition, the letter א complained to G–d that it had not been allowed for the Torah to commence with it. What did G–d do? He recompensed that letter by commencing the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai with the letter א, where we read: (Exodus 20,2) אנכי ה' אלוקיך וגו', “I am the lord your G–d, etc.” The word בראשית consists of 6 letters, symbolising the six days of creation; The first verse of the Torah has seven words, symbolising the numbers of days in a week. It contains 28 letters, symbolising the 28 days of the month. [Perhaps the fact that the first letter is in a much bigger font compensates for the slight inaccuracy of the author stating the month has 28 days and not 29. Ed.] We also find the letter א six times in that verse, symbolising the six thousand years this earth [after the creation of man, Ed.] is supposed to exist in the format as we know it. The meaning of the word aleph in Hebrew is “one thousand.” The second verse in the Torah, commencing with the word: והארץ, immediately after the word ארץ, “earth” at the end of the preceding verse, symbolises that the period known as the period of Moshiach, is to last 2000 years. (Talmud, Sanhedrin folio 97) [the last two millennia preceding the arrival of the messianic age. Ed.] In Exodus 13,9 the Torah writes: למען תהיה תורת ה' בפיך, “in order that the Torah of Hashem be in your mouth;” in that verse the letter א occurs twice to serve as a hint that two thousand of the 6000 years that the earth will function as we know it, will already be years in which G–d’s Torah will be studied by many people. [Seeing that the Jewish people began its existence with the birth of the first Jew who was a Jew at birth, Yitzchok, which occurred 400 years before the Exodus, and it is the Jewish people’s task to study and spread the Torah, and Yitzchok’s birth coincided almost exactly with the beginning of the third millennium, this may be why the author of this commentary chose that verse and the two letters א in it, as another example of the letter א being utilised as a symbol of Torah study.

בראשית. The reason why G-d commenced the Torah with the letter ב, the second letter in the alphabet, instead of with letter א the first letter in the alphabet, is to draw our attention to the fact that the letter ב is surrounded from three sides, i.e. from east, west, and south, whereas the fourth side is left open, a warning that evil winds may blow from the north unimpeded by a barrier. We have a tradition dating back to Jeremiah, that disaster threatening the Jewish people has a habit of commencing from the North (Jeremiah1.14) . [This editor always found this puzzling as the meaning of the word צפון, “north,” is “hidden,” i.e. not easy of access, and here the letter ב being open in a northerly directions would appear to invite disaster. Ed.] We also find that the name of G-d when spelled אדני appears in the Torah 134 times, corresponding to the combination of the first and last letter of each of the letters in the words for “east,” i.e. 48 מזרח, “south,” דרום, i.e. 44, and “west,” i.e. מערב, i.e. 42. The “north” is not hinted at, and is left open until there is a need, i.e. to counter it with a different name of the Lord. The number 134 is equivalent to the numerical value of the word (Aramaic) קלד, “to lock up, insert a key.” When disaster faces the Jewish people, G-d’s people, the Creator will be called upon to seal the fourth side of this first letter in the Torah by using His “name” as the key. The answer to the question, why He had left it open in the first place, seeing He sealed all the other directions to prevent attacks upon His people, is in order to present a challenge to the blasphemers when the time of the redemption comes to close this side if they are able to. If you will count each letter of the alphabet and add it up according to their values as numbers, i.e. 2= ב+ 1=א plus ג = 3, you will get a total of 1500, i.e. 500 for each of the three other directions, corresponding to the number 500, the years of travel on foot travel on foot required to cross the surface of the globe in each direction. (based on Shir hashirim rabbah6.14)

Our Sages said, "That a letter Beth was added...etc." The commentators longed to for their sake to an explanation HaRav's words in a various ways, And after the study it seems that his words (brought) up with an opinion (from) Rashi and became a few. Here is HaRav (whom) introduce to the Torah conflicting opinions Midrash of the study beginning with Beth assume a blessing in the creation of heaven and...etc. And in a book explain clear an opposite of that wrote showed letters reason, these (was) his words hakof reverse a truth and curse forever...etc.

בראשית ברא IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED — This verse calls aloud for explanation in the manner that our Rabbis explained it: God created the world for the sake of the Torah which is called (Proverbs 8:22) “The beginning (ראשית) of His (God’s) way”, and for the sake of Israel who are called (Jeremiah 2:3) “The beginning (ראשית) of His (God’s) increase’’. If, however, you wish to explain it in its plain sense, explain it thus: At the beginning of the Creation of heaven and earth when the earth was without form and void and there was darkness, God said, “Let there be light”. The text does not intend to point out the order of the acts of Creation — to state that these (heaven and earth) were created first; for if it intended to point this out, it should have written 'בראשונה ברא את השמים וגו “At first God created etc.” And for this reason: Because, wherever the word ראשית occurs in Scripture, it is in the construct state. E. g., (Jeremiah 26:1) “In the beginning of (בראשית) the reign of Jehoiakim”; (Genesis 10:10) “The beginning of (ראשית) his kingdom”; (Deuteronomy 18:4) “The first fruit of (ראשית) thy corn.” Similarly here you must translate בראשית ברא אלהים as though it read בראשית ברוא, at the beginning of God’s creating. A similar grammatical construction (of a noun in construct followed by a verb) is: (Hosea 1:2) תחלת דבר ה' בהושע, which is as much as to say, “At the beginning of God’s speaking through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea.” Should you, however, insist that it does actually intend to point out that these (heaven and earth) were created first, and that the meaning is, “At the beginning of everything He created these, admitting therefore that the word בראשית is in the construct state and explaining the omission of a word signifying “everything” by saying that you have texts which are elliptical, omitting a word, as for example (Job 3:10) “Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb” where it does not explicitly explain who it was that closed the womb; and (Isaiah 8:4) “He shall take away the spoil of Samaria” without explaining who shall take it away; and (Amos 6:12) “Doth he plough with oxen," and it does not explicitly state, “Doth a man plough with oxen”; (Isaiah 46:10) “Declaring from the beginning the end,” and it does not explicitly state, “Declaring from the beginning of a thing the end of a thing’ — if it is so (that you assert that this verse intends to point out that heaven and earth were created first), you should be astonished at yourself, because as a matter of fact the waters were created before heaven and earth, for, lo, it is written, (v. 2) “The Spirit of God was hovering on the face of the waters,” and Scripture had not yet disclosed when the creation of the waters took place — consequently you must learn from this that the creation of the waters preceded that of the earth. And a further proof that the heavens and earth were not the first thing created is that the heavens were created from fire (אש) and water (מים), from which it follows that fire and water were in existence before the heavens. Therefore you must admit that the text teaches nothing about the earlier or later sequence of the acts of Creation.

ברא, He had converted “nothing” into “something.” There had been no need to invoke “time” in order to accomplish this.

In the beginning, created God...: It would have been fitting to begin the Torah with the name of God; so much so that the Sages of blessed memory needed to change [the word order in their Greek translation] for King Ptolemy and write, "God created the beginning." And about this, the commentators have given a reason that is praiseworthy: Since the existence of God, may He be praised, is impossible to fathom except though His attributes, His acts and the work of His hands, that He created; they are the ones that testify, speak and give faithful testimony about His blessed existence; therefore [the Torah] mentioned first, "In the beginning, created" and afterward is God made known. But there is a difficulty about this, since it should have been written, "Created God the beginning," since it is logical that anything that the name of God could precede, it should precede; since behold [the knowledge of] the existence of God is not dependent upon the knowledge of the earlier things in the creation, about which the word bereshit [in the beginning] relates to, according to most commentators.

IN THE BEGINNING G-D CREATED. Rashi wrote: “This verse calls aloud for elucidation,¹⁹The difficulties in the verse are: (a) The word bereshith (in the beginning) appears throughout the Bible in a construct form such as: In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 27:1). But here it cannot be in construct form since such a form can be used only in connection with a noun, and the word bara (He created) is a verb. (b) Again, it cannot be said that here bereshith is actually in a construct form and that a missing noun is implied, thus making the sense of the verse, “in the beginning of all, G—d created…,” for if so, the following difficulty presents itself: since Scripture, according to this interpretation, sets out to tell us the order in which things were created, why does it say in Verse 2 And the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters when it has not yet told us when water was created? Hence Rashi turns to a Midrashic interpretation in which the word reshith is another name for the Torah and Israel. The word bereshith is thus not in a construct form but stands by itself, and the sense conveyed is: “For the sake of that which is reshith [Torah and Israel] G-d created.” as our Rabbis have explained it:²⁰Bereshith Rabbah 1:6; Tanchuma (Buber) Bereshith 3. “For the sake of Torah which is called reshith, as it is said, The Eternal made me as ‘reshith’ (the beginning) of His way,²¹Proverbs 8:22. and for the sake of Israel who is called reshith, as it is said, Israel is the Eternal’s hallowed portion, the ‘reshith’ (first-fruits) of His increase.”²²Jeremiah 2:3.
This Midrash of our Rabbis is very hidden and secret for there are many things the Rabbis found that are called reshith and concerning which they give Midrashic interpretations, and those wanting in faith count their multitude. For example, they [the Rabbis] have said:²³Bereshith Rabbah 1:6. “For the merit acquired by [fulfilling the commandments associated with] three things has the world been created: for the merit of the Dough-offering, for the merit of Tithes and for the merit of the First-fruits. In the beginning G-d created. Reshith surely signifies the Dough-offering, as it is said, The first of your dough.²⁴Numbers 15:20. Reshith surely signifies the Tithes, as it is said, The first of thy corn.²⁵Deuteronomy 18:4. Reshith surely signifies the First-fruits, as it is said, The first-fruits of thy land.”²⁶Exodus 23:19.
The Rabbis have further said:²³Bereshith Rabbah 1:6. “For the merit acquired by Moses [the world has been created], as it is said, And he chose a first part for himself.”²⁷Deuteronomy 33:21. Reference here is to Moses who took the territory of Kings Sihon and Og as he knew that his grave was to be therein. (See Rashi, ibid.) It was thus for the sake of this meritorious person, of whom reshith was said, that the world was created.
Their intent in the above texts is as follows: the word bereshith alludes to the creation of the world by Ten Emanations, and hints in particular to the emanation called Wisdom, in which is the foundation of everything, even as it says, The Eternal hath founded the earth by wisdom.²⁸Proverbs 3:19. This is the Heave-offering [referred to in the Midrash mentioned above], and it is holy; it has no precise measure,²⁹By law of the Torah, the Heave-offering given to the priest has no fixed measure; the owner may give according to his discretion. “Even one grain frees the whole mound” (Kiddushin 58 b). Similarly, our conception of Divine wisdom is infinitesimal in relation to its true scope. thus indicating the little understanding created beings have of it. Now just as a man counts ten measures — this alludes to the Ten Emanations — and sets aside one measure of the ten as a Tithe, so do the wise men contemplate the tenth Emanation and speak about it. The Dough-offering, which is the single commandment pertaining to the dough, alludes to this. Now Israel, which is called reshith as mentioned above, is “the congregation of Israel,” which is compared in the Song of Songs to a bride and whom Scripture in turn calls “daughter,” “sister” and “mother.” The Rabbis have already expressed this in a homiletic interpretation of the verse, Upon the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him,³⁰Song of Songs 3:11. and in other places. Similarly, the verse concerning Moses, And he chose a first part for himself,²⁷Deuteronomy 33:21. Reference here is to Moses who took the territory of Kings Sihon and Og as he knew that his grave was to be therein. (See Rashi, ibid.) It was thus for the sake of this meritorious person, of whom reshith was said, that the world was created. which they [the Rabbis in the above Midrash] interpret to mean that Moses our teacher contemplated [the Deity] through a lucid speculum,³¹So clearly stated in Yebamoth 49b. and he saw that which is called reshith (the first) for himself, and therefore he merited the Torah. Thus all the above Midrashim have one meaning. Now it is impossible to discuss this explanation at length in writing, and even an allusion is dangerous since people might have thoughts concerning it which are untrue. But I have mentioned this [i.e., the above brief explanation] in order to close the mouths of those wanting in faith and of little wisdom, who scoff at the words of our Rabbis.

In the beginning, God created: Many have already been disturbed [about] why there is no proclamation for the creation of the heavens and the earth, and why the creation of the angels is not mentioned. And one should also wonder why the first day is different from the other days of the creation; since every one of them is dedicated to a specific thing or to specific things of one type or one category. But the first day includes a specific thing which is the creation of light, and besides this [also] includes something general - and there is nothing more general than it - and that is the creation of the heavens and the earth. This is something very strange, and it would have been fitting to designate one day for the creation of the heavens and the earth, without attaching to them the creation of something specific - which is the light - on one day. And it appears to me that one answer will suffice for [all] three of the questions, and that is that the heavens and the earth were not created on the first day but before then. And this is according to what is said (Berakhot 25b), "the Torah was not given to the ministering angels" - and [this means] that the story of creation is only coming to tell the beginning of matters of the lower world - which is the habitation of man - and a little of the matters of the upper world, from the angle of that which is relevant to people, which is to say from the angle of that which is useful for us [to know]. And it would not have been possible to explain to people all the matters of the heavens; but [at the same time] it was [also] not His will, may He be blessed, to bring people to believe that nothing exists except that which we see and [empirically] know. Therefore, the Torah tells what was created and made on each one of the six days of creation; and it began the story of the details of creation with one verse that includes a different creation that came before the six days - and its details were not explained in the Torah - in its stating, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," and not stating, "And God said, 'let there be heavens, let there be earth.'" This is to inform that it is not His intention to tell us the details of that creation and that this is just a vague statement which contains many, many statements. And behold, the heavens and the earth mentioned here are not exactly the heavens and the earth mentioned on the second and third day. Rather the heavens mentioned here includes everything above the earth and the heavens mentioned on the second day includes only the portion from them that is known to people. And the earth that is mentioned here includes the earth that is mixed up with water, and upon which was the wind/spirit, [whereas] the earth mentioned on the third day only includes the dry land. That is, in my opinion, the main simple explanation of this verse. And lest someone say that this contradicts what comes in the Ten Commandments, "because in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth;" there is, in fact, no contradiction to my explanation from there, since it does not say, "because in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth," but rather, "because in six days the Lord made;" and the intention [there] is about the making of the firmament and about the separation of the earth from the water. And the words, "and all that there is in it" that are said in [the continuation of] the Ten Commandments include the light and the luminaries and the animals that are upon the earth and in the midst of the seas. And in Parshat Ki Tissa (Exodus 31:17), it shortened it and only mentioned the heavens and the earth, and included in them every thing that is in them. Also the Sages, of blessed memory, said (Pesachim 54a) that the Throne of Glory came before the creation of the world. Bara (created): The verb, bara, in the simple structure and in the passive structure, is never found in any place with reference to human action. And we find that a man is called a doer and a former, but we don't find any place where man is called a creator (boreh). And it appears that this root is used to indicate anything that deviates from that which is the way of the world, as per, "I will make wonders which were not created (nivrau) in all the earth" (Exodus 34:10); "and if the Lord creates (yivra) a creation and the ground opens its mouth" (Numbers 16:30); "I let you hear new things from now... they were created (nivrau) now and not from before" (Isaiah 48:6-7); "because the Lord created (bara) something new on the earth" (Jeremiah 48:7); and here God created (bara) the heavens and the earth, a Godly act which has nothing like it. We find creation from nothing (ex nihilo) explicitly [mentioned] in the Book of Maccabees, Book II 7:28; and also the Samaritans say that the world was created from nothing in their liturgical poems, and it is also [included in] the faith of the Karaites. And Yechezkel, when speaking about the king of Tyre, used the expression, briah about him: "on the day you were created (hibaraecha), they were established" (Ezekiel 28:13); "from the day you were created (hibaraech)" (Ibid., 15). He poetically compared him to Adam, whom God created and placed in the Garden of Eden, which is as it is stated [there], "you were in Eden, the garden of God;" hence, he used the expression briah, as if [to say] that he was not formed through a father and mother; instead he was a creation that God created. And in the intensive (piel) structure, we find the root, bara, indicating chopping and cutting (Joshua 17:15; Ezekiel 23:47); and in the causative, "lehavriachem (to feed yourselves)" (I Samuel 2:29), [to indicate] a matter of health and portliness. And in some [versions] of II Samuel 12:17, we find bara in the simple structure [as follows]: "and you did not create bread," with a [letter,] alef instead of a [letter,] hay. And that was the version [in front of] Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra, and it was not the version [in front of] Rabbi David Kimchi. Elohim (God): El and eyal is always an expression of power and strength and elohim is the plural form; and this was [the accepted terminology] of the nations that worshiped idols (Kuzari 4:1). And they would call all of the forces of nature that are the causes of phenomena, [elohim], and they would worship them; and each one of them would be a god for them. However, the Hebrews, who were monotheists, kept this name in the plural to indicate that the God that they were worshiping was not [just] one specific power. As the non-Jews would say, "the Lord is the god of the hills and not the god of the valleys," (I Kings 20:28) but [in fact] He is the collection of all the forces and the Master of every force. (And similar to this is the word, seas [yamim], see below, verse 10). So [too] is He called by the name, 'Hosts,' to say that He, Himself, contains all the powers of all of the hosts of the Heavens which the non-Jews would worship - see my commentary on Isaiah 1:9.

