LE’VAKASH V’LISHMOR TO SEEK AND TO KEEP

BERESHEIS Hashem created the heavens and the earth. The generations of heaven and earth to Noach (1.1) Beresheis. It seems the Torah begins with Beresheis because Elokim created everything and nothing preceded Him. Father then child. וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת תֶּ֔רַח תֶּ֚רַח הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָ֑ן וְהָרָ֖ן הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־לֽוֹט And these are the generations of Terah: Terah sired Avram and Nahor and Haran, and Haran sired Lot. (Beresheis 11.27) Child then father. וְאֵ֛לֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹ֥ת יִצְחָ֖ק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־יִצְחָֽק And these are the generations of Yitzchak ben Avraham; Avraham sired Yitzchak. (Beresheis 25.19) Beresheis follows a similar pattern. Father (Elokim) then child (heaven and earth). בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹקים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ In the beginning of Elokim creating the heavens and the earth. (Beresheis 1.1) Child (heaven and earth) then Father (Elokim). אֵ֣לֶּה תֽוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִ֣בָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת הֹי֗ אֱלֹקים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם: The generations of heaven and earth when they were created in the day Hashem Elokim made earth and heaven. (Beresheis 2.4) (1.1) Beresheis. Elokim created and owns the world. בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹקים In the beginning of Elokim creating. (Beresheis 1.1) Rashi says He chooses who will receive the land. ברצונו נתנה להם וברצונו נטלה מהם ונתנה לנ When He wants He gave to them, and when He wants He took from them and gave to us. (Rashi ibid) Ramban says nations lose their land because of their sinful acts. Adom sinned and lost Gan Eden. The people of the Tower of Bavel sinned and were scattered throughout the world. (ibid) Perhaps Yisrael lost the land because they sinned with the sale of Yosef. Yaakov and his sons left because of a famine and went to Mitzraim for two hundred and ten years. (1.8) כִּי־ט֑וֹב It was good. On the second day, Elokim did not say it was good. וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם שֵׁנִֽי: And it was evening and morning a second day. (Beresheis 1.8) Why was כִּי־ט֑וֹב omitted on the second day? Rashi says because the work wasn’t completed. לפי שלא נגמרה מלאכת המים עד יום שלישי, והרי התחיל בה בשני, ודבר שלא נגמר אינו במילואו ובטובו, Because it was not completed the work of water until the third day, for it started on the second day, and something not finished is not in its fullness and goodness. (Rashi ibid) Kli Yakar said the day was divided. וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹקים אֶת־הָֽרָקִיעַ֒ וַיַּבְדֵּ֗ל בֵּ֤ין הַמַּ֨יִם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מִתַּ֣חַת לָֽרָקִ֔יעַ וּבֵ֣ין הַמַּ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעַ֣ל לָֽרָקִ֑יעַ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן And Elokim made the expanse and it made a division between the water that was below the expanse and the water that was above the expanse, and it was so. (Kli Yakar Beresheis 1.7) Perhaps the day was called good when two items were created. Elokim told Adom לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ It’s not good to be alone. (Beresheis 2.18) On day one, two items were made. וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹקים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב And Elokim saw the light was good. (Beresheis 1.4) לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַח֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד וַיִּקְרָ֨א And Elokim called the light day, and the darkness He called night, and it was evening and it was morning, one day. (Beresheis 1.5) On the second day one item was made. Good was not said. וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֱלֹקים לָֽרָקִ֖יעַ שָׁמָ֑יִם וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם שֵׁנִֽי And Elokim called the expanse Heaven, and it was evening, and it was morning, a second day. (Beresheis 1.8) On the third day two pairs were made. וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹקים | לַיַּבָּשָׁה֙ אֶ֔רֶץ וּלְמִקְוֵ֥ה הַמַּ֖יִם קָרָ֣א יַמִּ֑ים וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹקים כִּי־טֽוֹב And Elokim called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas, and Elokim saw it was good. (Beresheis 1.10) וַתּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵ֣שֶׂב