Devar/5768/Bereshit
From RonWareWiki
< Devar | 5768
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen 1:1)
Rashi asks why the Torah opens with the story of the creation of the universe? After all, the majority of the Torah deals with the Children of Israel and the commandments they were given! It seems more appropriate, according to the Midrash he quotes, to start with the first commandment given them, and not to deal at all with the creation of the universe. The answer he brings from that Midrash is that one day, the nations of the world will come and say, "you stole our land!" - then we will be able to answer that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world and it all belongs to Him, may He be blessed, and to whomever He wishes He can give it. Indeed, we have heard with our own ears the nations of the world making exactly the argument brought in this Midrash!
Other commentators (the Rambam in the Guide for the Perplexed, and Sforno among others) say that the word "bereishit" (in the beginning) does not mean "first", as in the order of Creation; rather "in the beginning" of time. That is to say, "time" did not exist prior to Creation. And there is a great need for this story, since it is a fundamental pillar in the understanding of "the true religion" in the Rambam's words. There was a first moment, a moment in which the Holy One blessed be He created the universe and all that is in it, "ex nihilo" - and it is impossible to speak of "what came before" that moment, since there was no such thing as "before" -- since "time" had not yet been created! Only the Holy One blessed be He existed, since "… all the created beings need Him; but He, may He be blessed, does not need them, not even one of them". (Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah 1:1)
It should be pointed out that astrophysics says that everything came about (they don't use the word "creation", of course) in a huge explosion in one instant, and it is impossible to go back before that moment because the equations used by the theories don't work then! But the Torah already explained to us "what was" - very simply, the Holy One blessed be He, alone.
We have turned the wheel of the year around and are beginning anew to learn the Torah. At this moment it is worthwhile for each of us to delve deeply into the Torah as if it had been given today, and not to look at "what was". That is to say, to look with "new eyes" and to absorb even more than what we had until now. That way, with God's help we will be able to ascend and make progress in understanding the Creator and His commandments.
Shana tovah!
Send Ron feedback on this essay.