In the beginning: [It is] like 'at the start.' And the intention is 'at the start of the being of all that exists;' since before then, there was nothing in existence besides the Creator, may He be blessed, alone. And also from the expression, "In the beginning," we learn the truth of creation of the world [ex nihilo].

The heavens have open and I saw the vision of God, Creator of the ends of the earth, and I reflected upon that which I have been allowed to reflect upon in the unfolding of holy words; and my remark is from the East of (before) the Torah. His saying, "In the beginning of," [bears a] structure which is relational, as you would say 'the beginning of a thing, but here what ['the beginning of'] refers to is missing (beginning of what?). And who is like our God, who knows the thing (word), is the origin of the thing (word) not from Him?

The heavens and the earth: The clear simple explanation is that which was written by Ramban on verse 8, that [the Torah] is not speaking in this verse about the firmament that would on the second day be called, heavens; and about the dry land that would be called land on the third day. It [follows] from this that the firmament is not intrinsically and inevitably heavens, and so [too] dry land is not inevitably earth; rather [it is only that] the Holy One, blessed be He, called the firmament, heavens, and the dry land, earth; which is not the case in this verse - [instead, here] it is implied that, in essence and to begin with, their qualities are evident; which is that their names are heavens and earth, [even] without being given [these names.] Just like the name, dry land, is not [dependent on its] being given a name, but rather it is self-evident that dry dirt and soil is called dry land, based on its characteristics [and so will be explained about man, later.] And the explanation is that in the beginning of the creation, [it was] His will, may He be blessed, that all the workings of the world should be [by way of] emanator and recipient. An example is the sun and the seven planets that emanate to us. Nonetheless, they receive from what is higher than them. And about what is higher than them, we say in the prayer text, "who takes out the sun from its place and the moon from its dwelling place." And it is known that the movement of the sun and the moon is not in this fashion, but the intent is [regarding] the causes of motion of the sun and the moon. And they are called according to their action, as per the explanation of Rambam, of blessed memory, on the Tractate Avodah Zarah - the form of the sun is the 'constellation' of the sun. And behold, all of the emanators [together] are referred to by the name, heavens [shamayim,] because of the letters [that form the combinations], shem, yim: the meaning of shem [name] is the latent potential to emanate; and yim is an even number [to indicate] the plural [form] as with yadayim [hands] and raglayim [feet]; and eretz [earth] indicates the recipient, the nature of which is to run [ratz] to receive the emanation. [And see what I have written in the book of Deuteronomy in Parshat Ha'azinu Hashamayim and in Parshat Berakha on the verse (Deuteronomy 33:28), "even His heavens drop down dew."] And the verse did not explain anything about the highest emanators, since they cannot be fathomed, except by those of great intelligence. And whoever's mind is sharp will find a hint about it all, as it is with everything. And the earth begins from the higher waters, in the midst of which, afterwards God made the firmament. And the potential of the water above the firmament, and its form, was made different than the lower waters, as will be explained.

ברא, “He created;” the term ברא is used on occasion as applying to something which is not of physical substance such as in Numbers 16,30 when Moses predicts that G’d will “create, יברא” a gaping hole in the ground wherever members of Korach’s clan and supporters stood, into which they would disappear. Clearly, the earth’s crust opening into a fissure is not something tangible, something of substance. The word ברא always means that no “matter” was involved in what G’d is described as “creating.” Job 23,13 makes such a point when referring to G’d: ונפשו אותה ויעש, “whatever He desired, He did.” [He does not have to operate within given parameters]. Similarly, Isaiah 43,7 describes G’d as saying: כל העולם הנקרא בשמי ולכבודי בראתיו, יצרתיו, אף עשיתיו, meaning that “the entire world which is called by My name in My honour, is so called in order that people will say that I have created it, I have formed it, I have completed it.” The message is that G’d created it out of “nothing,” not using existing materials. According to the great sage Maimonides, the word לכבודי, may mean “according to My will.” However, one can also understand the word in its literal sense, i.e. that the world and all that is in it represents G’d’s glory. This would conform to Isaiah 6,3 מלא כל הארץ כבודו, “the entire universe is full of His glory.” Seeing that G’d Himself is invisible, we can only recognise Him and His glory by means of His accomplishments, including His creatures.

The Torah should have begun... This is because the Torah was given to Israel only for the mitzvos it contains, that they should keep them. (Thus it is called Torah, connoting “instructions”). If so, all these narratives should not have been written in the Torah, but they should have been made into a separate book, like Sefer Yehoshua or Sefer Shoftim.

"For if they will say..." Now, you may argue that the verse is still problematic; for how does the issue of the giving of the land connected to Torah's mitzvot? This is clear, since most of the Torah's mitzvot are performed in conjunction with (the Jewish people's sovereignty or dwelling in) the land. Donations, tithes and construction of a temple must be done in the land. When Jewish people do not have the land they cannot fulfill these mitzvot at all. ...

ברא. Die verwandten Wurzeln: פרע, פרא, פרח, ברה, ברח, die sämtlich ein Hinausstreben und Hinaustreten aus einer Innerlichkeit oder einer Gebundenheit bedeuten, ergeben für ברא ebenfalls den Begriff des Hinaussetzens in die Äußerlichkeit; heißt ja auch Chaldäisch ברא ohne weiteres das Draußenseiende, draußen. ברא ist somit das Äußerlichmachen eines bis dahin nur im Innern, im Geiste Vorhandengewesenen. Es ist jenes Schaffen, dem nichts anderes als der Gedanke und der Wille vorangegangen. Es ist das eigentliche יש מאין und wird daher nur von dem Schaffen Gottes gebraucht. Ehe die Welt ward, war sie nur als Gedanke in dem Geiste des Schöpfers — menschlich zu sprechen — vorhanden. Der Schöpfungsakt machte diesen Gedanken äußerlich, gab diesem Gedanken ein äußeres, konkretes Dasein. Die ganze Welt im ganzen und einzelnen ist somit nichts als verwirklichte Gottesgedanken. Eine Anschauung, der wir auch in der Betrachtung der Wurzel היה, dem jüdischen Begriffe des Seins (siehe V. 2) wieder begegnen. — (Von dieser Bedeutung des Äußerlich-, Konkret-, Tastbarwerdens ward dann auch ברא zur Bezeichnung des Feist-, Korpulent-, Gesundseins und davon ,בריה ,ברה ברית zur Bezeichnung des ersten Mahles, des Anbisses, Frühstückes, das den Menschen wieder äußerlich gekräftigt hinstellt, ihn gleichsam wieder fest, konkret macht. Auch das ובראתו, ובראת לך שם (Josua 17, 15, 18) dürften sagen: schaffe dir dort Raum, dass du dich ausdehnen kannst. Oder es hängt mit dem chald. Begriff ברא, das Draußenseiende, das Freie, die Weite zusammen und heißt dann: mache dir den Wald zum freien Raum. וברא אותהן בחרבותם (Ezech. 23, 47) heißt wohl nicht durchbohren, sondern aufschlitzen, so dass die sonst verhüllten Eingeweide frei und offen werden. In sofern kann auch das ברא vom Walde: frei machen, lichten bedeuten, die bis dahin in Waldesdickicht verborgenen Stellen zugänglich machen.)

"Bereishit Bara": In numerical value, [the letters also equal] "On Rosh Hashanah the world was created."

בראשית, Rashi understands the letter ב at the beginning of this word to mean: “on account of, due to, because of the merit of;” the word ראשית, he understands as a reference to the Torah, which elsewhere has been called ראשית. We also find that the Sabbath, the holy covenant, and the circumcision have been referred to by that name. The same is true of the word: אש, “fire,” which near the end of the Torah (Deuteronomy 33,2) has been referred to as the אשדת, “fire converted into religious law.” Rashi further quotes an interpretation by Rabbi Yitzchok, also found in an ancient version of Tanchuma, according to which, if the Torah were only a record of G–d’s laws, it need not have commenced before the 12th chapter of Exodus, where we encounter for the first time a law addressed to the entire people of Israel, i.e. the sanctification of the new moon, and the fact that we count the months of the year according to the moon’s orbit. On the face of it that statement is difficult as such laws as circumcision for Jewish males, as well as the prohibition to eat the gid hanashe, the thigh vein of mammals, has been recorded alread prior to this. We must assume that the Tanchuma referred to legislation given to the people when they had become a nation, something that began with chapter 12 in Exodus. Rabbi Yitzchok basing himself on Tanchuma, argues that everything in the Torah recorded prior to chapter 12 in Exodus has as its purpose to defend the Jewish people against any claim that they had robbed the Canaanites of their land when they crossed the river Jordan.

בראשית; Rashi comments on this word as follows: “Rabbi Yitzchok said that there was not really any need to commence the Torah before the beginning of chapter 12 inExodus, when G-d addressed the Jewish nation with legislation about the forthcoming Passover. He only did so in order to tell mankind that He owns the earth and therefore can allocate parts of it to those, whom He chooses, i.e. that the Israelites did not rob the Canaanites of their land, which had never been rightfully theirs. Rashi therefore considers the laws about Passover as the first commandment given to the Jewish people. If we were to counter that the seven universal laws that apply to all of mankind apply to us also, and these had been given many years before there was an Avraham, even, the answer is that what Rashi meant was the Passover legislation was the first commandment given to the Jewish people when all of them were present during that address. (Exodus 12,3) To the question that the mere idea of the Canaanites arguing that the Israelites had stolen their land, seeing that what belongs to the slave automatically belongs to his master, and Canaan (Noach’s grandson) had been demoted to being a slave by his grandfather ever since he had been cursed, so how could they have ever owned it? (compare Genesis 9,26) Canaan’s descendants had been slaves of Shem, the greatgrandfather of Avraham ever since! Rashi himself pointed this out already on Genesis 12,6. The Canaanites, as alluded to in that verse, had robbed the descendants of Shem of their heritage! We would have to answer that the Canaanites i.e. the tribes making up that kingdom, also contained kings (King of Chatzor) and others who were not descended from the original Canaan. (Compare Joshua, beginning chapter 11) The latter might even have been descended from Shem, so that the Israelites would have had a legal claim on the land they occupied as they were rightful owners. An alternate way of explaining why the Torah commenced with the word (and the story that follows) of בראשית is this. It is to inform us of the sequence in which this material universe came into existence and how once created it was allocated to the creatures inhabiting it, as Rashi explained, i.e. to prove that the Canaanites had no legal claim to dispute the Jews’ viewing it as their inheritance, ancestral heritage, by claiming that rightfully Eylam had a legal claim to it. [Eylam was Shem’s firstborn son, (Genesis 10,21, whereas Avraham was a descendant of Shem’s youngest son Arpachshad, basing themselves on what is written in Genesis 11,13 where this son is listed last, not first as in 10,21. Ed.] Yet another reason for the Torah commencing with the words: בראשית ברא אלוקים, “at the beginning G-d created, etc.;” is to state categorically that the universe in which we live did not exist eternally, or is the result of “the big bang,” but was created by a Creator. When Rashi states that G-d allocated the land of Israel to the Israelites מרצונו, “as an expression of His goodwill,” this is an implied warning that such an allocation was not absolute and irreversible for all future time, otherwise how could He take it back by exiling its people and reallocate it to someone else? Rashi also makes the point that the word ראשית, whenever it occurs in the Bible is invariably linked to the word following it. The author, supporting Rashi, cites an example from Leviticus 2,12: קרבן ראשית תקריבו אותם, “you are to present them as an initial offering.” [Rabbi Chavell, in his annotations, already pointed out that the author’s statement is not quite accurate, pointing to Deuteronomy 33,21, וירא ראשית לו. Ed.]

ברא אלהים GOD [AS JUDGE] CREATED — It does not state 'ברא ה “The Lord (the Merciful One) created, because at first God intended to create it (the world) to be placed under the attribute (rule) of strict justice, but He realised that the world could not thus endure and therefore gave precedence to Divine Mercy allying it with Divine Justice. It is to this that what is written in (Genesis 2:4) alludes — “In the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven”.

אלוקים, The expression “elo-ha” refers to something enduring, eternal. This is why Moses (Deut. 32,17) refers to demons, שדים, as לא אלו-ה, seeing that they are not eternal, are subject to death as our sages taught (Chagigah 16) The reason that the term “elo-ha” here appears in the plural mode, i.e. “elo-him,” is to teach us that G’d is the origin of all the various visible and invisible manifestations in the universe. This is what the prophet (Isaiah 6,3) has in mind when he described G’d as מלא כל הארץ כבודו, “the entire globe is a manifestation of His glory.” There is no other existence unless it has emanated from His existence. This is what Nechemyah 9,6 had in mind when he said ואתה מחיה את כלם, “You provide life for all of them.” When speaking of “appearances,” every phenomenon which is abstract as distinct from being tangible, is described by the generic term אלוקים. Professional, i.e. expert judges are called אלוהים, as they are able to pronounce judgment בצלם אלוקים, reflecting Divine wisdom. Their very profession is testimony to something enduring, divine in nature.

And also [difficult] is that the writer of the Akeida [commentary - R. Yitschak Arama] based this explanation on the midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 1:12), "'And Your humility enlarges me' (Psalms 18:36); A king of flesh and blood mentions his name first and afterwards his acts, but the Holy One, blessed be He, mentioned His name after He mentioned His acts;" and what His humility is in this needs to be understood; and that which it says "made me great," in what way did He enlarge us and make us great? And what appears most likely to me, is to say that Rashi wanted to fix all of this when he said that "this text says nothing if not 'interpret me' - [the term reshit, literally, the start or head of is used here] because of the Torah and Israel which are [both] called reshit;" which means to say that it is impossible to know about God's existence, may He be blessed, except through the Torah and Israel. That's why they are called reshit, since they are both an introduction through which one comes to the knowledge of God's existence, may He be blessed [and so precede the name of God in the first sentence of the Torah.] Since the Torah publicizes faith in His creation and Divinity, may He be blessed. And Israel also knew to publicize the existence of God, may He be blessed, from the angle of the transmission that they received, one person from another, back to Adam who saw the world destroyed and built, and is a faithful witness to the creation of the world, which is a sign [indication] of its Creator; and this transmission was spread by the offspring of Avraham, Yitschak and Yisrael.

