B”H
10/8/2006
Chag Sameach and Shana Tova
BERAISHIS
TALMUDIC SOURCES
What Precedes the Creation
of the Universe
Before creating the
universe, Hashem brought into existence seven concepts which are essential for
the functioning of the world:
1.
Torah
2. teshuva
(return)
3. Gan Eden
(
4. Gehinnom
(Hell)
5. The Kisay Hakavod (The
Heavenly Throne of Glory)
6. The Bais Hamikdash (The
7. The name of
Mashiach.
We will now explain in
which way these seven particular creations are vital to mankind and therefore
had to be conceived even prior to Creation.
[] The world was created solely for the
purpose of learning Torah and fulfilling its
dictates.
[] Teshuva was conceived in order to
maintain existence. A world without teshuva would inevitably perish in
the face of Hashem's judgment.
[] Gan Eden was conceived in order
to insure a reward for the righteous.
[] Gehinnom was conceived in order
to provide punishment for the wicked.
[] The Heavenly Throne of Glory was
conceived prior to the universe in order to manifest Hashem's glory in the
world.
[] The place where the Shechina (Divine
Spirit) was to dwell permanently is the Bais Hamikdash. Therefore, the
concept of the Bais Hamikdash was conceived as a condition for
creation.
[] The final goal of humanity is to attain
the state of the days of Mashiach; therefore the name of Mashiach had to be
formulated even before the world's inception.
Torah, the Blueprint of
the World
Torah was the first of
these seven fundamental concepts. It preceded the creation of the world by two
thousand years. Why was this necessary?
The Torah says, "I served
as the architect's instrument in building the
world!"
If a builder erects a house
without consulting an architect, how will the end product look? He might find
his building lacking necessary doors, windows, or staircases. He might have
misconstructed a basic support beam so that the entire house will collapse
shortly after completion. Every building must therefore be preceded by a plan.
The first step towards construction is for the architect to draw up a complete
map of the house, including each of its divisions, entrances, and exits. Then
the builder follows the construction plan, transferring it into
actuality.
By which diagram was the
world built?
The Torah says. "I was
Hashem's master plan in the construction of the world! Hashem had me in front of
Him during the Six Days of Creation. He looked at the passuk (verse) (1:1), “In the beginning G-d created heaven and
earth,” and, accordingly, created heaven and earth. He looked at the
words (1:3), “'and G-d said, 'Let there be light'”, and fulfilled the
words by creating light, etc." Thus He followed the words of the Torah step by
step throughout creation, fashioning the universe according to the plan of
Torah.
Reality of the
Creator
The emperor Hadrian asked
R. Yehoshua, "Does the world have a master?"
"Certainly," replied R.
Yehoshua. "Did you think the world exists without an
owner?"
"Who then is its
master?"
"Hashem is the Creator of heaven and
earth."
But Hadrian persisted. "If this is true,"
he continued, "why doesn't He reveal Himself a few times a year so that people
should fear Him?"
"That would be
impossible," replied R. Yehoshua, "for it says (Sh'mos 33:20), 'No man can see Me
and live.' "
"I don't believe that,"
argued Hadrian angrily. "No one can be so great that it is impossible even to
look at him!"
R. Yehoshua
left.
Later, at noontime, he returned and asked
the Emperor to step outside. "I am ready to show you Hashem!" He
announced.
Curious, Hadrian followed
him to the palace garden.
"Look straight up into the
sun. There you will discover Hashem!" said R.
Yehoshua.
"What?" exclaimed Hadrian, bewildered.
"Do you know what you are saying? Everyone knows that it is impossible to look
directly into the sun at noon!"
R. Yehushua smiled. "Note
your own statement! You admit that no one can gaze at the sun's full strength
when it is at its zenith. Yet the sun is only one of Hashem's servants, and its
glory is only one millionth of a fraction of Hashem's splendor. How then do you
expect people to be able to look at Him? Yet He promised that the day will come
when He alone will be exalted and His greatness will be accepted by
all"
An apikoras once asked R. Akiva, "Who created the
world?"
"Hashem," replied R.
Akiva.
"Prove it," demanded the
apikoras.
R. Akiva answered only,
"Come back
tomorrow."
When the man returned on the
following day, R. Akiva asked him "What are you
wearing?"
"A
robe."
"Who made it?"
"The weaver."
"I don't believe you! Prove it," demanded R.
Akiva.
"That is ridiculous. Can't you tell from the fabric and design that a
weaver made this
garment?"
said the man.
"And you -can you not clearly tell that Hashem made the
world?"
