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From: Ephraim Frank To: Shevet Achim Subject: Parashat B'resheet
Shalom Dear Friend,
This Shabbat starts the first weekly reading - "Parasha", or "Sidra" in Hebrew - of the Jewish year. In the Jewish community a fixed and consecutive section of the Torah (five books of Moses) is read each Shabbat (Sabbath), which means that the entire Jewish world reads the same section each week. Along with the Torah portion, there is also a parallel reading from the other books of the Tanach (Old Testament)*, called "Haftara". Unlike the reading in the Torah, the Haftarot (plural for Haftara) are taken from various places and are not consecutive. However, in our weekly studies we shall restrict ourselves to the Parashot (plural of Parasha) only.
In the Jewish community it is customary to read the last Parasha (Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12) and the first (Genesis 1:1-6:8) together. But, we shall begin at the beginning, that is, with Parashat B'resheet. Last week some of you did receive that last Parasha of the cycle (which was read last Shabbat), but that was not done intentionally, but rather because of an oversight. Sorry.
One more point. Every Hebrew word has a root, which in most cases is made up of three consonants. We shall be making many references to these roots. The roots happen to be, more often than not, verbs, as indeed in Hebrew many a noun originates in a verb.
*Tanach is acronym for "Torah" (Five Books of Moses), "Nevi'eem" ("Prophets"
excluding Daniel, and including Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st
and 2nd Kings), and "K'tuvim" (the"Writings", including all the rest of the
books of the Old Testament and Daniel).
Hebrew Insights into the Weekly Parasha: B'resheet - Genesis 1:1 - 6:8
The Hebrew language is characterized by remarkable conciseness, which allows
information to be conveyed in very succinct forms. Along with that, it is
also a very picturesque language, and often content and form (in the Tanach,
especially) are congruous. Thus, this first Parasha, being as it is, a
narrative of the origins, is replete with information, eternal patterns and
principles, yet all are communicated very briefly, with matching
terminology. In fact, the latter deserves individual attention. Although
this time we will not be able to cover the full gamut of terms included in
Parashat ("Parasha of") B'resheet, in the weeks to come several of the
others will 'pop up' in other Parashot, and it is then that we will try to
do them justice.
B'resheet is both the name of the first Parasha, and the name of the book of Genesis. "B'resheet bara Elohim..." At the first -b'resheet - created - bara - Elohim - God. The meaning of r'sheet is "first, beginning, start and prominence" and it stems from the root r.o.sh (the letters are resh, alef, shin), being the word for "head". (Notice the river in 2:10 that comes out of Eden and divides into four streams. The latter are also called here "heads"). The usage of this phraseology, therefore, establishes a foundation that the prime, first and foremost cause is Elohim and it is He who is the initiator of everything. Of Messiah Yeshua it is written in Colossians 1:16,17: "For by Him all things were created, in the heavens and on earth... He is also the head of the Body... and He is the beginning... so that He might come to have first place in everything" (italics added). This above passage indeed exhausts "r'sheet" to its fullest. Interestingly, the very first 3 letters which constitute the Bible's opening word, "b're(sheet)" are also the same as the ones that make up the next word, "bara", which is "created" (the letters being bet, resh, alef). Thus, "created" appears twice in a row in the very beginning of the Holy Writ, as if to lend extra emphasis to the fact that Elohim is truly the Creator. Note that the verb "bara", to "create", refers exclusively to the Creator, and never to man. The adjective for "healthy" or "fat" - "bari" (such as in Gen. 41:2; Jud. 3:17) also stems from the same root.
The act of creation involved processes of separation. YHVH* separated light from darkness (Gen. 1:4); water from water (vs. 6,7). He created the lights in the heaven to separate the night from the day, and the seasons one from the other (vs. 15,18). He also distinguished between the different types of flora and fauna, between man and woman, and finally between the weekdays and the Shabbat. The verb used for separating is "havdel" (of the root b.d.l, bet, dalet, lamed), to "divide or separate."
But when He separated the water from the land, Elohim said: "Let the water
under the heavens be gathered - yikavu - to one place" (1:9). A "mikveh",
is therefore a place of the gathering of water and stems from the root,
k.v.h.(kof, vav, hey), which is also the word for ""hope". Each time we read
in English "wait for the Lord," the verb in Hebrew is "kaveh." Thus, our
hope is found while we are being gathered unto Him who is our Mikveh: "Oh
Lord, the hope ("mikveh", here, rather than the standard "tikva") of
Israel... " is the cry of the prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) in 17:13.