IN THE BEGINNING. Rashi wrote: “If you wish to explain it [the word bereshith] in accordance with its plain meaning, explain it thus: at the beginning of the creation of the heaven and earth, and the earth was formless and void and there was darkness, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, Let there be light.” If so, the whole text leads into the creation of light.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained it in an identical way. However, he established that the letter vav in the word veha’aretz (and the earth) does not şerve [as a connecting letter as it normally does and which would mean “and,” but it serves rather as the word “when.”] There are many such examples in Scripture. The meaning then according to Rabbi Abraham would be: at the beginning of the creation of heaven and dry land, there was no habitable place on earth; rather, it was unformed and void and covered with water, and G-d said, Let there be light. According to Abraham ibn Ezra’s opinion, only light³²According to Rashi in Verse 6 (also 2:4), the sun, etc., was also created on the first day. was created on the first day.
The difficulty which Rabbi Shlomo [Rashi] had which led him to the above interpretation is, as he said: For if Scripture intended to teach the order in which the acts of creation took place, it should have written barishonah [instead of bereshith], since wherever the word reshith occurs in Scripture it is in the construct state. But there is the verse, Declaring the end ‘mereshith’ [from the beginning].³³Isaiah 46:10. Here the word reshith is not in the construct state. And if one will connect it with the missing word davar [thing — thus making the verse read: “Declaring the end of a thing from the beginning of a thing”—] here too it could be connected to a missing word.³⁴Thus reading: Bereshith kol, (In the beginning of everything [G—d created]). There is also the verse, And he chose ‘reshith’ (a first part) for himself.²⁷Deuteronomy 33:21. Reference here is to Moses who took the territory of Kings Sihon and Og as he knew that his grave was to be therein. (See Rashi, ibid.) It was thus for the sake of this meritorious person, of whom reshith was said, that the world was created. [Here again the word reshith is not used in the construct state.] And Rashi raised other objections.
Now listen to the correct and clear explanation of the verse in its simplicity. The Holy One, blessed be He, created all things from absolute non-existence. Now we have no expression in the sacred language for bringing forth something from nothing other than the word bara (created). Everything that exists under the sun or above was not made from non-existence at the outset. Instead He brought forth from total and absolute nothing a very thin substance devoid of corporeality but having a power of potency, fit to assume form and to proceed from potentiality into reality. This was the primary matter created by G-d; it is called by the Greeks hyly (matter). After the hyly, He did not create anything, but He formed and made things with it, and from this hyly He brought everything into existence and clothed the forms and put them into a finished condition.
Know that the heavens and all that is in them consist of one substance, and the earth and everything that is in it consist of one substance. The Holy One, blessed be He, created these two substances from nothing;³⁵Such is also the theory of Rambam: “All things on earth have one common substance; the heavens and the things in them have one substance different from the first” (Moreh Nebuchim II, 26). they alone were created, and everything else was constructed from them.
This substance, which the Greeks called hyly, is called in the sacred language tohu, the word being derived from the expression of the Sages:³⁶Kiddushin 40b. “betohei (when the wicked bethinks himself) of his doings in the past.” If a person wants to decide a name for it [this primordial matter], he may bethink himself, change his mind and call it by another name since it has taken on no form to which the name should be attached. The form which this substance finally takes on is called in the sacred language bohu, which is a composite word made up of the two words bo hu (in it there is [substance]). This may be compared to the verse, Thou art not able ‘asohu’ (to perform it),³⁷Exodus 18:18. in which case the word asohu is missing a vav and an aleph [and is a composite of the two words] aso hu. It is this which Scripture says, And he shall stretch over it the line of ‘tohu’ (confusion) and the stones of ‘bohu.’³⁸Isaiah 34:11. “The stones,” which are forms in the building (as explained later on by Ramban), thus constitute substance as expressed in the Hebrew bohu. [The tohu in Hebrew or hyly in Greek] is the line by which the craftsman delineates the plan of his structure and that which he hopes to make. This is derived from the expression, Kavei (Hope) unto G-d.³⁹Psalms 27:14. The stones are forms in the building. Similarly it is written, They are accounted by Him as nought and ‘tohu,’⁴⁰Isaiah 40:17. as tohu comes after nothingness and there is nothing yet in it.
So the Rabbis have also said in Sefer Yetzirah:⁴¹2:6. Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation) is one of the earliest Hebrew books of the Cabala tradition. (See introduction to Bereshith, Note 56.) Some of the profoundest mystic commentaries have been written on this book. See my Hebrew work, Kithvei Haramban, Vol. 2, pp. 451-461. “He created substance from tohu, and made that which was nothing something.”
They have furthermore said in the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah:⁴²Called also Sefer Habahir (Book of the Bright Light), 2. This book too is a classic in the mystic teachings of the Cabala. It was written in the style and manner of the Midrashim. “Rabbi Berachyah said: ‘What is the meaning of the verse, And the earth was ‘tohu’ (without form) ‘vavohu’ (and void)? What is the meaning of the word “was?” It had already been tohu. And what is tohu? It is a thing which astonishes people. It was then turned into bohu. And what is bohu? It is a thing which has substance, as it is written, [bohu is a composite of the two words] ‘bo hu’ (in it there is substance).’”

The heavens and the earth: The Torah spoke as in the language of men and divided the whole world - and all of the worlds - into two parts; that which is above and that which is below, everything according to the eyes of man that dwells upon the earth. Sama (which is similar to shamayim, the word used here to mean heavens) in Arabic, is like gava (high) in Hebrew; and ara (from which comes araa, which is the same as arets [earth], when switching the letters, ayin and tsaddi, as in tson [in Hebrew] is aaan [in Aramaic], and ravats [accordingly turns into] rava - and from which comes arbaah [in the Targum to Isaiah 7:25] - and also ir, which is a designation for an angel, is like tsir in the Holy Language - the understanding of which is, messenger) is lowly in the Aramaic language, as in (Daniel 2:39) "And after you, a king more lowly (ara) than you will arise." And according to the opinion of some (Galius and Clericus), sama and ara are derived from [the Hebrew], shamayim and arets. And plausible are the words of Rabbi Yaakov Abendana: that shamayim is from sham (there), which indicates a far place - and it is called shamayim from its being far and high from any direction that one turns. And nonetheless, [it was] from shamayim that the Arabic verb (sama) that refers to height, was afterwards derived. Since, truly, it is not possible that verbs that do not indicate an action, but [rather] the characteristic of something, like the verb sama - the understanding of which is 'being high' (altus fuit in Italian) - exist before the existence of the noun or adjective that refers to that characteristic. For example, first the blood of animals was called dam, and afterwards, [people] called that which appears like the color of blood adom (red), and afterwards [still], they made the verb and said odem (redden), odmu (they redden), and similar to it. But [concerning] ara - which is an adjective [to describe] all low things - it is plausible that they said it, before they called the earth, araa.

Created: The expression of creation relates to new existence and also the expansion of something. And there is no difference between the term, 'creation' (briah) and the term [in the phrase], 'healthy (briot) and good;' except that one is natural and the other is miraculous. Since the essence of the word is about the going form nothing to something like in this verse, and it is [borrowed] also for the addition to what exists and the extension of a being's power.

He said it at the beginning of the order of the creation of the heavens; and the Rabbis, of blessed memory, explained that the word [shamayim (heavens)] is composed of two things esh (fire) and mayim (water); and from this, God forbid, it gives a hand to the sinners to say that [given that] this is the beginning of the creation, but [yet], God forbid, the Creator did not create the fire and water, since the verse itself informs us that the beginning of the creation was the heavens, and if the waters were created [and not pre-existing], it should have started with their creation. And the Sages, of blessed memory, (Chagigah) preempted these two observations and explained that the structure of the verse is as follows: In the beginning of the creation of the heavens and the earth, the earth was chaos, etc. - not that the heavens and earth was the beginning of the creations. But the words [of the Sages], of blessed memory's, were not enough to remove the [possibility of] error; since according to their words, why did scripture not inform us later of the creation of water and fire, and dirt and wind. And even though the verse (9) states, "and the waters gathered, etc. and the dry land appeared," it is not understood [from this] that it was created; and more justified is the understanding that it was pre-existing, but that [God] decreed upon it to be revealed when the water gathered.

אלוקים. A name which means: Judge, Ruler, and Leader. Seeing that it is a noun occurring in a variety of functions, it is in the plural mode. We find the term applied both to outstanding people, judges, and leaders, also as a description given to certain angels and even planets. During the entire report of G’d’s creative activity it is the only term applied to describe Him, seeing that the chapter deals with His creative power and leadership. From this chapter we derive the knowledge that there are judges on earth and that the entire world was created by a single Creator. He created it in His infinite wisdom when He was ready to create it. In the words of our sages (Bereshit Rabbah 5) anyone who denies this basic fact will find refutation of his denial in the very text of the Torah. For instance, people who argue that the plural mode אלוקים proves that more than one force was involved in the creation of the universe, are confounded by the fact that the Torah does not continue with the plural mode בראו, “they created,” but used the singular mode ברא, “He created.” The great scholar Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra felt that seeing that G’d employed angels, i.e. agents, in His creative activities, the word אלוקים is in the plural mode so as to hint at this fact.

Elohim. According to Rashi this Name signifies lordship and greatness; according to the Rambam, judgment; according to the Ibn Ezra, kingship; according to the Seforno, eternality. It is in the plural, says the Seforno, to indicate that He is the ultimate eternal form from which all others derive. According to the Tur (Orach Chayim) and the Beis Yosef it signifies strength and domination. To the Ralbag it indicates that all things emanate from and are governed by Him. The Vilna Gaon agrees that it indicates governance, which is why it can be applied to lesser governing beings as well.

That the Israelites were commanded. The precepts of milah and gid hanasheh [although they appear prior to “This month shall be...”] are different because they were commanded only to individuals (for their sake and for all Israel’s). It is only when all Israel is commanded that it is considered among the Torah’s precepts, for it is written (Devarim 33:4): “The Torah that Moshe commanded us.”

אלקי. Der Wurzel אלה .begegnen wir in dem Pron. demonstr. plur. אלה, diese. Der demonstrative Pluralgedanke: "diese" fasst aber immer eine gegenüberstehende Vielheit in irgend eine Einheit zusammen. Und so dürfte, während אלה allgemein auf die sichtbare Weltvielheit hinweist, der Gottesname אלוד den Einen bezeichnen, dessen Macht und Wille diese Vielheit in eine Einheit zusammenfasst, durch den eben, durch die Beziehung Aller zu Ihm, dem Einen, diese Vielheit eine Einheit, ein Ganzes, Eine Welt wird. Daher heißt אלוד ganz eigentlich: Welt-Machthaber, -Ordner, -Gesetzgeber, -Richter, מדת הדין. Daher heißen auch die Ordner, Gesetzgeber, Richter einer Menschen Vielheit, einer kleinen Menschen-Welt: אלהים. Dem Heidentume zerfiel auch die Welt überhaupt in viele Erscheinungsgruppen und Kreise, deren jeglicher und jeglichem ein mit besonderen Machtattributen ausgestatteter Machthaber vorstand. Es war dies eine reine Konsequenz des obengedachten Grundirrtums von der Urewigkeit des Weltstoffes mit der Gebundenheit der weltgestaltenden Gottheit, die somit zur Unfreiheit einer Naturkraft herabsank, die keine wahrhaften Gegensätze und grundverschiedene Erscheinungen erzeugen kann. Einer Welt voller Gegensätze und grundverschiedener Erscheinungen mußten somit eben so viele Gottheiten zu Grunde liegen, eben so viele אלהים vorstehen, als es Gruppen und Kreise entgegengesetzter und verschiedener Erscheinungen gibt. Das Judentum nimmt die ganze Machtfülle aller dieser vermeintlichen vielen אלהים und überträgt sie ausschließlich dem Einen Einzigen, indem es Ihn אלדים nennt, und schon diese bloße Vereinigung aller dieser heidnisch gesonderten Machtattribute in dem Einen Einzigen hebt den Einen Einzigen Gott des Judentums über die Vorstellung einer bloßen Naturkraft hoch empor, da nur aus dem freien, allmächtigen, die verschiedensten Gegensätze zu einem Einzigen Weltzwecke einigenden Willen eines Einzigen eine Welt voller gegensätzlicher Erscheinungen hervorgegangen sein kann. — Die Pluralform zur Bezeichnung einer in Einer Persönlichkeit vereinigten Machtfülle ist übrigens in Ausdrücken der Herrschaft und Macht der hebräischen Sprache ohnehin nicht fremd, wie בעלים ,אדנים. Sie bezeichnen überall einen Einzigen, der alle die verschiedenen Machtattribute in sich vereinigt, welche über irgend ein Objekt gebieten, dem somit dieses Objekt in allen Beziehungen, somit ganz untersteht. Von diesem der Wurzel אלה innewohnenden Begriff des Welt-Gebieters, Gesetzgebers, Richters, konnte dieselbe Wurzel dann auch zur Bezeichnung des Eides, אלה, werden, der nach jüdischem Begriffe nicht eine bloße Appellation an die Gottheit, sondern eine wirkliche Unterstellung der ganzen sichtbaren Welt des Schwörenden unter die Machtentscheidung des Weltgebieters ist, (eine Anschauung, die auch in dem Worte השבע ihren Ausdruck findet, siehe Jeschurun V. S. 19) und des Fluches, in welchem sich die den Meineidigen vernichtende Macht des Weltgebieters bekundet. יחדו נאלחו, נתעב ונאלה, אלח, ist wohl nur die verstärkte Form von אלה und heißt im נפעל: dem Fluche verfallen sein. — Bezeichnend ist die Bemerkung unserer Weisen, dass es nicht heiße: ,אלדי׳ ברא בראשית sondern: 'בראשית ב' א. Wie wir hier den Gottesnamen aus אלה erfassen zu können glauben, kann Gott nur nach Erschaffung der Welt אלדי׳ genannt werden, da dieses eben seine Beziehung zu dieser Welt bedeutet. So heißt es: der Gott, den wir jetzt als Gebieter der Welt erblicken, der ist es auch, aus dessen allmächtigem Willen diese Welt erst hervorgegangen.

Bereishit: In numerical value, [the letters also equal] "With the Torah He created", because the world was created because of the Torah which is called "Reshit". Alternatively: In numerical value, [the letters also equal] "6 Orders [of the Mishnah]". Alternatively: The numerical value is "Israel is chosen among the nations", and also in numerical value "613 He created", that He created the world for the sake of Israel keeping the 613 commandments. "Bereishit", He created firmament, land, heavens, sea, abyss. Alternatively: First Elohim saw that Israel would accept His Torah.

בראשית ברא, “first of all, before any creatures were created, G-d created heaven and earth;” Our authorcompares this to Jeremiah writing in Jeremiah 26,1: בראשית ממלכות יהויקים בן יאשיהו, “at the beginning of the rule of Yehoyakim, son of Yoshiyahu, etc.” The author mentions that Onkelos also translates these two words as: “at thebeginning He created.”'אלוקים וגו, if there is a person [Jewish believer, of course] who is baffled by the plural ending in the word for G-d in the Holy Tongue, (i.e. אלוקים, אלוקינו, אלוקי) thinking that this is utterly inappropriate in a Book teaching monotheism such as the Torah, such a person should reflect for amoment and consider that references to Divinity andaddressed to the individual are generally phrased as the Divinity mentioned being in the plural mode. [as is the custom for earthly kings, who speak of themselves in the plural mode, something known as pluralis majestatis. It would border on blasphemy if the Torah would accord G-d alesser title than the one arrogated to themselves by earthly rulers. Ed.]. Examples quoted by the author are: Exodus 3,16אלוקי אברהם יצחק ויעקב, or Genesis 42,7: דבר האיש אדוני הארץ or Exodus 22,14: אם בעליו עמו; there are many more examples of this. Do not answer me by saying that the vocalization of the word אדני when written with the kametz is sacred, whereas when not it is profane. Are you going to argue the same for the roots: בנאי ,זכאי ,שדי (fool) אשמאי and others, [that when using the vowel kametz they are transformed into sacred words? Ed.] The truth is that that the Divine name for G-d is also used in the plural mode, and no one as a result disputes that He is unique and solitary! The deeper meaning of the word elohim is “majesty, authority.” When G-d proclaimed at the beginning of the Decalogue: אנכי “I” (singular) ה' אלוקיך, “am the Lord your G-d(s)” (plural), i.e. the meaning is that whereas every other ruler or king rules over a certain narrowly defined domain, “I am the One Who rules over everything, the entire universe.” [Surely this justifies the use of the plural mode! Ed.] Not only that, earthly rulers or kings, being mortal, have to worry about who will succeed them, and in the event that a king does not have a biological heir, or has otherwise become weak and unable to carry out his functions for the benefit of his subjects, he must be replaced. None of these problems, will ever face the G-d Who introduces Himself to His people at Mount Sinai at the beginning of the Decalogue. Furthermore, from the subject’s point of view, if a subject feels oppressed by a particular king whose domain he inhabits, he has the option (unless he is in jail) to move to the domain of a different earthly king. Not so with G-d’s, the Creator’s, subjects. There is no place in the universe to which they can flee to escape His rule. On the other hand, the subjects of G-d enjoy the advantage that they never have to worry that the successor of a benign king such as He, will be autocratic and make the lives of his subjects miserable.

את השמים, the word שם refers to a place which is distant, as opposed to the word פה, which means “here.” Every plural mode when accompanied by an accented penultimate syllable vocalised with a patach signals 2 of something which are equi-distant from all sides. This is something possible only in connection with an orbiting planet. This is something which is not possible, i.e that two points are equidistant from the center unless they are part of an orbiting spherical planet. The Torah therefore says that G’d created the phenomenon which at this time is far distant from us in such a way that all its sides are equi-distant from us, in other words the phenomenon is a planet, something spherical.