After
the Apicoras
left R. Akiva explained to his
students, "Just as a house was obviously built by a builder and a garment
obviously sewn by a tailor, so was the world (which follows a natural order)
obviously made by a Creator!"
[Rabbi Moshe Weissman, The
Midrash Says, The Book of Beraishis, p.1-4
THE CHASSICIC DIMENSION
The Parable of the
Train. The whole gamut
of avodah throughout the festivaals of Tishrei, up to and including the
replenishment and the increase of the "light which is good" on Shabbos
Bereishis, may be compared to a train journey.
A man in a hurry either
takes an express train that speeds him to his destination nonstop, or the more
common kind of train that picks up additional passengers who did not board it at
the first station. The latter kind of train also serves travelers who cannot
bear the speed of an express journey.
The stations along the way
are also of two kinds. There are minor stations at which the train stops for
only a few moments. At major stations it stops for a longer period so that it
can be loaded with bulky baggage. Taking animals on board - oxen, ship, goats,
donkeys or horses - requires a really long time, because they are afraid of the
train and the siren and the journey. (In fact their fear is well grounded,
because when they arrive at their destination they will become man's flesh and
blood, and lose their animalistic identity...) Because they take so long, they
are taken on board only at the major stations, where all kinds of things are
loaded.
Before the journey begins a
siren is sounded, for the benefit of waiting passengers who are busy with their
luggage or who have completely forgotten that they have to travel somewhere.
After a second and third blast of the siren, the train begins to move slowly: it
means business... Only then does it gather speed and set
out.
Now, everything in the
physical world is the way that it is, because that is the way that is in the
spiritual root. Accordingly, let us seek to understand the spiritual root of our
subject.
Only In a Body Can a
Soul Gather Speed. The
train's speed alludes to the ultimate reason for which man was created and for
which his soul descended to this world - that as a result of his avodah
down here he should become a mehalech, someone who progresses. Angels
are known as omdim (lit., "those who stand"), for even though they stand
in love and awe of G-d for 2000 years, and for another 2000, and for another
nearly 2000 years, and even ascend from one level to the next, their various
ascents are orderly and graded. Before souls are dispatched to this world, they
too are described as omdim (lit., "those who stand"), as in the verse,
"By the life of G-d... before whom I stood." It is only by descending
into this world and being garbed in a body, and toiling with both soul and
flesh, that a soul becomes a mehalech - because this embodiment makes
possible an ascent that leaps far beyond any gradual and orderly upgrading. Once
it is garbed in a body, the soul takes a leap out of Seder Hishtalshelus
(the chainlike scheme of descent by which the divine light is progressively
contracted) into a realm that transcends it - until a point at which the soul
becomes "absorbed in the person of the King," so to speak, and reaches the very
Essence and being of the Infinite One.
Morever, just as there are
two kinds of train, regular and express, so too the soul can embark on the above
described odyssey by either of two modes - be'ita (at its appointed time)
and achishena (I will hasten it).
The Gemara confronts
the juxtaposition of these terms as follows. "It is written, 'In its time'
[i.e., the Redemption will come at its appointed time], but [immediately
thereafter] it is also written, 'I shall hasten it.' [Yet there is no
contradiction:] If [the Jewish people] are found worthy, then G-d will hasten
it; if they are not found worthy, it will come in its
time."]
These two modes are
exemplified in Yaakov Avinu's parting words to Eisav. Yaakov for his part was
already prepared to proceed to
Days of Awe, Days of
Dancing. In our
analogy, the train sounded a siren before it set out, it stopped at stations
along the way, and so on. These details, too, have their parallelism in the
various festivals of Tishrei.
One should first note a
statement of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe [Rayatz]: The month of Tishrei
is the all embracing head of all the months. It includes days which serve as
roots and sources for the entire year: Rosh HaShanah is the root and source for
one's awe of G-d...; Yom Kippur - for repentance and forgiveness and atonement;
the seven days of Sukkos - for love of G-d and for joy; and so
on."
These days may be divided
into two general categories: days of awe, during which one's avodah is
characterized by tears of contrition, and days of joy ("the time of our
rejoicing") during which avodah is characterized by exuberant dancing. As
explained by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe [Rayatz], the same spiritual
goals which are attained on Rosh HaShanah by contrite frame of mind, are
attained on Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah by means of
joy.
These different approaches to avodah correspond to the various kinds of compartments which are made to suit the needs of the various kinds of passengers and freight.
[Proceeding Together, The Earliest Talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem M. Scneerson, Volume III, Tishrei-Tevet (1950-1951) p.84-86]
With blessings
Neshamaart