מַזְרִ֤יעַ זֶ֨רַע֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ וְעֵ֧ץ עֹֽשֶׂה־פְּרִ֛י אֲשֶׁ֥ר זַרְעוֹ־ב֖וֹ לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְ אֱלֹקים כִּי־טֽוֹב And the earth gave forth vegetation, seed yielding herbs according to its kind, and trees producing fruit, in which its seed is found, according to its kind, and Elokim saw it was good. (Beresheis 1.12) On the fourth day two items were made. וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹקים אֶת־שְׁנֵ֥י הַמְּאֹרֹ֖ת הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים אֶת־הַמָּא֤וֹר הַגָּדֹל֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַיּ֔וֹם וְאֶת־הַמָּא֤וֹר הַקָּטֹן֙ לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וְאֵ֖ת הַכּֽוֹכָבִֽים And Elokim made the two great lights: the great light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. (Beresheis 1.16) וְלִמְשֹׁל֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֣ין הַח֑שֶׁךְ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב And to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate between the light and between the darkness, and Elokim saw it was good. (Beresheis 1.18) On the fifth day two items were made. וַיִּבְרָ֣א אֱלֹקים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִ֖ם הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּ֣ה | הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת אֲשֶׁר֩ שָֽׁרְצ֨וּ הַמַּ֜יִם לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗ם וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־ע֤וֹף כָּנָף֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹקים כִּי־טֽוֹב And Elokim created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that crawls, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged fowl, according to its kind, and Elokim saw it was good. (Beresheis 1.21) On the sixth day two items were made. וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹקים אֶת־חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ לְמִינָ֗הּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹקים כִּי־טֽוֹב And Elokim made the beasts of the earth according to their kind and the cattle according to their kind, and all the creeping things of the ground according to their kind, and Elokim saw it was good. (Beresheis 1.25) (1.22) Different blessings. Three groups were created, birds, fish and the beast of the field. Why were each group given a different blessing? The fish were told to be fruitful and multiply. The birds were told to multiply. פְּר֣וּ וּרְב֗וּ וּמִלְא֤וּ אֶת־הַמַּ֨יִם֙ בַּיַּמִּ֔ים וְהָע֖וֹף יִ֥רֶב בָּאָֽרֶץ Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the fowl multiply upon the earth. (Beresheis 1.22) The fish are compared to the righteous while the birds are compared to the average person. (Kli Yakar Beresheis 1.25) The beasts of the earth were not blessed. וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹקים אֶת־חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ לְמִינָ֗הּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ And Elokim made the beasts of the earth according to their kind and the cattle according to their kind. (Beresheis 1.25) אלא מפני הנחש שעתיד לקללה, לכך לא ברכן, שלא יהא הוא בכלל Rather because the serpent was destined to be cursed, therefore He did not bless them, so he would not be included. (Rashi ibid) The beasts are compared to the wicked. (Kli Yakar Beresheis 1.25) (1.26) Creations named. Ibn Ezra said Elokim gave names to five items after they were completed. He excluded Adom. Why is Adom different from these items? Day and night. וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹקים | לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַח֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב And Elokim called the light, day and He called the darkness, night. (Beresheis 1.5) Heaven. וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֱלֹקים לָֽרָקִ֖יעַ שָׁמָ֑יִם And Elokim called the firmament, heaven. (Beresheis 1.8) Earth and seas. וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹקים | לַיַּבָּשָׁה֙ אֶ֔רֶץ וּלְמִקְוֵ֥ה הַמַּ֖יִם קָרָ֣א יַמִּ֑ים And Elokim called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters, seas. (Beresheis 1.10) He also named Adom. וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹקים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ And Elokim said let us make Adom in our image. (Beresheis 1.26) Adom was different from the other creations. He was named before he was created. Perhaps this was done because only man has the ability to change. The only time he is in a finished state is when he is no longer alive.