AND ‘ELOKIM’ (G-D) SAID. The word Elokim means “the Master of all forces,” for the root of the word is e-il, meaning force, and the word Elokim is a composite consisting of the words e-il heim, as if the word e-il is in a construct state, and heim, [literally] “they,” alludes to all other forces. Thus Elokim means “the Force of all forces.” A secret will yet be disclosed in connection with this.⁴³See Ramban, Exodus 20:3.
If so, the simple correct explanation of the verse is as follows: In the beginning⁴⁴Ramban thus indicates his opinion that the word bereshith is not in a construct state. This is contrary to Rashi, as explained above. G-d created the heavens means He brought forth their matter from nothing; and the earth means that He brought forth its matter from nothing. And the earth, includes all the four elements,⁴⁵Fire, wind, water, and earth. [not merely the land] as in the verse, And the heaven and the earth were finished,⁴⁶Genesis 2:1. which includes the entire lower sphere, and in Praise the Eternal from the earth, ye sea-monsters, and all deeps,⁴⁷Psalms 148:7. and as in many other verses. Now with this creation, which was like a very small point having no substance, everything in the heavens and on the earth was created. The word eth —[eth hashamayim ve’eth ha’aretz] — is like “the essence of a thing.” The Sages have always set it forth as serving to include,⁴⁸Pesachim 22b. since it is derived from the expression, The morning ‘atha’ (cometh), and also the night.⁴⁹Isaiah 21:12. And so did our Rabbis say:⁵⁰Bereshith Rabbah 1:19. “‘Eth hashamayim (the heavens)’ — eth includes the sun, moon, stars and constellations. ‘Ve’eth ha’aretz (and the earth)’ — ve’eth includes the trees, herbs, and the Garden of Eden.” These include all created things which are corporeal.
Now after having said that with one command G-d created at first the heavens and the earth and all their hosts, Scripture returns and explains that the earth after this creation was tohu, that is, matter without substance. It became bohu when He clothed it with form. Then it [Scripture] explains that in this form was included the form of the four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. The word ha’aretz (the earth) includes these four elements. In this verse, the element of fire is called “darkness”⁵¹And darkness was upon the face of the deep. So also explained in the Moreh Nebuchim, II:30: “By Choshech the element fire is meant, nothing else.” Ramban’s reasoning on this point is also found there. because the elemental fire is dark. Were it red, it would redden the night for us. The element of water with which the dust was kneaded is here called “deep.”⁵¹And darkness was upon the face of the deep. So also explained in the Moreh Nebuchim, II:30: “By Choshech the element fire is meant, nothing else.” Ramban’s reasoning on this point is also found there. This is why the waters of the oceans are called “the deeps,” as it is written, The deeps cover them;⁵²Exodus 15:15. The deeps were congealed;⁵³Ibid., 8. The deep was round about me.⁵⁴Jonah 2:6. The bottom of the ocean is also referred to as “deep:” And He rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up, and He led them through the depths, as a wilderness;⁵⁵Psalms 106:9. He led them through the deep as a horse in the wilderness.⁵⁶Isaiah 63:13. And the element air is here called “spirit.”⁵⁷And the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters.
Now it is already known that the four elements fill up the whole space with matter.⁵⁸“This sphere in its totality is composed of the celestial orbs, the four elements and their combinations; there is no vacuum whatever therein, but the whole space is filled up with matter.” (Guide of the Perplexed, Friedlander’s translation, I, 72.) That which stands still is the sphere of earth. The waters surround the earth, the air encompasses the waters, and the fire envelopes the air.⁵⁹From the language of Rambam, ibid. It is to be noted that Ramban follows Yehudah al Charizi’s translation of Rambam’s philosophic work and not that of Shmuel ibn Tibbon. See my Hebrew work, The Life of Ramban, pp. 23-24, on the far-reaching significance of this point. Scripture thus states that the earth took on form, and the fire above enveloped the intermingled waters and dust, and the wind blew and rose in the darkness and hovered over the waters.
It appears to me that this [primeval] point, [which G-d created out of absolute nought], which took on form and became bohu, is what the Sages call:⁶⁰Yoma 54b. This “foundation rock” is the stone on which the Ark of the Covenant rested in the Holy of Holies in King Solomon’s Temple. “‘The rock of foundation’ from which the world was founded.”
The purport of the verses is thus: In the beginning G-d created the heavens from nought, and He created the earth from nought. The earth, when created, was tohu and then it became bohu, and in these there were “darkness” [i.e., fire, as explained above], water, dust and the wind blowing upon the water. Thus everything was created and made. The reason why ruach (wind) is attached to the name of G-d [as it says, and the spirit of God] is that it is the least substantial of all elements⁶¹Although fire is thinner than wind, since the element of fire is alluded to in the verse by the word “darkness,” as explained above, it would not be fitting to attach it to the name of G—d. (Bachya). and is above them, hovering upon the face of the waters only by command of the Holy One, blessed be He.
In case you seek information concerning the creation of the incorporeal angels, you will not find it explained in the Torah. The Sages, however, have explained concerning them that they were created on the second day, so that you should not say that they assisted in the creation of the world.⁶²Bereshith Rabbah 3:11. But if you will merit and understand the secret of the word bereshith and why Scripture does not begin by saying, “G-d created in the beginning,” you will know that, in the way of truth,⁶³A reference to the true wisdom of the Cabala which enables one to grasp the mysteries of the Torah. Scripture tells about the lower creations and alludes to the higher ones and that the word bereshith refers covertly to the Emanation called Wisdom, which is the head of all beginnings, as I have mentioned. This is why they translated bereshith in the Jerusalem Targum to mean “in wisdom,” and the word is adorned in the Torah with a crown on the letter beth.⁶⁴The adornment on the top of the letter beth hints at the Kether (Crown) above, from which all emanations issue. It is also referred to as Ein Sof (the Infinite). See my Hebrew commentary, p. 15.

And there is also a third way [to know about the existence of God], but not every one is capable of it, and that is to come to know about the existence of God, may He be blessed, through investigation and knowledge of all that is to be found in all of the three worlds and this is their order: At first, the researcher must understand the essence of things in the lowest world, since it is the easiest research [that exists]. And after knowing their essence, he should [seek to] also understand the essence of the creatures of the middle world. And from there, he should go up, [as] with a ladder going up the different levels, to know the essence of the highest world. And from there, he should go up to know and fathom that there is God who is found to ride upon all of them [and] who arranged them in this fashion, like the vision that Ya'akov saw (Genesis 28:12); in the four rungs of the ladder which was "positioned on the ground" - which [represents] comprehension of the lower world - "and its tip reached the skies" - this [represents] the middle world - "and the angels were going up and down on it;" - this [represents] the top world. "And behold the Lord stood upon it," (Genesis 28:13) since then [Ya'akov] grasped completely the existence of God, may He be blessed.

There is what to be exact about, in that the verse wrote, "et hashamayim ve'et haarets" ("the heavens and the earth," which are both preceded by the Hebrew preposition, et which can either proceed a direct object or mean 'with,' and so, is often seen as indicating additional meaning); and what did the verse come to add with the two times it says et?

את. This word refers to something that had already been created. Our sages (Bereshit Rabbah, 1,15) report that when Rabbi Yishmael asked Rabbi Akiva the meaning of this word in this context, (seeing normally it means something additional) he was told that just as Nachum ish gam zu had made a comprehensive list of every time the word אך or רק appears in the Torah to demonstrate that it excludes something that we would otherwise have assumed to be included, so the word את and גם respectively include something that we would not otherwise have presumed to be included based on the plain text. To the people who use this principle to argue that the planets, the sun and the moon assisted G’d in His creation, based on the apparently unnecessary word את before the word שמים, Rabbi Akiva replied that it means that sun and moon were included in the term “heaven, sky,” whereas the words את הארץ were meant to include the vegetation found on earth, as well as Gan Eden. Concerning the strange sounding addition “and Gan Eden,” after vegetation, i.e. trees and flowers have already been named, we must understand this in a manner similar to Joshua 2,1 את הארץ ואת יריחו, “the country and Jericho,” where Jericho had, of course, been included in the expression את הארץ. The reason that “Gan Eden” was singled out was that there vegetation was at its most developed, most appealing, just as the city of Jericho was known as the city of palms, i.e. especially desirable. There is also a mystical element to this expression, i.e. Gan Eden” represents a region separate from the remainder of the earth, an area which had been created in its full splendour already on the first day of creation, just as according to that view all the eventual manifestations in heaven and earth had already been created on the first day though not yet become a functioning part of the universe. Accordingly, different parts of the universe, became functional on the days when the Torah deals with them.

What is the reason... begins with “In the beginning?” This is not a question but [the start of] the answer. Rashi is saying: The verse in Tehillim explains the reason why the Torah begins with “In the beginning.” For the verse means, “He declared the power of His works” (i.e., the Creation of the world) “to His people.” Why? Because He wanted “to give them the inheritance of nations.” It is on account of Avraham, whom Hashem promised to give Eretz Canaan to his offspring, (and the inheritance was in reward for the mitzvos, and it is considered like the mitzvos). [Thus, the Torah indeed begins with the mitzvos]. For this reason [of giving them “the inheritance of nations,”] Hashem needed to declare that the Creation of the world is the power of His works. Alternatively, we could say [that Rashi is asking]: The Book of Bereishis should have been written [at the end,] after Parshas Haazinu. Why then does the Torah begin with it? Rashi answers: Because of “He declared the power of his works, etc.” Rashi is saying that if Bereishis would be at the end of the Torah, it would not be clear that the Torah’s intention was to testify that Bnei Yisrael are not robbers. Rather, we would think that Bereishis was written to teach that the world [is Hashem’s Creation and] did not always exist; this is central to our faith, as Ramban explains. But now that the Torah begins with Creation, we must say that the Torahs’s intention is to testify that “He declared the power of His works....”

את. Wurzel אות, wie aus אותי, אותך usw. ersichtlich. אות verwandt mit ,את אוד eine Handhabe, ein Hebel, die Vermittelung einer Wirkung, daher אוד die Feuer- krücke, ein Holz zum Feuerschüren. אודות die Veranlassungen, daher על אורות. Daher vielleicht auch איד, der Vermittler des Regens, der von der Erde aufsteigende Dunst. אות die Vermittlung einer Erkenntnis, ein Zeichen, das nicht der Gegenstand selbst ist, aber auf ihn hinführt. Das ist nun aber auch sofort die Akkusativ-Partikel את, die den Gegenstand in allen denjenigen Momenten, seinen Merkmalen, seinen Wirkungen, seinen Beziehungen usw. vergegenwärtigt, in welchen sich das Wesen desselben äußert, in welchen er zu erkennen ist, die somit gleichsam sein Zeichen, die Vermittlung seiner Erkenntnis sind. Es ist eine tiefe Eigentümlichkeit des jüdischen Sprachgedankens, diese Partikel nur beim Akkusativ, dem Objekte, nicht aber beim Nominativ, dem Subjekte, zu gebrauchen. Im Objekt wird der Gegenstand vom Standpunkt des Subjekts aufgefasst, von dem eine Wirkung auf ihn ausgeht, somit also, wie der Gegenstand in der Anschauung eines Andern erscheint. Nun ist aber das Wesen der Dinge jedem Andern völlig verschleiert, unfassbar. Wir kennen die Dinge nur in ihren אותות und durch dieselben, in ihren Wirkungen, in welchen sich ihre Eigentümlichkeit ausprägt und die die einzigen Vermittler ihrer Erkenntnis bilden. Der Sprachweisheit unserer Weisen ist es daher ein bedeutender Unterschied, ob das Objekt einfach durch die Nennung des Gegenstandes, oder durch את vermittelt ausgedrückt wird. Im ersten Falle erstreckt sich die Wirkung nur auf den Gegenstand allein, im letztem zugleich auf alle diejenigen Momente, in welchen er seine wesentliche Wirkung äußert. So würde כבד אביך nur den Vater als Gegenstand der Verehrung darstellen, את אביך lässt diese Verehrung auch auf alle diejenigen erstrecken, die in solcher Beziehung zum Vater stehen, dass in ihnen die Person des Vaters vergegenwärtigt wird, z. B.: אשת אביך, die Stiefmutter, und ebenso את אמך, den StiefVater. את ist somit in Wahrheit ein רבוי, das den Gegenstand in weiterem Umfange begreifen lässt. So erweitert auch hier das את den Begriff שמים zum Miteinschluß aller Himmelskörper, so wie ארץ zum Miteinschluss aller Erdgeschöpfe, in denen sich eben die Wirksamkeit des Himmels und der Erde charakteristisch ausprägt.

את השמים, “the heavens;” in an ancient version of Midrash Tanchuma B’reshit,8, Rabbi Yishmael is quoted as having asked Rabbi Akiva: (who was preoccupied with counting every apparently unnecessary word את and גם in theTorah) ‘what is the significance of the two words את in this verse,’ i.e. what do these words contribute to our understanding of the line: “G-d had created the heavens and the earth?” Rabbi Akiva replied that if the Torah had merely written: בראשית ברא אלוקים שמים והארץ, people would have thought that the terms שמים and ארץ refer to two separate divinities each of whom had created part of the universe Phrasing it as it did, the Torah ensured that we could not have made such an error and that elohim had created both the heavenly and the earthly regions of the universe. [In other words, the word את before the words השמים and הארץ makes it clear that what follows are creatures, products of G-d’s creative activity. Ed.] השמים, the prefix ה is to tell us that “the” heavens, (and “the” earth,) are phenomena with which the reader is supposed to be familiar. The fact that the plural mode is used does not mean that there are many small units which combine to make a heaven or an earth, but the plural ending is similar to the plural ending in the words: ,מים, חיים, פנים מלקחים, מעיים, רחיים, water, life, face, tongs, entrails, millstones, and many more like it. Basically, the term שמים describes something above us, whereas the term ארץ describes something below us.1,2.

ואת הארץ, and the center which is orbited by the planet.

However, not many will have the wisdom needed for this approach of investigation, to come to the secret of God, as a result of man's passage through this dimmed valley of the material world; hence it is enough for man to grasp His existence, may He be blessed, from the angle of the transmission as mentioned and from the angle of the Torah as mentioned. And about this the Sages, of blessed memory, have said (Chullin 91b) that the lower ones mention His name, may He be blessed, after two words, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:4), "Hear Yisrael, the Lord," but the upper ones don't mention the Name until after three words, as it is stated (Isaiah 6:3), "Holy, holy, holy [is] the Lord." Because the intellectual power of the upper ones is pure and clean and it is easy for them to handle the essence of the investigation of these three worlds; therefore they are not allowed to mention the Name except after three holinesses, which means that they first cognate the essence of all those that exist below and understand the place of each and, through this, sanctify Him, may He be blessed, below. And from there they go up to understand the essence of all those that exist in the middle world and they sanctify Him, may He be blessed, to reign also upon them. And from there they go up to also understand their own essence, and from there they go up to grasp His name, may He be blessed; hence they do not mention the Name until they sanctify Him first in all three worlds. But the lower ones' intellects are not so pure, and not every person is able to handle this investigation since it is great; hence it is enough for them to come to recognize the existence of God, may He be blessed after the two words, "Hear Israel;" since "Hear" is to listen to the words of this Torah which publicize His divinity, may He be blessed; "Israel" is the transmission that spread in Israel from Adam to Abraham, who announced and publicized His divinity, may He be blessed, as Rashi explained on the verse (Genesis 24:7), "Lord God of the heavens that took me from the house of my father;" and from [Avraham], His divinity, may He be blessed, was publicized in all of the offspring of Israel and Yehuda, as it is stated (Psalms 76:2), "God is known in Yehuda, in Israel His name is great." Thus it is stated, "In the beginning, created" and afterwards, "God," to hint to the three [ways of knowing God's existence]: since reshit [beginning of] indicates Israel and the Torah, that are [both] called reshit; and through the creation [hence the word "created"], God was made known [directly through the mode of investigation]. And this is the way of modesty, by which He - in a hint - had the name of Israel precede His name, may He be blessed, [since "reshit" precedes "created"] and that is truthfully glorious splendor and greatness [that He gave] to Israel; hence it is stated "And Your humility enlarges me." And some say that this humility is what He was involved with at first, for the needs of His world, and [only] afterwards did He publicize His name, may He be blessed.

In fact, the intention of the verse is as follows; but first, 'I will rise with the sun' upon that which is placed in front of us from the greatness of the Creator - how great are his works! - since the Master, may He be blessed, can speak a word without it being understood by the creations. As they, of blessed memory, said (Mekhilta, Yitro) to explain the verse (Exodus 20:1), "And God spoke all of these words etc.," and this is what they said, "words that the mouth cannot speak;" and it [is a reference to] Him saying all of the ten commandments in one word, and [that] one word did not precede the other. ...