According to Romans 6:3-5, we have been immersed into Him, which makes Him
the mikveh (traditional Jewish place of immersion), "for in hope we have
been saved" (Rom. 8:24 italics added). Our hope, then, lies in the fact that
we are in Him, and He is in us, and therefore we now walk in new life (see
Rom. 4:3; 4, John 17:23) as a new creation. Thus the "mikveh"stands for a
place of being gathered to, and for 'immersion in hope', seen both in the
act of creation and in the act of the spiritual re-birth.
The creation having been a progressive process, each day's accomplishment was in preparation for the one that was to follow. And whereas before we touched on the 'separation' aspect of creation, here we see its integrative aspect. Separation and integration, though seemingly mutually exclusive, actually work hand in hand and are typical of the Hebraic mind and character, and nowhere is this better exemplified than in the first and second chapters of the Bible.
Although each day's creative work was different from the next, the days were divided one from the other in an identical manner, by an evening and a morning. Perhaps this was in order to set the pattern for the days that were to come, which, unlike the days of creation, were to be identical one to the other. The day began in the evening - erev - and it is interesting to note that among its plethora of meanings, "erev" also means a "pledge" or a "guarantee." Thus, the promise of the day to come is found in the twilight of its predecessor. "Boker", "morning", is another word rich in diverse meanings, one of which is to "inquire, frequent or visit", connoting concern and care (see Ezk. 34:12). Once again, there is an assurance for things hoped for from the One who is in charge of Time and who operates within it, as is apparent from 2:2. Elohim is seen there "resting"( after having completed His work), while the word in Hebrew is "sha'va't", of the root y.sh.v., meaning to "sit". It is this terminology which also forms the word "Shabbat".
As for the pinnacle of creation, man and woman, they were created "in the image and likeness" of the Creator (v. 26). "Image" is "tzelem" - from the root "tzel" which is a "shadow". At best a human being may reflect the Almighty in the same way a two dimensional shadow 'represents' a three-dimensional object. "Likeness" is "d'moot", which contains the word "dam" - "blood" (from which are derived words such as "adama" for "earth", "adom" for "red" and "adam", of course, for "man"). Here we see a clear connection to the Messiah, who incarnated in a flesh and blood body as the "Second Adam". Man and woman were created different and at different times, yet "in the image (tzelem) of God created He him, male and female created He them" (v. 28). Once again we see differentiation and oneness together. He - man - was created both male and female, and likewise the male and the female together reflect the "tzelem" of the one Elohim. In 2:24 we read that they were to become "one flesh", and yet that could only take place after woman was taken out (separated) from man's own body (ref. 2:21,21).
One more point concerning this union: In chapter 2, verses 18 and 20, the
woman as the "help suitable" (as translated in most versions) for man, is
actually described as a help "contrary" or "opposite" to him - "ezer
ke'negdo" ("neged" being "in front of" or "opposite to"). Originally,
Chava* (Eve) was to be a counterpart of Adam, not an inferior being in
subjection to him. Rather, the two were to contrast and complement one
another as two opposite forces do, attracting and polarizing at the same
time thus creating life-giving energy.
An instance of a Divine paradox, so common in the Tanach, is to be found in
the last verse of chapter 2 and the first verse of chapter 3: "And they were
both naked ("aroomim"/plural), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
And the serpent was the most crafty arum/singular) of all the animals..."
Nakedness in the one verse indicates innocence, whereas nakedness ("arum" -
the Hebrew word for "crafty") in the other stands in opposition to anything
that is pure and innocent. Could this be hinting at the absolute necessity
for covering - atonement - no matter what state one is in? In the meantime,
the coverings that Adam and Chava made for themselves, from the leaves of
the fig tree, speak of their attitude, as the word for "fig" - t'ena - is
closely related (at least in sound) to "to'ana" which is a "pretext" or
"looking for reasons." In Judges 14:4 Shimshon (Samson) is seen looking for
such a pretext or "an occasion against the Philistines."
In the last episode depicting our protagonists, we see them being sent
("expelled" in Hebrew) out of the Garden, but not without a hint of a hope.
East of Eden, Elohim placed the Cherubim and the two-edged ("revolving")
sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life (ref. 3:24). This image conjures
up another - one in which Cherubim were also placed above a "sword", that is
the sword of the Word (see Eph. 6:17; Heb. 3:12), in the form of the tablets
written by Moshe (Moses). These tablets were placed in the ark, above which
two Cherubim were instated. In other words, is there a picture of a future
Holy of Holies - where atonement was going to be made - being hidden in
the somber scene of the expulsion? Once the Holy of Holies (through the
ultimate atonement) became accessible to all, so did the way to the Tree of
Life, through Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Finally, let us follow the genealogy of the forefathers as listed in chapter 5. The names form the following: Man (Adam) is appointed (Shet) mortal (Enosh) sorrow (Keinan). One who blesses God (M'halal'el) will come down (Yared), teaching (Chanoch) that His death will send (Metushelach), the hidden king (Lemech, whose name contains the three letters for king, but not in the right order), and rest (No'ach).
