Divrei Torah Bereshis
Torah Table of Contents
Bereshis and our Rights to Eretz Yisrael, Alei Deshe Parshas Bereshis, From Reb Motti Rosen z"l Parshas Bereshis, From Reb Motti Rosen z"l
based on and excerpted from a ma'amar in Alei Deshe, Parshas Bereshis
"In the beginning, G-d created the Heavens and the earth" [Bereshis 1:1]
Rashi brings the statement of Rabbi Yitzchak, that the Torah should have begun from "HaChodesh hazeh lachem - this month shall be for you" [Shemos 12:1], which was the first mitzva commanded to the Jewish People. Why did it begin with "Bereshis"? Because of the verse, "The power of His works He declared to His People, to give them the inheritance of the nations" [Tehillim 111:6]. If the nations of the world say, "You are thieves, for you've conquered the land of the seven nations," they [the Jewish People] can answer, "The entire world belongs to Hashem, He created it and gave it to whomever He wanted. He wanted to give it to them [the nations], and then He took it away from them and gave it to us."
The Rebbe Shlita emphasizes that the significance of starting the Torah from "Bereshis" is to teach us that nothing in this world is without Torah, and even the most logically compelling mitzva is rooted in the Torah. Chazal tell us that if we would never have received the Torah, we could still learn middos [good character traits] from the animal kingdom [e.g., cleanliness from the cat, not stealing from the ant, etc.] Even though after the Torah was given, we could still learn in this manner, nevertheless, once the Torah was given, we must keep the mitzvos - even the most logically compelling ones - as commandments from the Creator and not as dictates of our own logic. It is for this reason that the Torah begins from "Bereshis."
To emphasize this, the Rebbe Shlita relates that Rebbe Yechezkel of Kuzmir [head of the Modzitzer dynasty] would bring a proof from the Torah for whatever he did. For example, there was once a case of a tenant who could no longer afford to pay the rent to his landlord. He asked him to allow him to stay in his dwelling for free, since he had no way of paying. The landlord claimed that since this was a case of tzedaka - charity - the entire community should share the financial burden, not just him. The case came before Rebbe Yechezkel and he ruled that the landlord must allow the tenant to remain, without receiving any rent. He explained that there is a ruling in the Torah [in this case, the Oral Law] that when a slave who is owned by two masters is freed by one of them, the second one must free him as well. [Note: This is because someone in the status of half-slave, half-freeman cannot marry anyone - he is thus prevented from performing the mitzva of propagation]. Even though the second owner could also claim that this mitzva should be the responsibility of the entire community, the Torah doesn't rule that way. On the contrary, since the mitzva fell in the second master's portion, he has to fulfill and complete it. So it is with the landlord - the mitzva devolves upon him.
Returning to our verse, the verse [from Tehillim] that Rashi brings is, "The power of his works He declared to His People..." The Rebbe Shlita finds this quite amazing, for surely it should say, "He declared to the nations," for it is they who must know that Eretz Yisrael belongs to Hashem and that He gives it to whomever He wants! After all, it was the nations who claimed, "You are thieves!"
The Rebbe Shlita concludes that we can learn from this, that it is the Jewish People, first and foremost, who must know and be sure that they are entitled to Eretz Yisrael as a gift from Hashem. Only then can the nations realize this. But if the Jews don't understand this, how could the other nations possibly understand and accept it? [Translator's note: How appropriate this is in regards to what is happening these days]. Thus it is quite fitting to bring the verse, "The power of His works He declared to His People...", as we find when Moshe Rabbeinu complained to Hashem: "Even the Jewish People don't listen to me, how could [I expect] Pharaoh to listen..." [Shemos, 6:12].
Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalayim, a Modzitzer Chassid
What does Hashem Elokecha ask from you, but to fear Hashem Elokecha and to walk in His ways? (Dvorim, 10:13)
A Dvar torah from Reb Motti Rosen z"l, grandson of Harav Shaul the Second Rebbe
1. "V'Yishritzu Hamayim Sheretz Nefesh Chaye" (Bereshis 1:20). There are many different mefarshim explaining exactly what type of animal the Pasuk is referring to. Rashi says the Pasuk is referring to all living things not higher than the earth - flies, ants, worms etc. the Ramban says any creature that moves. One could also say it is the snake - the Nachash. The Roshei Teivos of the words "Sheretz Nefesh Chaye" are Shin, Nun, Ches. The word nachash, snake is written Nun, Ches, Shin. Of course the letters are seemingly not in the right order. If we look at the Rashi on this Pasuk we see that Rashi explains first "Nefesh Chaya" and the "Sheretz". Sifsei Chachomim explains that Rashi does this because this is the way the Pasuk was meant to be read. Following that way of thinking we can say Sheretz Nefesh Chaya is the Nachash.
2. "Ki Rabbah Raas Hadam B'Aretz" (Bereshis 6:5) "V'ynachem
Hashem Ki Asah Es Hadam B'Aretz" (Bereshis 6:6).
The Chumash
tells us that Hashem saw that the evil of man was increasing and V'ynachem Hashem that he had created man on the
earth. Rashi offers to explanations on V'yinachem. First he says that Hashem was comforted by the fact that
he created man on earth and not in Shamayim where he would have corrupted the heavens. Second he says that Hashem regretted
that he had created man because of the evil that he had done. Puzzling is the use of the word B'Aretz, not
once but twice and both times the word seems meaningless. Both Pesukim would seemingly make perfect sense
without the word B'Aretz. The word Shamayim is a remez to ruchnius and the word Aretz is a remez to gashmius.
Using the second explanation of Rashi, that Hashem regretted, we can say that after seeing the evil that man was
doing Hashem regretted that he had created man dependent on the gashmius to survive - Ki Asah Es Hadam B'Aretz. - that
he created man in the earth - in the gashmius.
Submitted by Chumi Friedman, daughter of Reb Motti Rosen z"l
A Dvar torah from Reb Motti Rosen z"l, grandson of Harav Shaul the Second Rebbe
"V'Haretz Hayisa Sohu V'Vahu" (Berashis, Perek Alef, Pasuk Bais). TheDivrei Yisrael (page 9) brings down the Medrash, which says that this is referring to the actions of Reshaim. "V'Yomer Elokim, Yehi Ohr", (ibid., Perek Gimmel) these are the actions of Tzadikkim. How do we know which actions Hashem prefers, the actions of Tzadikkim or the actions of Reshaim? The Chumash continues, "V'yar Elokim Es Ha'ohr Ki Tov", (ibid. Pasuk Daled) so we can assume that Hashem prefers the actions of Tzadikkim.
However, this Peshat, simplest meaning, of the Medrash seems a little hard to understand. How can we wonder if Hashem prefers the actions of Tzadikkim or Reshaim, the answer seems obvious, of course Hashem prefers that actions of Tzadikkim. So what is the Medrash really asking?
If we look at Rashi on the words "V'Eleh Toldos Noach", (Berashis, Perek Vov, Pasuk Tes), we see that the most important "Toldos", the most important generations of Tzadikkim are their deeds. We can say from this Rashi that actions and generations are interchangeable. In that case we can understand the Medrash to be asking, what is more important to Hashem, the generations of Tzadikkim or the generations of Reshaim. The answer "V'yar Elokim Es Ha' ohr Ki Tov", Hashem finds the "Toldos", the generations of Tzadikkim the most pleasing. And the proof of this is the words of Rashi in Parshas Toldos (Perek Chof Hey, Perek Chof Alef), that Hashem answered Yitzchak's Tefillah before Rivkah's because the Tefillos of the son of a Rasha can't compare to the Tefillos of a son of a Tzaddik.
Submitted by Chumi Friedman, daughter of Reb Motti Rosen z"l