השמים. Most of our sages (Chagigah 12) understand the word as a reference to the stars and planets in the sky, and Rabbi Maimonides in his “Moreh” agrees that the nine planets including sun and moon were indeed created as part of what is described in our verse as שמים. According to Ibn Ezra the word שמים refers to two locations in the sense of “twice שם,” the word “sham” referring to a location (there). (compare Ibn Ezra on this in a book called ספר השם. The author perceives the term as describing the opposite, outer boundaries of the heavens. The word is used figuratively, as if everything is between the two parts of an anvil) Still other scholars hold that the word השמים referred to with the letter ה, suggesting that it is a known phenomenon, i.e. “the heaven,” in this verse, refers to the firmament which was actually only created on the second day, and that the word is used here only figuratively. These scholars (Rash’bam) hold that the Torah did not mention when the planets were created and not when earth (as distinct from the dry land) was created. [I will not repeat what we have already quoted in our translation of Rash’bam. Ed.] Rashi also agrees that the Torah in its report here did not report in chronological order, but that the reference to “heaven” is a reference to the major planets in the sky. As a result, we would translate: “at the beginning of creation of heaven and earth, the earth was chaotic until G’d gave the directive: ‘let there be light.’ There are still other scholars who understand the expression שמים as referring to “fire,” i.e. the very elementary “fire” the “highest” of the 4 basic elements of which the physical universe is composed. On the other hand, the word ארץ, respectively הארץ, is then understood as the lowest of the 4 elements which form the basic raw material of the physical universe. It would have had to predate “nature,” i.e. the orbiting planets, as “orbiting” is possible only if these orbiting planets have something to rest on. According to some of our sages the fire is a result of the friction created by the motion of these planets when rubbing against their respective bases.
Alternatively, we could say that G’d created “beneath” the moon [relative to earth which is considered as subject to the direct influence of the moon, such as the tides; Ed.] a single raw material which He “clothed” in 4 different-looking phenomena, so that the basic raw material of the globe would be a single material, appearing as if cast in a mould. All the phenomena in the sky would have been created simultaneously in their natural state. The reason “light” is mentioned separately is because we would not have understood the report of what transpired on the fourth day, i.e. assigning functions to this “light.” Ibn Ezra also writes in this vein, making the point that what Moses wrote down in the Torah related only to the part of the universe which is subject to development and therefore to disintegration. The word שמים refers to the רקיע, the sky, the firmament whose creation is reported as having occurred on the second “day.”

You have taken by force the lands of the Seven Nations. This implies that originally it belonged to the Seven Nations (who are descendants of Cham). But you might object: It is written in Parshas Lech Lecha (12:6): “And the Canaanites were then in the Land,” and Rashi there explains that the Canaanites were then conquering the Land of Israel from the descendants of Shem — as it was given to Shem when Noach divided the earth among his sons. If so, why is it robbery (when Bnei Yisrael [who are Shem’s descendants] reclaim their inheritance)? It seems the answer is: Although land cannot be acquired by theft and always remains the property of the previous owner, nonetheless, Bnei Yisrael are like robbers. For the Canaanites were considered like someone who unrightfully seizes a field and makes improvements on it — in which case when the true owners return they must pay the one who seizes the land for his expenses, assuming the improvements are of greater value than the expenses. But Bnei Yisrael took the Land of Israel with all the improvements [that were made by the Canaanites], and did not pay even for the expenses. Therefore the Torah began with “In the beginning...” to say that all the earth and its fullness belong to Hashem, Who may do with it as He wishes. For it says (Chavakuk 3:6): “He saw and allowed the nations,” which is interpreted to mean that [in specific cases,] Hashem allowed their property to [be taken by] Israel (Bava Kama 38a). An alternative answer: “You are robbers” because Shem had other sons as well, and they too have a portion in the Land. However, there is a difficulty [with the first answer, that the descendants of Cham should be paid their expenses. And] even if we say that R. Yitzchok held the [other] view [mentioned in the Gemara,] that the entire Land [originally] belonged [not to Shem but] to Cham, who gave it to his son Canaan, [still their claim is invalid]. For it is written (9:25), “Cursed is Canaan. He shall surely be a slave to his brethren.” Thus, [the offspring of] Cham is enslaved to Shem, and all of a slave’s acquired property belongs to his master. [So whatever Canaan says is his, automatically belongs to Bnei Yisrael who are the offspring of Shem. Why, then, are Bnei Yisrael “robbers”?] An answer is: It is written that Canaan is a slave “to his brethren,” which includes Yefes. Thus, Yefes also has a share in what Canaan acquired, [not just Shem]. (Re’m) Alternatively: [R. Yitzchok held that the Land originally belonged to Cham. And] a slave’s acquisitions belong to his master only when the slave acquires them from others, or seizes ownerless property — but not when the slave inherits them. And since it is by Torah law that a non-Jew inherits his father, Canaan rightfully inherited the Land from his father Cham. (Nachalas Yaakov) Another answer: When someone gives a gift to a slave and stipulates that the master should have no rights to it, the gift does not belong to the master. And here, Hashem apportioned specific territories to Canaan, and different territories to Shem, as the Torah recounts. Therefore, it is as if there is a stipulation that each one may not have any claim to the other one’s portion. (Divrei Dovid)

את השמים ואת הארץ. Wir haben schon im Jeschurun, Jahrgang VIIl. S. 274 bis 276 ff. die Begriffe שמים und ארץ aus ihren Wurzeln zu entwickeln versucht. שמים hat sich uns als Bezeichnung der ganzen außerirdischen Welt, und zwar als das doppelte שם -dargestellt, als das obere und untere "Dort", als der unermessliche Doppelraum ober- halb und unterhalb der Erde, oder vielmehr — von der rad. שום Ort anweisen, bestimmen, — als der ganze Komplex aller außerirdischen Weltkörper, durch deren sich gegenseitig begrenzende Kräfte die Erde, wie jeder andere Punkt im Weltall, ihren Ort angewiesen erhält. Für jeden Punkt im Weltall wäre sodann der ganze übrige Weltenraum mit seinen Körpern שמים. Jedenfalls lehrt schon das Wort שמים, dass wir hier keine überirdischen, kosmogonischen Enthüllungen zu erwarten haben. Die außerirdische Welt wird nur in ihren Beziehungen zur Erde und von dieser aus begriffen und besprochen. תורה will das Gotteswort sein, unser Wegweiser auf Erden und unsere Orientierung in unserer irdischen Welt. Diese und uns aus Gott verstehen lehren, das ist ihr Zweck. Darum stellt sie uns in den Anblick unseres Himmels und unserer Erde und spricht: את השמים ואת הארץ, dieser Himmel mit seinen zahllosen Sternen und diese Erde mit ihren zahllosen Geschöpfen, der Gott, der noch jetzt diese unermeßliche Mannigfaltigkeit zu einer Welt eint, Er ist es, der sie von ihrem uranfänglichen Anfang in's allererste Dasein hinausgesetzt.

השמים, the prefix ה is to tell us that “the” heavens, (and “the” earth,) are phenomena with which the reader is supposed to be familiar. The fact that the plural mode is used does not mean that there are many small units which combine to make a heaven or an earth, but the plural ending is similar to the plural ending in the words: ,מים, חיים, פנים מלקחים, מעיים, רחיים, water, life, face, tongs, entrails, millstones, and many more like it. Basically, the term שמים describes something above us, whereas the term ארץ describes something below us.1,2. ויכולו השמים והארץ וכל צבאם; “heaven and earth, and all their components had been completed.” (2,1) The Bible also writes: (Nechemyah 9,6) ,אתה עשית את השמים שמי השמי, וכל צבאם, הארץ וכל אשר עליה, הים ואת כל אשר בהם, “You have completed heaven in all its details, as well as the upper heaven and all their host, the earth and everything on it, the ocean and everything in them.” We also read in Exodus 20,11 (part of the Decalogue): כי ששת ימים עשה ה' את השמים ואת הארץ, את הים ואת כל אשר בם, “for during a sequence of six days, the Lord completed the creation of heaven and earth, as well as the ocean and all their respective inhabitants;There is no reason for you, the reader, to be amazed at the feminine mode, i.e. היתה, “she had been,” used by the Torah when describing phenomena which are masculine; we find more such examples in the Bible, one being in Judges 18,7: ויראו את העם אשר בקרבה יושבת לבטח, “they observed the people dwelling in it carefree, etc.” [We would have expected יושב instead of יושבת seeing that the subject עם is masculine. Ed.] In Samuel 1,4,17 even the Holy Ark, which is always considered masculine, is referred to in the feminine mode, when the prophet wrote: וארון האלוקים נלקחה, “and the Ark of G-d was captured;” in Numbers 11,15, Moses is quoted as saying to G-d: ואם ככה את עושה לי “and if You, feminine mode for G-d, are doing (masculine mode) thus to me,” etc.”Incidentally, the prefix ו before the word: הארץ, appears to be unnecessary, as it does on numerous occasions, a glaring example being Exodus 13,7 ולא נחם אלוקים “(and) G-d did not guide them, etc.”

Rabbi Yitschak said, "It was not necessary to begin the Torah, etc. but rather so that the nations should not say, 'you are thieves, etc.'" (Rashi on Genesis 1:1): And it is difficult; and what about it, if they will say, "you are thieves," and because of this, the order of the Torah should be changed? The answer to this is that this matter brings heresy to the world, since they will say, "there is no law and no Judge" [in the world] and 'whoever is strongest prevails;' since if the world had a Ruler, who sets up its matters - it comings and goings - why did He not protest against you when you took by force - by way of theft - the lands of the seven [Canaanite] nations? Since it is for this reason that the judgment of the generation of the flood was not sealed except on account of theft, as it is stated (Proverbs 28:24), "One who steals from his father and mother and says 'it is not a transgression' is the companion of a destructive person;" since the reason this sin is greater than others is not because of the sin itself, but rather because of the evil that comes out of it; as the sinner who steals does not place guilt upon himself and says, "there is no transgression, since there is no God that judges in the world;" and therefore he is the companion of a destructive person, which means to say, [he is a companion] of the generation of the flood, as it is stated about them (Genesis 6:12), "since all flesh destroyed its way," since they also denied a principle of faith and said (Job 21:15), "What is the Omnipotent, that we should serve Him, etc." And this is what [brought] them to practice extortion and theft in the world. And because the prevention of theft is fundamental to all of faith, therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, made it come early and warned about it in the first commandment of (Exodus 12:2), "This month will be for you;" as over there, it is stated (Exodus 12:21), "And bring close and acquire for yourselves sheep," [meaning] from yours, and [not from] stolen ones; so explained the Ba'al HaTurim. And so too, Yitschak, when he commanded two kid goats to be brought to him, to make from them a Pesach sacrifice, he said (Genesis 27:3), "And hunt for me venison;" Rashi explained, from what is unowned and not from what is stolen, but since Esav's heart was not like that, it appeared to him that he could rather "hunt venison to bring," even form what is stolen; hence the Holy One, blessed be He, caused that he should not bring it, but rather that Ya'akov [should do so], as he was careful about theft. So too, the ox that Adam sacrificed, the Sages, of blessed memory, say that it had one horn on its forehead; to show that Adam [too] was one 'horn' in the world - meaning to say that he was by himself in the world - and did not steal from any creature; therefore, his sacrifice was accepted. And all this is in order to push away theft and robbery which brings heresy and apostasy.

And with this, we will come to the explanation: and it is that the Master, may His name be exalted, created everything - all that He created in the world; places and all that exists, and the skies and the earth - in one word. And this is what it states, "Bereishit bara Elohim et hashamayim ve'et haarets" ("In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth"), and is exact to use the word et twice; to include all that is found in the world. And since the creations are numerous, as beyond the ten things that are recognizable and visible to everyone's eye - as were counted by the Sages, of blessed memory (Chagigah 12a), and this is what they said, "and ten things were created on the first day: heavens and earth, light, darkness, chaos and void, etc. water, wind" - besides these things, there are other creations that are hidden and absorbed by the powers of the foundational elements; some of them are recognized by way of dissection, some of the them by way of composition, some of them through the changing of time, some of them through the power of hyle, and [they] are too many to count. For this reason, the Creator grouped them into two large and enormous parts: in the havens and in the earth. And these are the two inclusions that were included in His saying "et hashamayim ve'et haarets," and in one proclamation did He, may He be exalted, create everything. And you will find that they, of blessed memory, said (Rosh Hashanah 32a), "[The word] 'In the beginning' [counts as a] proclamation [of creation], since with it were completed the ten proclamations with which the world was created (as there are only nine obvious proclamations of creation and this would be the tenth one)." Everything was created in the first of all [the proclamations] but it was not yet arranged, and all of the creations were there but they lacked order; and the Holy One, blessed be He, ordered them, each thing in its day: on the first day, He set up and separated the light from the darkness and the darkness acquired its place and the light acquired its place; and on the second day, etc.

ואת הארץ, According to Maimonides the “earth” mentioned here is a collective term comprising the 4 basic raw materials the globe consists of in various combinations. The word ארץ as distinct from the word שמים, is referred to again in verse 2 as well as in verse 10, seeing that in verse 1 no details had been given of what the word ארץ means, i.e. that it is a phenomenon comprising several basic elements. In other words, whenever ארץ is mentioned after the very first time, it is a reference to some or all of the basic elements it consists of.

This verse insists that it be expounded. This is because its simple meaning seems to teach the sequence of Creation. And this cannot be, as Rashi goes on to explain: “For the word ראשית never appears in Tanach except when it is annexed to the following word.”

Mit diesem ersten Satze ist uns die Haupt- und Grundwahrheit, das Haupt- und Grundfaktum offenbart, das unsere Welt- und Selbstanschauung völlig umwandelt. Es hätte mit diesem einzigen Satze genügt, um die Welt als eine Gotteswelt und uns als Gottesgeschöpf uns denken zu lehren, und uns für die Anforderung vorzubereiten, in dieser Gott entstammenden Welt und in unserem ganzen, Gott entstammenden Wesen Gottes heiliges Eigentum zu erkennen, und in dieser Gotteswelt mit unseren Gott gehörenden Kräften nur Gottes Willen zu erfüllen. Allein es begnügt sich das Gotteswort nicht damit, uns die Schöpfung der Welt durch Gott im allgemeinen mit Einem Schöpferwort anzukündigen. Es soll ja dieses ganze erste Buch von den Ursprüngen der Welt, der Menschengeschichte und Israels nichts als Einleitung zu dem Israel ertheilten Gottesgesetze bilden. Darum führt uns das Gotteswort an alle die einzelnen Erscheinungen in dieser irdischen Mannigfaltigkeit hinan, uns nicht nur in dem großen Ganzen, sondern an jeder einzelnen, gesonderten Wesenart und Wesengruppe das gestaltende, gesetzgebende und ordnende Gotteswort erkennen und verehren zu lehren, auf dass wir uns zu jener Höhe der jüdischen Erkenntnis und der jüdischen Gesinnung erheben, die David mit Harfenton hinausgesungen, dass, wenn alle, alle Wesen, an jeder Stätte des großen Weltenreichs, jegliches in seinem besondern Kreise und in seiner besondern Lebensentfaltung, dem ihm ertheilten Gottesgesetze gehorchen, dann auch !ברכי נפשי את די dann auch wir dem uns ertheilten Gesetze gehorchen wollen und in diesem Gottesgehorsam die ganze Seligkeit unseres Seins und Strebens finden. Unsere Weisen lehren uns noch an diesen, die Welt in ihren einzelnen Kreisen und Gebieten gestaltenden und ordnenden Schöpferworten die Störung einer einzelnen Gottesordnung im kleinsten Kreise der Störung der Gesamtweltordnung gleich verpönt, so wie die pflichtgetreue Erhaltung der Gottesordnung im kleinsten Kreise der Erhaltung der Gesamtweltordnung gleich bedeutungsvoll und lohnes- würdig achten. "Siehe, sprechen sie, nicht mit Einem Schöpfer-Wort stand die Welt in der ganzen Mannigfaltigkeit ihrer Erscheinungen da, בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם mit zehn Schöpfer-Worten ward die Welt geschaffen, um den Schlechten, der die mit zehn Schöpfer-Worten geschaffene Welt stört, verantwortlich zu machen, so wie den Gerechten zu belohnen, der die mit zehn Schöpfer-Worten geschaffene Welt erhält." — Nicht nur die Welt im Ganzen und deren Ordnung, auch jedes einzelne Wesen und seine Ordnung ist eine Gotteswelt und eine Gottesordnung. Weh' Dem, der seine Welt zerstört! Heil Dem, der seine Welt erhält! —

And that which Rav Yitschak said, "It was not necessary to begin, etc," the explanation [of this] is not that the whole story from "In the beginning" to "This month shall be for you" should not have been written in the Torah at all; as behold there is a great need for the story of the creation of the world, since it publicizes the existence of God, may He be blessed; and the story of the generation of the flood publicizes His providence, may He be blessed, for reward and punishment. Besides that, there are several commandments written in [this early section of the Torah: the prohibition of eating] the limb of a living animal to Noach, and circumcision to Avraham, and [the prohibition of eating] the sciatic nerve through Ya'akov. Rather, he means to say that since the essence of the Torah is that it was given for its commandments, if so, the Torah should have started with the first commandment [to the Jewish people]; and [as for] this story from "In the beginning" to "This month shall be for you," it would be enough for it to placed at the end of the Torah. About this, he comes to answer and say, if it was written like that, it would have been 'a law refutable from its beginning,' and it would have strengthened the hand of the transgressors to rebel against the Torah. And when they would read "This month shall be for you," all the more so would they rebel [even] more, and they will say, "Moshe certainly invented this commandment, since how can God command about theft, in saying "And bring close and acquire for yourselves sheep," [meaning] specifically from yours; since, behold, you are thieves, since you took the lands of the seven nations and God did not protest against you. Since maybe [such a reader] would not read the Torah, from beginning to end [and read about the creation, so as to understand that the Jews did not steal the land that they settled]. Therefore, it was necessary to have the story of the creation of the world precede [the first commandment of establishing the new month], to show that it is not through theft that they took [the land], but rather through justice and right. This is what the verse states (Psalms 111:6-7), "The power of His deeds did He tell His people, to give them the inheritance of nations. The work of His hands are true and right, faithful are all of His precepts;" since the crux of this telling that "He told the power of His deeds to His people," the whole thing was in order to show that the work of His hands are true and right; that the Torah, and the tablets that are the work of God, and the righteous ones that were created with [God's] two hands; that all [of this] was in truth and right, which prevents theft. "And faithful are all of His precepts;" [meaning] the precepts that God decreed upon the lands of the seven nations; since it was His will, may He be blessed, to give it to [the seven Canaanite nations] and it was His will, may He be blessed, to take it from them and God, the King, decreed to appoint new appointees upon it."

And the trustworthy 'witness' to our explanation is that which the verse states (Genesis 2:3), "since upon it God rested from all of the work that He had created to make;" as this verse lacks understanding; and according to what we have explained, it comes 'like a precious chain,' as "since upon it He rested from all of the work that He had created" [refers to what He did] on the day of creation; "to make," [means] to refine, on the six days; like it states (Exodus 31:17), "since on six days, the Lord made, etc.," the explanation [of "made"] is refined; since the [actual] creation was created in one proclamation on the first day, except that everything was lacking refinement. To what is this thing similar? To someone who wants to build a palace and first prepares stones and wood and dirt and all of the building materials and afterwards builds the home; so [too] the Creator, may He be blessed, created all of the needs of the world with one proclamation, and He prepared it, and everything was laying piled up in a mixture; and afterwards, He started to organize each thing in its place and did His, may He be exalted, work.

For the sake of the Torah. This is because the word ראשית cannot mean the start [of the sequence of Creation], as then it would be annexed to the following word. Thus, בראשית means “For the sake of the [ראשית, which is the] Torah and Israel.” (The ב means “for the sake of”).

And according to its simple understanding, it was necessary to begin the Torah from "In the beginning," to publicize belief in creation [ex nihilo], since it is the foundation of the entire Torah; since were we to assume that the world was pre-existent, there would be no room to accept a Torah that is predicated upon the foundation of free choice; therefore, it is required to place the foundation [meaning, the creation story] first.

And you will find that when He wanted to create the heavens, He said (verse 6), "let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters," [meaning] He set its place; but it was already created in the first proclamation. And so [too] with the earth (verse 9) "and the dry land appeared."

And [regarding] the fire, the refinement of which, God didn't mention at all, you should know that God did not reveal its source - like the revealing of the heavens and the earth and the water - because its source is strong; and from it, there [would be] destruction to the world if it had been found like the water and the earth; and the world would not be able to exist. For this [reason], the Holy One, blessed be He, left it in its place - where it was created by the first proclamation - absorbed in the flints; until man needed it and took out from them an amount [of fire] sufficient for him, as they, of blessed memory, said (Bereishit Rabbah 11), "therefore we make the blessing of 'who has created the lights of the fire' at the end of Shabbat." And by this, God also revealed the nature of the [primordial] mixture - that the sources and elements were mixed up at the time of their creation, before God set each one up, according to its station. For if [the concealment of fire in other objects] did not exist, man's mind would not be able to fathom the knowledge of how different substances could be mixed up; and all the more so, dirt and fire.

But if you insist on the simple interpretation. I.e., if you say that בראשית is a word annexed to the following word, then you must change the past tense verb בָּרָא into the “noun” ברוא, as if it was written בְּרִיאַת (the creating of) instead of בָּרָא. Thus, בְּרוֹא itself will be annexed [to the coming words. This interpretation is possible] because we may follow the way the Torah is written and handed down without vowelization, and therefore בָּרָא can be read as בְּרֹא.

As if, “At the beginning of the creating.” Thus, בראשית [and what follows] will mean: At the start of the creating of heaven and earth, the situation was that the earth was unformed and desolate, and darkness. And because it was dark, Hashem said, “Let there be light.” It all leads up to: Hashem said, “Let there be light.”

And it is true that the Creator could have included the ordering [of the various creations] in the first proclamation, but for many reason did He [not] do this; and the Rabbis, of blessed memory, revealed one of them, when they stated (Avot 5), "and is it not that He could have created [everything] in one proclamation, but He wanted to take payment [from sinners for a world created with ten statements rather than only one] etc. and to give payment to the righteous etc."

As if to say, “At the beginning of Hashem’s speaking...” [Rashi cites this] so we will not ask: How can we say our verse means, “At the start of the creating of heaven and earth” — all leading up to the statement of “Hashem said, ‘Let there be light,’” which is the conclusion of what preceded? On the contrary: the statement of “Hashem said, ‘Let there be light’” seems to be a new and independent point, similar to: “Hashem said, ‘Let there be a canopy’” (v. 6). Thus, Rashi proves otherwise from Hoshe’a. For there we cannot say that Hoshe’a was the first man to whom Hashem spoke, as Hashem spoke to many prophets before him. [So then, what is the meaning of תחלת דבר ה' בהושע?] Perforce it means that the beginning of Hashem’s speaking to Hoshe’a was what follows: “Hashem said to Hoshe’a...” Thus, it all leads up to “Hashem said to Hoshe’a,” just like here.

And let it not be difficult in your eyes, that they, of blessed memory, stated (Ibid.), "In ten proclamations was the world created" [and used the] word 'created;' since at the end of the day, anytime that [something] is missing refinement, it as if [it is not created]. For example, if the earth [did not emerge], there would be no place for the creations; and likewise with the other creations that were mixed up, like the light and the darkness. If so, all that is not refined is as if it is not created; for this reason [the various refinements reflected by the nine other proclamations] are also referred to as creation.

And its interpretation is that at the beginning of everything. And as for the objection [raised earlier], that ראשית is always annexed, the answer is that it means: “At the beginning of everything.” Thus, it is indeed annexed to the [understood but omitted] word “everything.”

R. Simon said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: Manzapak [מנצפ"ך] is a Mosaic halahhah from Sinai. R, Jeremiah said in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba: They are what the zofim [i.e. prophets] instituted. It once happened on a stormy day that the Sages did not attend the House of Assembly [i.e. the Academy]. Some children were there and they said, 'Come and let us make a House of Assembly. Why are there written [two different forms when the following letters come in the middle or end of a word respectively] mem [מ] mem [ם], nun [נ] nun [ן], tzadi [צ], tzadi [ץ], pai [פ] pai [ף]? It teaches [that the Torah was transmitted] from utterance [מאמר] to utterance, from Faithful [נאמן] to faithful, from Righteous [צדיק] to righteous, from mouth [פה] to mouth, and from hand [כף] to hand. From utterance to utterance — from the utterance of the Holy One, blessed be He, to the utterance of Moses. From Faithful to faithful— from theAlmighty, who is designated, "God, faithful King," to Moses, who is designated faithful, as it is written, "He [Moses] is faithful in all My house" (Numbers 12:7). From Righteous to righteous— from God, who is designated righteous, as it is written, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways" (Psalms 145:17), to Moses who is designated righteous, as it is written, "He executed the righteousness of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 33:21). From mouth to mouth — from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, to the mouth of Moses. From hand to hand: from the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, to the hand of Moses. They completed them and they grew to be great sages in Israel; some say that they were R. Eliezer, R. Joshua and R. Akiba. They applied to them the verse, "Even a child is known by his doings, etc." (Proverbs 20:11).

And let it not be difficult in your eyes, [as to] why the Torah wrote the main [narrative] of creation in this way, and did not explicitly write [that] God created the water and the dirt, and the fire and the wind, so that [by not doing the latter] 'the empty man would not be made wise.'

There are such verses that are shortened. I.e., [the Torah occasionally omits a word] where we would logically understand by ourselves that a word is missing. (Divrei Dovid)

Know [that the answer is] that the Torah makes known and informs [us of] every hidden thing, and God wanted to make known 'the strength of his actions to his people' and make known to us the order of the creation and its manner, and that He - the Power, the Mighty, who is girded in strength - created everything that is and everything that exists, in one statement; and He wanted to make known to his close ones 'the strength of his deeds,' and did not prevent Himself from this good because of erring fools.

You must question yourself. Because water preceded. I.e., it is understandable if we say that the Torah is not stating the sequence of Creation. And it is not explaining when water was created, because it deals only with what was created after the heaven and earth. But if it is stating the sequence of creation, the question arises: Why does it not mention also the creation of water? (Divrei Dovid)

And there is also another reason which obligates the thing to be according to the discussed order, and it is that if the verse had [gone according] to the order desired by the silly ones, and that is that it would state that He created land and He created water, etc., it would have sounded as if He created them each, on its own; and according to the truth, it is not like that. And didn't you know that God has no desire for 'the speaker of lies and it cannot be established in front of His eyes.' And how could the 'beginning of His words,' God forbid, begin with words that are not correct? For this [reason], He spoke truth[fully about] the manner of the creation; as 'straight are the paths of God and the righteous will walk upon them' to thank and magnify the Creator, may He be blessed, and they will say to God, 'how awesome are your deeds.'

The Torah not yet having revealed... The creation of fire and of the angels was also not mentioned in the Torah, although [the angels] were created on the second day, [and the heavens were created from fire and water. If so, why does this not raise the same question? The answer is:] Water is different because the Torah mentions it in the sequence of creation: “The breath of Elohim hovered above the surface of the water” (v. 2). Thus, the time of its creation should be mentioned.

And He was exact to state 'In the beginning' and not to state 'At first' [in order to] 'tell the strength of His deeds to His people;' and that is, that according to what we wrote above - that He created everything with one statement - through that, we can deduce that One who can speak several statements all in one statement, also in one statement does not need to have one letter precede another. And from this, [we see] that when God said the word shamayim, He did not say the shin before the mem and not the first mem before the second mem; and also the letters of every single word, He did not have the beginning of the word precede its end; and also with each and every letter, He did not have its beginning [sound] precede its end.

Thus teaching that the waters preceded the earth. [You might ask:] Why does Rashi give this answer here, and not above, where he said: “This verse does not intend to teach the sequence of creation”? The answer is: above, you could have deflected this answer, and argued that the Torah deals only with what came after the creation of heaven and earth. But now that Rashi is speaking of “the beginning of everything,” this implies that nothing was created before heaven and earth. So here Rashi says: “You must question yourself...”

And after God made known all of this to us, [we understand that] these are the things that God made known to us with the word, 'In the beginning,' the meaning [of which] is [that] everything is the beginning, since there was no later part of the creation, but [rather] everything was the beginning; and understand [this].

It is not written “Adonoy created”! Rashi does not mean that it should say Adonoy without Elohim, for you would still ask: Why did the verse not say Elohim as well? Rather, Rashi means that the verse should say Adonoy as well, as it does later (2:4): “On the day when Adonoy Elohim made earth and heaven.” Rashi then continues to explain “at first He intended to create it with...” However, Maharshal explains [differently], that the question Rashi is answering is: If the world would be created with the attribute of justice it could not exist for even a moment! Thus, He must have created it with the attribute of mercy. If so, why did the verse not say “Adonoy”? The verse should say, “Adonoy created,” using His essential Name, for His Essence expresses mercy. But it should not say Elohim, a Name descriptive of a judge, for He did not yet judge the earth. Thus Rashi answers, “First He intended to create...” (Divrei Dovid)

And the reason that the Master chose to create [the world] in this way [is that] - besides the reason that we stated, that He wanted to make known part of His, may He be blessed, great deeds - you will also find that when He, may He be blessed, speaks with strengths, which is the aspect that relates to the name Elohim, it is [appropriate] for the words to be spoken in this way (all together). And you will find that they, of blessed memory hinted to this (Makkot 24a) in their pleasant words, and this is what they said, "'I am' (the first commandment) and 'There shall not be' (the second commandment) were heard from the Strength;" [with this] they intended to say, in their sweet language, that the words that were heard in this aspect [of strength] - which is Elohim, which relates to strength - will speak like these words, many words together. And not specifically 'I am' and 'There shall not be,' but rather all of the Ten Commandments, [were spoken this way] as they have have stated in their words in another place (Mekhilta, Yitro); and behold, the creation from the creation story was created with the name Elohim for many reasons, and as a result He spoke in His way, may He be blessed, (according to this attribute) great and awesome words as we have written.

This is conveyed in the verse, “On the day when Adonoy Elohim made.” Rashi might be bringing this verse also to answer the question: Why say that Hashem added the attribute of mercy because He saw that the world cannot exist with justice alone? The reason is for it is written (Tehillim 89:3), “The world will be built with kindness,” or perhaps there was a different reason. Furthermore, why did He give priority to the attribute of mercy? Rashi answers by citing the verse, “On the day when Adonoy Elohim made earth and heaven” (2:4). And why does the verse not mention heaven before earth like the first verse did, “In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth”? The answer is: to show that Hashem added the attribute of mercy mainly for sake of the earth and what emerged from it, for the earth cannot stand up to the attribute of justice. Thus He gave priority to mercy over justice, so that mercy would be stronger, for the sake of the earth. The heavens, however, can stand up to the attribute of justice.

And in the way of midrashic (homiletic) interpretation, the word, 'In the beginning' is explained in the way of what the verse states (Psalms 33:6), "By the word of God, were the heavens made and by the breath of His mouth, all the hosts." And you should know that, may the name of our God be elevated, He did not create the angels until the second day in order that those in error should not err [and think] that they helped Him in the creation of the world. And as to the [Sages'] words (Bereishit Rabbah 1:3), of blessed memory, we need to elucidate how is it possible to say that the angels were created later; is it not that according to what the verse stated, "and by the breath of His mouth, all the hosts," that hosts of the sky were created from the breath that came from the mouth of the Highest, (as if it were possible [to say this]); if so, perforce, according to our [very] senses, the angels were created before the heavens and the earth; since the breath came out before the word [of God], and since the heavens and the earth were created from the word, behold the breath - from which the angels were created - already preceded it. And for this reason, the verse states, "In the beginning, created etc.;" the explanation [of which] is that God had the later - which is the speech - precede the breath; [which is] the opposite of what is known to us about the nature of speech. And he created the heavens first and reversed the order and made speech first to breath; for the reason stated in their words, of blessed memory (Ibid.), and that is that [people] should not say that the angels helped and stretched out the heavens with Him, etc. And the verse informs us that the Master, blessed be He, does not take His lessons from the creations, as the creations are not able to reverse the order implanted within them from the time of the creation; which is not the case with the Creator, blessed be He, [who] can speak in the manner that He wants. And for this reason, you will find that the verse was precise in stating, "By the word of God, were the heavens made," which has the creation of the heavens - which were created from the word - precede, and afterwards, it stated "and by the breath of His mouth, all its hosts."

And from here, the structure of the explanation of the word, "In the beginning" is as follows: given that there are two things [involved] in speech, breath and speech itself, and from each of them did God create a new creation and I [would] not know which one of the two was first, whether the breath or the speech; for this [reason], it states that first was the act of the heavens and the earth; and from the derivation of the matter, you know that the speech was first to the breath that came from the mouth of the Highest.

We must still understand the difference between the two verses; in this verse, it only says the name Elohim (God) and in another verse, it says (Genesis 2:4), "on the day the Lord, God, made the heavens and the earth," [thereby] mentioning two names. And [we] also [need to understand why] here 'heavens' precedes 'earth' and there, 'earth' precedes 'heavens.'

And it appears that these two questions answer each other. And this is according to the way that they, of blessed memory, explained (Sotah 31a) about two verses that are written about the reward of the righteous: one verse states (Exodus 20:6), "and does kindness to thousands" and another verse states (Deuteronomy 7:9), "to His loved ones and to those who keep His commandments, for a thousand generations." And they, of blessed memory, said that that which one verse stated "to thousands" is referring to "His loved ones" only, and does not also refer to "those who keep His commandments" - who are those that do it out of fear - because it is mentioned that they will be a thousand generations in another verse. Also the verse that states, "to His loved ones and to those who keep His commandments, for a thousand generations;" refers only to "those that keep His commandments" - which is adjacent to it - [when] it states, "for a thousand generations," and not to the word, "His loved ones," which precedes ["those who keep His commandments"]; since behold, their reward is with them in another verse, which is the one [that states] "for thousands." ...

We will also explain these two verses in this way: "In the beginning, Elohim (God) created the heavens;" this name of Elohim - the meaning of which is this attribute of [strict] justice - without the combination of the name of mercy (the Lord), this is only going on what is connected to the heavens, and does not refer to its stating [in the same verse], "the earth;" since He created the earth with the combination of the name of mercy; and [the Torah relied on a different verse [to convey this information]; and that was its stating, "on the day the Lord, God made... the earth;" since the world of people is not able to exist with exact justice, without the combination of mercy, given that they are physical, as is known; and its stating "and the heavens" does not go together with the earth, in this aspect of combination; and the way of its functions, are they not [already] written in the section on creation? And through this are both precise observations resolved, 'like a precious chain.' And as to the matter of knowing which came first, behold we have written above that all of the creation was created together, in His, may He be blessed, strength. ...

And let it not be difficult to you, what type of justice does God mete out to the 'children of power,' who dwell in the skies [the supernal angels], that justify using the name Elohim for them; do you not find that they, of blessed memory, stated (Chagigah 15a) in the story of Metatron, that they judged him in front of Elisha and struck him with sixty bolts of fire, and also Eliyahu, etc. (Bava Metzia 85b) and how many judgments are there of the ministers above! And even thought they do not have an [evil] impulse, nonetheless, mistakes are found among them; since sometimes they do not understand the truth and err. And go and learn from the story of the angel, Metatron and Eliyahu, since they erred; and so it happens that they err and God punishes them, even on unwitting sin, which He does not prosecute for the dwellers of the earth, and with this is confirmed what we wrote [above] and this is true.

And even if we have found that the Rabbis, of blessed memory, (Bereishit Rabbah 1) noticed these two [differences] in the verses and answered that the reason that in one verse the heavens is first and in one the earth is first is that it intends to [tell us] that both came out as one [together], and the reason that in one place it states Elohim (God) and in another place it combines it with the name of mercy (the Lord), [about this] they stated (Bereishit Rabbah 12:15) that in the beginning, it went up in His thought to create [the world] with the name Elohim and [when] He saw that the world would not be able to exist [that way], He combined, etc;

[nonetheless,] you should know that permission is given to explain the meaning of the verses by the ways of investigation and logic, even if the first [scholars of the Mishnaic period] came before us and made a different sense of it, since there are 'seventy faces to the Torah.' And we are not warned not to deviate from the words of the first ones, except with explanations that would result in a change in the law. And for this [reason], you will find that the Amoraim (scholars of the Talmudic period who came later) do not have the power to disagree with Tannaim (scholars of the Mishnaic period) concerning the 'statutes of God,' but concerning the sense and meaning of the verses, we have found that they explain [it] in a different way in several places.

[Yet] I looked again at [a] reasoned investigation of the verses [and found] that our words would also allow for the words of those that came before us, peace be upon them. But first, let us reason to [understand] how it is justified to [attribute to] the Master, may He be blessed, a beginning and end to His thought - that at first, He thought [to create the world] with justice and [then] went back to combine [it with mercy] - since the Master, may He be blessed, 'is not prevented from plotting' because of [too] little time; and in less than the wink of an eye, He knows everything, and plans correctly at first glance, as if it were possible [to say this about Him], may He be blessed and may His name be blessed. ...

Hence, know that the intent of [what is meant by] the combination of mercy bears two [possibilities]: the first is that sometimes God is merciful to whom He wants to be merciful to, without bringing him to justice, since this is the attribute of mercy - to excuse and to forgive - and the name, Elohim also [can be explained in this way, that it is applied] to someone whom He does not want to excuse, He brings to justice, and according to this, there will be a person who is not brought to justice; and the second way is that God never yields to any person in the world, and the whole world is judged - there is no escape, and you should know that they, of blessed memory, said (Bava Kamma 50a) and these are their words, "whoever says that the Holy One, blessed be He, is a yielder, [that person's] intestines will be yielded," but [rather] the earth will stand in judgment and no man will escape from justice.

And behold according to this, we have chosen the second way, and from here, [we see] that the way of the creation, according to their words, may their memory be a blessing, is as follows: at first, He created with the attribute of Elohim - which relates to justice - and this was the plan, that all should stand in justice, except that He saw that the world cannot [survive with] such justice, so He combined the trait of mercy with it, the explanation [of which] is not that He went back on his original thought, God forbid, but [rather] that He made judgment [operate] in a merciful fashion, as you would say 'that He not pay back a person all at once, and that He not give the person his punishment right away and immediately, without giving it time.' And a person never gets what he doesn't deserve in justice, and that is what they, of blessed memory, said (Yerushalmi, Shekalim 5:1), "He is patient, but collects what is His."

It comes out that you say that He did not go back from His [original] thought, since we didn't find that it was the first thought of God not to administer justice in this way, [meaning] that it be meted out with mercy. And, according to this, it is necessary for the verse to be stated in this order; since had the verse stated, "In the beginning, the Lord, God, created," there would have been reason to say that there is justice, and also that there is not justice [when there is] mercy, since God did not decide to institute justice only. But since He stated God (Elohim) by itself, behold, [it shows] that He decided that there is nothing that exists without justice. And even if the verse afterwards states, "the Lord, God," it will truthfully be explained as we have explained it; that justice will exist regardless but that it will be exacted mercifully. And the verse relied upon us, that we would be forced to understand it in this manner, [so] that it become something known and held in our hands that the knowledge of God is not something that reverses itself, as if it were possible.

And after we have explained the intention of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, there is a basis for our words even in their words: since this attribute of combination that God set up for the dwellers of the earth, to be slow of anger and to collect [His due] a little at a time; He did not administer [His justice] like this except with us but not with the higher ones, that dwell in the heavens; but [rather, with them,] He pays back the guilt of the guilty right away and immediately. Also regret and confession and repentance, as well as the claim of error is not effective for them. And go and learn form the story that is brought down in the Talmud (Chagigah 15a) about the four that went into the orchard, in which an angel who was sitting with permission of the King, may His name be exalted, may He be blessed, was punished for not getting up in front of [Rabbi] Elisha in order that [the latter] not make a mistake in his thinking. And this is [only] an error for the angel, and he was also not warned about it; and the Judge would not judge His people Israel like this, as is known from the statutes of His Torah, let it be exalted.

There is another hint in having the heavens precede the earth: to show that the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like the way of flesh and blood. The way of flesh and blood is [to] build the house first and then the attic on top of it, but the Holy One, blessed be He, had the attic precede and afterwards [built] the house, to show that the heavens are suspended and standing by His word, may He be blessed.

And by way of hint, the Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded (Bereishit Rabbah 1:4) [that by the] word bereishit (In the beginning), He, may He be blessed, intended to say, [that He created the world] for the sake of the Torah, which is called reishit; and the explanation of the [letter] bet (which is the first letter in bereishit) is that it is a bet [that indicates] causation. And from this [is implied that] anyone who merits [to know the] Torah, merits the whole world and anyone who does not merit [to know the] Torah should not benefit from this world - even for him to set foot on it - unless he provides assistance to those who toil in [the study of] Torah. And they also said (Vayikra Rabbah 36:4) [that He created the world] for the sake of Israel, which is called reishit, as it is written [about Israel] (Jeremiah 2:3), "reishit tevuato" ("the first of His produce"). And this statement does not contradict the first, since the very reason that Israel is called, first is from the angle that they accepted the Torah; and through this were they separated from the [other] nations for fame and praise. And they also said (Bereishit Rabbah 1:4), [that He created the world] for the sake of Avraham and (Vayikra Rabbah 36:4) for the sake of Ya'akov; and it all follows the first reason [for creating the world], 'because Avraham listened to my voice, etc.' They also said (Shabbat 36b) [that He created the world] for the sake of [the] awe [of God], which is called reishit, as it is written (Psalms 111:10), "reishit chocmah, yirat, etc." ("the beginning of wisdom is the awe of God, etc."); since it too is a fundamental principle of the Torah, since if there is no wisdom, there is no awe, and if there is no awe of God, there is no Torah, for [awe of God] is a beautiful storehouse for the Torah.

Bereishit is also explained by way of [the Bible's] stating (Proverbs 8:30), "and I was a nursling (amon) with Him," and the Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded (Bereishit Rabbah 1:1); "Don't read it as amon (nursling), but as uman (artist);" and this is exactly what the verse is hinting at in the beginning of God's word: informing [us about] the creation of the world, it informed [us about] that with which He created it and stated that He created it with the Torah, since it is the artist. (This does not contradict the first explanation, since the Torah prepares the world to walk on straight paths.) And according to this, the level of its 'owners' is magnified, since they merit everything; and for this, it is correct that they should be called 'builders;' and this is what they, of blessed memory, said (Shabbat 114a), that Torah scholars are called builders, since what is in their mouths and in their hearts is the builder. And this is [the sense] of what it stated (Jeremiah 33:25), "and were it not for my covenant etc, the law of the heavens and the earth I would not have set."

The [letter] bet of bereishit [can] also be explained by way of [that which] they, of blessed memory, said (Tikunei HaZohar 5b), that there are two types of awe of God: the first is fear of punishment; and the second is awe [before] His loftiness and this is a more inner and loftier awe than the first [one]. And this is what the letter bet that is first (bet reishit) hints: since God established two types of awe for the survival of the world, and he hinted to the manner of them both; the first one was hinted by the word, Elohim, since it is the fear of judgment when He rises to [establish] justice; and the second one was hinted by its stating, "the heavens and the earth" - and that is by way of its stating (Psalms 8:4), "When I look at your heavens, etc," and they, of blessed memory, said [about this] (Zohar 1:1) that the awe of [His] loftiness enters the heart of an intelligent person when he meditatively glances at the work of the heavens and the earth, [and then proclaims,] 'how great are Your deeds, Lord,' [and] his soul becomes enthused and he is inawed by His greatness, may His name be blessed.

[Alternatively,] the two types of awe are hinted to [in the following way: one, in its stating "the heavens" here, is hinting to the awe of [His] loftiness, by way of its stating "When I look at your heavens, etc;" and the second awe, by stating "and the earth," which is the fear of punishment; and it is negatively attributed to the earth, since it is not from the angle of [His] loftiness, but rather from the angle of [man's] fear from the children of the world, by way of its stating (Job 20:27), "and the earth will rise against him."

Bereishit also hints, by way of [the Bible's] stating (Isaiah 33:6), "the awe of the Lord is His treasure;" the intention [of which] is that one who has the awe of God, [for him] it is a treasure for the hope of hearts, which is the clinging of His light, may He be blessed, to the soul of man, by way of its stating (Deuteronomy 4:4), "And you who cling, etc." And anyone who has the fear of Heaven is an abode for [His] Presence, as it states it (Psalms 78:60), "a tent which dwelt with Man." And it is hinted by the word, Bereishit, in the following way: the explanation of bet [which can also be read as bayit (house)] is that a house of repose for God is awe - which is hinted to by the word reishit - "God created" and set up His work.

Bereishit is also explained by way of the [Sages], may they be blessed, saying (Vayikra Rabbah 35:6), "And the book and the sword came down entwined, etc." and this is what it is saying, "Bereishit created Elohim," the meaning [of which] is that with the reishit - which is the Torah - He created Elohim, the meaning [of which] is [strict] justice, which hints to the sword.

It is also explained by way of that which the verse states (I Kings 18:39), "The Lord is God;" and the intention [of this] is that even if the name Elohim relates to [strict] justice, nonetheless it is [indicative of] mercy. And all of the names of the Holy One, blessed be He, intend, for the good, together to do good and to do kindness; but from the angle of the acts of the backward ones, judgment came out to chastise whoever is fitting to be chastised. And besides this, the attribute of the name, Elohim, is also to do good. And this is what it is saying, "In the beginning, created Elohim," since the name Elohim, did good and created the world to have grace and mercy and to do good to those that dwell in the heavens and the earth and there is no greater mercy than this. And this is what the verse states (Genesis 27:28), "And Elohim will give to you;" behold, that also the name Elohim does good to the good by way of a free gift; but evildoers cause Elohim to give them chastisement. And in the anticipated future, so will it be, [that] the Lord (the name associated with mercy) shall be one and His name shall be one.

The word, Bereishit, is also explained by way of the [Sages], may they be blessed, saying (Zohar, Introduction 2) that at the time of the creation of the world, the letters entered in front of the Creator; [the letter], tav entered and said in front of Him, "Master of the World, is it Your will to create the world [by beginning the Torah] with me, etc." and to all of [the letters], God answered that He did not want [to create the world/begin the Torah] with them, for the reason stated in their words for each and every one; until [the letter] bet entered and He accepted it and created the world with it, as it is written, Bereishit [which begins with bet; the letter] alef [which had not yet entered] was silent. [And] the Holy one, blessed be He, said to it, "Alef, why are you quiet, etc?" He said to it, "You will be the head of all the letters." Up to here [are the words of the Zohar]. Behold from the words of God [here], it appears that alef has [more of] a virtue than the letter bet. And from here [it follows] that had the letters gone up in front of Him properly, alef would have merited to have the world created with it. And lest [one ask], why didn't the alef go first, and [instead] He left it until the end, know that they, of blessed memory, said (Tikunei HaZohar, Introduction) that when the letters are in the proper order - in the following way: alef bet gimmel etc. - they are hinting to the attribute of mercy; and when they are backwards - in the following way: tav shin reish etc. - they are indicating the attribute of justice. And this is a sign for you [to remember this]: the month of Tishrei - [which] has the letters in backwards order, tav shin reish - is the great time of judgment, except that God, from the angle of His great mercy combined [with these letters] one letter from [His] name of mercy - and that is the yod - to bring mercy into the judgment (Zohar, Introduction 16a). And after this has been made known to us, we will explain [Bereishit] as bet reishit (bet is first); [that] you should know the reason that bet precedes alef is that the creation was with the attribute of Elohim (justice), and since it is thus, the letters went up in backwards order as is [the] rule, and for this reason bet precedes alef and acquired its place.

In its stating Bereishit, it also wants [to teach], by way of the [Sages], may they be blessed, saying (Zohar Chadash, Bereishit 2) that a thousand hidden worlds did God create; and they, of blessed memory, called them (Edra Zuta, Ha'azinu 288a) 'worlds of embarrassment;' and they are hinted to in the verse (Song of Songs 8:12), "there is a thousand to you, Shlomo." And from here, the verse began with bet, since alef had already acquired its place, since with it were created a thousand (elef which is spelled that same way as alef) worlds, according to its name, alef. And He started with bet to create this world, given that [its numerical value] is also the sum of the creation which is two, heavens and earth. And also for this reason, it did not state, "At first," since you would understand that this is the [absolute] beginning, and that is not the case; since He already created the 'beautiful worlds,' but regarding this detail of the heavens and the earth, it is stating its beginning.

The word, In the beginning (Bereishit), also hints, by way of the [Sages], may they be blessed, saying (Zohar 1:155a) that God created four worlds and they ascribed to them the names, Emanation, Creation, Formation and Action; and they are hinted to in the verse (Isaiah 43:7), "All that is called by My name and I have created for My honor, I have formed him and made him." And this is what is hinted here when it states, "In the beginning," [which] is the world of honor which is Emanation and it is called 'the beginning of all;' "created" [which] is the world of Creation; "Elohim" [which] hints to the world of Formation, since there are judgments there; "the heavens and the earth" [which] is the world of Action, since that is the heavens and the earth, as it is stated in their pleasant words.

It is also hinted, by way of [that which] they, of blessed memory, said (Pesachim 54a) that the Garden of Eden and Gehinnom (purgatory) were created before the world was created, since they are the reward and punishment for the Torah and the commandments, and this is hinted to in its saying bet (which has a numerical value of two) reishit (which is indicative of awe), since God created two things that were designated for awe, which were reward and punishment, [meaning] the Garden of Eden and Gehinnom: (Chagigah 15a) [If] one merits and fears from God, he takes his portion and the portion of his fellow in the Garden of Eden; [if] he does not merit [to do this], he takes his portion and the portion of his fellow in Gehinnom. And perhaps it is hinted that both of them were created together and that both of them are called reishit; since if one preceded the other, reishit would only refer to one [of them; instead], you have learned that they were created together in one statement.

It is also hinted that - since there are two worlds, this world and the next world, and man can acquire 'the good and life' by his involvement in Torah and good deeds - here the verse informs us that the reward for the [observance of] the Torah and the commandments will not be given to the righteous ones in this world, until [God] has [already] prepared a goodly storehouse, which is the essential [reward] to the spiritual side [of man]; and afterwards, if there is a surplus, he [is rewarded] in this world; since God will choose to first prepare for man a payment that is eternal. And this is what is hinted when it states, "In the beginning, God created the heavens;" which [signifies] the world of souls, and afterward "and the earth," which [signifies] the lowly world, if some of the good [coming to] him remains. Hence, you have learned that [reward] is not given to the righteous ones in this world until after they have merited their portion of light 'in the light of life.'

It is also hinted, according to what the Rabbis, of blessed memory, argued (Rosh Hashanah 10b): one says that the world was created in Tishrei and one says that the world was created in Nissan. And it appears to me that 'these and those are the words of the living God,' since you should know that they, of blessed memory, said (Bereishit Rabbah 1:4) that in the beginning God thought to create the world, and afterwards, God took His thought and put into action. And according to this, we can say that He thought [to create it] in Nissan and put it into action in Tishrei or the opposite, and the word, 'create,' refers to both of [these things]; whether what came into His thought, may He be blessed, is called a creation, whether when it went into action; and with this, the words of [both] of our Rabbis can exist together. And this is what is hinted by the bet (which has a numerical value of two) in the word Bereishit (In the beginning); since there were two beginnings, one in thought and one in action; only that we don't know if He thought in Nissan and acted in Tishrei or the opposite.

It also wanted [to teach], by way of the [Sages], may their memory be blessed, saying (Berakhot 6b), "Whoever has awe of the Heavens, his words will be heard;" and the reason [for this] is that the one who fears God will speak from the depths of his soul, and since that is the case, the soul of the listener will recognize [that] and accept the rebuking chastisement; but if the words came from the body, there is no resonance for the soul to listen to them, as the rabbis, of blessed memory, have hinted about what the verse stated (Deuteronomy 6:6), "And these words shall be etc. upon your heart" [and] then "and you shall review them with your children," which are the students. And this is what it said, "Bereishit," which is awe - as they, of blessed memory, have said - "God created the heavens," the explanation [of which] is that one should have awe of the Heavens, [and] then they will listen to his voice and 'he will teach knowledge to people' and that is what it states, "and the earth."

It also wanted [to teach] that, since there since God commanded many [observances] of awe in the world - awe of father and mother, as it is written (Leviticus 19:3), "A man, his mother and his father shall fear;" also from the king and the sages, also to fear people, that they should not be suspicious of him - one might say that the commandment of awe is the same in all the places that it is found, and it will come out from this that he will sometimes discount, God forbid, the commandments of God because of the honor of the king or the honor of his father or something like that; therefore, it hints here that the words of God are first, such that he puts the awe of "the Heavens" before anything [else] and afterwards "the earth," which are the individuals whom he is obligated to fear. And this is what the verse states (Numbers 32:22), "and you shall be clear before God" first; and afterwards, "and from Israel." And from here, [we see] that there is no place to observe any commandment of awe unless one does not transgress any commandment of the commandments of God.

It is also hinted that, through the Torah, God created two levels for man: either he be on the level of the heavens; and that is by way of it stating (Psalms 82:6), "I have said, 'you are powers'" (meaning, like angels); or if he does not keep [the Torah], his level sinks down to the earth. And this is [what it means] when it states, "Bereishit," the explanation [of which] is that through reishit [meaning, the Torah], "God created" these bet (two) preparations, "the heavens, etc."

The whole section also hints to the creation of man - who is the main goal of the creation - in the following way: In the beginning, when God created man, He created him from the source of spirituality, which is hinted by the word, heavens, and from the source of physicality, which is hinted by the word, earth. And you will find that our Rabbis, of blessed memory, hinted [to this by explaining] (Sanhedrin 91b), what the verse stated (Psalms 50:4), "He called to the heavens above" to be the spirit [and] "and upon the earth" to be the body, which is built from the earth. And His will in this, may He be blessed, is that through the actions of man, he will have the power to transform matter, which is the body, until it is considered to be form.

And behold, you will find (Shabbat 152b) that the righteous ones do not return to the dust, given that they purify their matter, until it becomes spiritual; as was written by Rabbi Y. Aramah, of blessed memory, and these are his words, "and it is the power of the perfect ones to change matter into form." And this is why they, of blessed memory, said (Berakhot 18a) that the righteous ones are called living even in their death, since the material side has become spiritual, which relates to life; and that the evil ones are called dead even in their lifetimes, from the angle that even the spirituality in them becomes material and [like] earth, which relates to the lifeless objects which are [therefore] dead.

And it hints to these two characteristics when it states "the heavens and the earth," in the following way: if they merit [it], behold, they raise up the material part of themselves which is hinted by "the earth" and they connect it and it becomes one entity with the "heavens." And if they do not merit [it], they transform the part of spirituality within them to the trait of "earth" and the form becomes matter. And this is what it is stating, "and the earth."

And its stating, "and the earth was chaos and void" here is hinting to what occurred in the times that the physical side overpowers which is the 'earth' and [the person] is emptied out of spirituality; as it is translated [by Onkelos into Aramaic], "desolate and empty;" "and darkness," which is the evil impulse that is called in their holy words (Zohar, Bereishit 63), [that which] darkens the face of the creatures; "was upon the depths" and it called the body, the depths, being that it is like [a pit] that constantly swallows [things up], and from the angle of the evil impulse [connected to it] that is darkness; "and the spirit of God" given into it "was hovering upon the waters," because the spirit 'did not find a place to rest the sole of its foot,' since the impulse drove it away and lifted it up from its resting place, and the darkness, which is the evil impulse, dwelt there and the [human] soul remains "hovering over the waters," that are the 'waters of iniquity,' which are the powers of impurity.

And in the Holy One's seeing, blessed be He, [that it was] like this, "And God said, 'let there be light;'" [meaning that He] sends man help against his impulse; and this is [that] when he reaches his fourteenth year, a holy and pure soul, from His holy chamber of Divine holy spirits, appears upon him. Or [light] hints to the Torah, since it is the pleasant light, and is called light, as it is written (Proverbs 6:23), "and the Torah is a light;" and the intention [of the two explanations] is one, since the aspect of the holy souls is the aspect of the light of the Torah, and a man of soul (ba'al nefesh) is a man of Torah. And that is what it states, "And God said, 'let there be light;'" which is the soul - the light of which is great, being that it is hewed from beneath His throne of glory, may He be blessed, [and] is 'a portion of God from above' - God sends it to shine on man, that he not wallow in the mud of the evil impulse; or also according to what we have said - that it is the Torah that shines on the soul of man; and then, "and there was light, and God saw the light" that He gave within man, "that it was good;" that through it, man will walk on the 'good and straight' path.

And you should not think that given that the soul is within man, or through involvement in Torah, with this he is still from the machinations of the impulse that brings him to sin and he [can] turn and walk [away from it]; because were it so, there would be no [room for] reward and punishment here. To this, it says that darkness is still in the world, but through [the light], man is helped to wage war with it, and to separate it from him, that it not fell him through its plots; and he will recognize that the aspect of doing evil is evil; and this is what it says, "and God separated between the light," which is the soul "and between the darkness," which is the evil impulse; and [about] this, the verse states (Ecclesiastes 10:2), "The heart of a wise man is to his right," which is the place of light, the place of the soul, "and the heart of a fool is to his left," which is the place of the evil impulse; "And He called light, day, and darkness, He called night;" and for this David prayed (Psalms 91:5), that He should save him from the fear of the 'nights.'

And its stating, "and there was, etc. one day" is because it is impossible to recognize the light of the soul except from the darkness of the evil impulse; since were it not so, [people] would not be different than the ministering angels, and there would not be [the possibility] of reward and punishment here; and for that reason, it states, "one day."

And it also intends to say "one day," by way of the [Sages], of blessed memory, saying (Avodah Zarah 35b) on the verse (Song of Songs 1:3), "therefore the maidens (alamot) have loved you," [that it is referring] to death (al mavet), the explanation [of which] is that even the 'bad' angel is forced to answer 'amen.' And for this reason, it states, "and it was evening and it was morning, one day," the explanation [of which] is that the attribute of evening and the attribute of morning, all of them, are in agreement for the good of the righteous one.

Or it is hinting that, through the help of the soul, the evening time - when 'his sun sets' to return to the upper world - is like the time of morning - the time when it came to the world; that the soul returns as brilliantly as the day it came, and this is by way of the [Sages], of blessed memory, saying (Shabbat 152b) [on the verse] (Ecclesiastes 13:7), "And the spirit returns to God who gave it;" and these are their words, "give it to Him like He gave it to you;" and in this the day of its coming and the day of its leaving will be equally like one.

The verse also intended to inform [us] that at the beginning of the creation, God set up His acts to be equal, [meaning] the heavens and the earth. And even though the heavens are the higher ones, nonetheless, the earth was in the category of purity. And go and learn [about] its virtue and merit; since man was created from it, 'dirt from the earth' and his form is like an 'angel of God;' and you will [also] find that God chose to dwell on earth with the creations, and He prepared a house [there] for his residence - as if it were possible [to say this] - and it is an obvious thing that the abode of God is perfect and 'holy is said about it.' And you will find that before man sinned, God was found among the lower [creatures] in the same way as he was found among the higher [creatures], and this is what it states, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" in one category, in cleanliness and purity, and this is [like] the statement of the prophet (Isaiah 61:1), "So said the Lord, 'the heavens are my chair and the earth is my footstool,'" and they, of blessed memory, said (Chagigah 14a) that it is an ottoman. Behold, you have learned that is in the category of being fit for the abode of God; except that through the acts of the lower beings, "and the earth was chaos and void" and [it] became thick and its light became darkened from the angle of the acts of the evildoers. "And God said, 'let there be light'" which is the Torah, then the earth went back to how it was at the beginning, to brighten its light, and God resided on earth with His people and His inheritance, and that is what it states, "and there was light."

The verse can also be explained in this way; as it is well know that we have found that the Holy One, blessed be He, has chosen to dwell in the mist and [yet] prefers to live among us. And we have also found about Him (Taanit 5a) that He - as if it were possible - swore that he would not enter the 'heavenly Jerusalem' until He enters the earthly Jerusalem; behold this means that he prefers the earthly to the heavenly. Also, when we discern the reason for the creation of the entire world, we would know that the lower ones, which are His people and His inheritance, are the essence [of creation].

And according to this, the verse intended to give the order of creation in the format of 'not only [x which is of less importance] but also [y which is of more importance]' ('lo zo, af zo') in the way of preference [in the following way]: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and" he also created another creation that was more beloved to Him and more elevated and that is "the earth;" since - just the opposite - the heavens are dependent upon it, and all of this is by means of the Children of Israel, His holy people; since the existence of all the worlds - even the upper worlds - is dependent upon them, as is known to the experts of the chambers of true wisdom.

And in this way, its stating "and the earth was chaos and void" becomes explained: Here it is hinting about the times of the Jewish exiles, which is the reason for the prevention of His, may He be blessed, dwelling on earth. One (the first) exile is the exile of Egypt; they remained in it for four hundred and thirty years, like the numerical count [(gematria) of] chaos (tohu) - which is four hundred and eleven - and void (vebohu) - which is nineteen - behold four hundred and thirty. And the meaning of "and void" also hints to the exile after it, and that is the Babylonian exile: The Babylonian exile is called 'void' because the translation of void [according to Onkelos] is 'empty' and it is written in Jeremiah 51:34 about the Babylonian exile, "he has eaten me, he has crushed me, Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylonia, he has placed me like an empty vessel." And its stating, "and darkness was upon the depths" hints to the bitter exile that we are in, stuck in the depths, that has had no end for us for one thousand seven hundred and seventy one years. And [as if] the length of the exile [were] not enough, but also [do we suffer its] darkness, which hints to two things: the first is the subjugation of the nations [over the Jews] and the heavy yolk of taxes, to the point that darkness darkens their form, this one subjugates, and that one crushes - happy is the one who has not seen [this], and especially in our [home,] Morocco; and the second is concerning the evil impulse which has darkened the world - and as a result of our sins, there has been an increase in those that breach [the standards] of His people, Israel, and have permitted to themselves bad language and false oaths and evil gossip and theft and prevent themselves from repenting to return [from their ways]. And a person should not say, in seeing such a downfall for Israel for the entire time, that - God forbid, hope is lost for the 'children;' that is not so, but rather "And God said, 'let there be light,'" that is the light of the amazing future redemption. ...

And its stating, "and there was light," is by way of their saying in the Tikunei Hazohar 21, [that it means] "there was a secret," since the numerical value of light is [the equivalent] of secret. The intention [of this] is that God, may His name be elevated, decreed that this light of the king messiah not be revealed in the world and that it be a hidden secret with Him, as they say (there), "to My heart, I revealed, from the heart to the mouth, He did not reveal." And its stating, "And God saw the light that it was good," refers back to the light, in of itself, "that it was good" - 'happy is the eye that saw it' - and also refers back to what it hinted, that he will make it in [the form of] a hidden secret, [and also about that it is saying, "that it was good;" since so should it be - as they, of blessed memory, have said (Yoma 9) - for several reasons. And [about] its stating, "the spirit of God, etc.," they have said in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 2:4), "this is the spirit of the messiah." "Hovering upon the face of the waters," there is no [other meaning to] waters besides Torah, by way of their saying, in the Zohar, Hashamatot 1:13, that Israel will not be redeemed except through the merit of the Torah, that is compared to water.

And behold, it is known that, because of our many sins, many sparks of light have been submerged in the husks and also much mixed multitude has infiltrated into holiness, as they have said in the holy book of Tikunei Hazohar 6, "mixed bad in good and good in bad." And for this [reason], He needs - as if it were possible - to separate the good from the bad and the light form the darkness that have gotten mixed up. And behold it is known that the life force of the husk is only from its feeding from holiness and without that, it has no life. And so, when God separates the light, which is the holiness, and the evil remains separated and has no source of life from which to feed, it is automatically annulled. And this is what it is stating (Zechariah 13:2), "and the spirit of impurity will I remove from the earth;" since it is similar to the cutting of a tree from the place of its sustenance, and its root from which it nurses, that it [then] dries up and no longer prospers; and nothing will remain besides the good light. And this is what [it meant when] it stated, "And God called the light, day;" the explanation of "and he called" (vayikra)" is [that it] is an expression of glory (yakar) and greatness, as the virtue of holiness is only recognizable with the felling of the husk, that is called darkness. And the verse informs [us] that on that day, that is known in front of Him above, God will call to the light in glory and greatness; and that will be on the day that is known to God, that on it God will be one.

And its stating, "and the darkness, he called night;" is an expression of an incident which is not pure; and for this reason, the verse does not rely on the word, "and he called" that it stated at the beginning [of the verse, and repeated it again specifically for darkness] - since there is no more glory and honor to darkness, but rather its incidence will only be in the night. And this is the secret of its stating (Deuteronomy 23:11), "an incident of the night." But when the night will pass, which is the time of the exile, as the verse states (Isaiah 21:11), "The burden of Dumah etc.; watchman, what will be of the night;" since the exile is similar to the night. And then at the dawn, there will no longer be darkness nor night, but [rather], "and there was evening and there was morning, one day;" since the aspect of evil is removed and is not; 'and the night will shine like the day,' 'and the light of the moon will be light the light of the sun.' And this is [why] it states, "one day;" and it is that the verse hints to its stating (Zechariah 14:9), "on that day the Lord will be one and His name will be one."

The Torah summons us to view heaven and earth and speaks "from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, everything which thou seest existing,when it came into existence, בראשית ברא אלהים in its beginning God was active as its creator. Seest thou the heaven in its eternally silent, unchanging course, bearer of light and heat and all the motive forces of our earth, supporter of the earth-world, seest thou it with its millions of starry worlds, or resplendent with the refulgence of the magnificently radiant sun-ball, or the earth, the swift runner, with its eternal circles of originating and passing away, of blooming and withering, of life and death, eternally struggling from ceasing, fading, and death, to ever new existence, bloom, and life; dost thou see it with its millions of productions, stones, plants, animals, all of which it produces, nourishes, and again takes back into its bosom; dost thou see the light, the messenger of heaven to earth, which coaxes all to life and leads from life, through which thou seest everything which is, and everything arrays itself for thee in resplendent colors; dost thou see the firmament spread out around the earth, which receives the ray of light, and alters it to suit the necessity of the earth, in which the clouds move and water the parched earth, the thirsty grasses, and beasts, and men? Seest thou the universal ocean, with all-encompassing arm of flood embracing the earth, or the springs which burst forth from the fissures of the rocks and flow on as rivulets, brooks, and mighty rivers? Dost thou rejoice in the firm surface of the earth upon which thou walkest safe and secure together with thy dear ones; hast thou pleasure in its meadowy expanse or its leafy trees, or in all the living beings which stir so animatedly in the waters and in the air, or dwell with thee on earth ? Dost thou see sun, moon, and stars, which from their celestial positions above thee regulate the times of day and month and the seasons of the year, and determine the recurring periods of waking and sleep, of rise and fall, of bloom and decay on earth?