(Regretfully the name of the person, who came up with this understanding of the names is unknown and therefore cannot be given credit here.)
Hebrew Insights into Parashat Noach (Noah): Genesis 6:9 - 11:32
In this Parasha, as is the case in many others, we find certain key words (words stemming from the same three letter root) which are repeated within a given passage, or strewn throughout the text. In the first section, there are two words that are repeated several times over. Later on we also find a few derivatives of Noach's name scattered in a couple of places.
In Parashat B'resheet 5:29 Noach's name was explained: "Now he called his name Noach, saying, this one will comfort us... " The root for the verb "to comfort", in this instance, is n.ch.m (nun, chet, mem). Noach's name, however, does not contain the consonant "m" (the letter "mem" in Hebrew). And whereas in his dark and evil generation he is a comfort to Elohim, his name actually means "rest" (n.u.ch, noon, vav, chet). At the end of Parashat B'resheet, in 6:6, there is another reference to the root n.ch.m. We read there: "And YHVH repented [or "regretted", that is "was sorry"] that He had made man on the earth". "Repented" is there "(va)yinachem". How is "comfort" then related to "regret"? The root n.ch.m's primary meaning is to be "sorry", which shows that only deep empathy with another's sorrow can be a source of genuine comfort at a time of sorrow.
At the end of this Parasha an explanation is given for the name Ba'vel (Babel). According to 11:7,9 "Ba'vel" was so named because "there Elohim confused the language" of the builders of the tower. However, the verb "confuse" used in verses 7 and 9, which is "balal", although similar in sound is not identical to "Bavel", which actually means (in the Sumerian and Akkadian languages) "gate of God". These are two examples (the names Noach and Bavel) of how the Tanach (O.T.) employs puns, which despite similarity in sound are not necessarily connected etymologically (for another such case, refer Joshua 5:9).
Now, back to "rest". Ironically, Noach lives in a time of great unrest among the world's populous, a fact that also leads to major natural disruptions. Yet, in the midst of it all, calm can be found in the 'eye of the storm' represented by the one who was found righteous at that time, and by the place of refuge that he is constructing. In 8:4 we find the Ark "resting upon the mountains of Ararat" (italics added). Following the raven, a dove is sent out "to see if the water had abated... and finds no resting place for the sole of her foot.... " (8:8,9 italics added). Rest is depicted and even highlighted here against the backdrop of a great tumult.
Last week we dealt with the root of "erev" ("evening"), meaning a
"pledge", but also "mixture" (being but two among its many other
meanings), and here we find the word "raven" ("orev"), which happens
to share the same root. The connection between "raven" and "evening"
is found in the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) 5:11, where the
beloved's dark curls are compared to the dark raven, and thus this
black fowl borrows its name from the evening's fading light.
At the beginning of our Parasha we are told about the corruption that all mankind is engaged in (6:11), the word being "tisha'chet", of the root sh.ch.t (shin, chet, tav), which primarily means to "destroy or destruction". In verses 12, 13 and 17, derivatives of this root appear four times, both as "corruption" and also as the verb for the "destruction" which YHVH is about to mete to the earth and its inhabitants. Inherent in the verb "sha'chot", therefore, is corruption's self-destructiveness. The other noun, which is repeated in these selfsame verses, is "chamas" (ch.m.s., chet, mem, samech), which is translated "violence"; "...And the earth was filled with violence" (6:11, ref. also v. 13). "Chamas" is always connected to sinful acts of violence and injustice. This verb (which is also a noun) rhymes with another - "chamad". The latter means to "delight", but can also mean to "desire or covet" (as was the case with the fruit of the tree in Gen. 3:6, which seemed "desirable - nechmad - to make one wise"). Quite often similar sounding words, like "chamas" and "chamad", are also connected in meaning. Thus, the violent actions of "chamas" are motivated by covetousness, or unbridled desire. (Is it a lingual coincidence, then, that Chamas is also the name of the notorious terror organization in the Middle East, bearing in mind the similarities between Arabic and Hebrew?)
Planted right in the midst of these descriptions of corruption,
violence and pending destruction, is the only (potential) solution:
the Ark. Interestingly, it is in the process of the Ark building that
our attention is first called to the act of propitiation and
atonement: "kippur." "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood... and...
cover it inside and out with pitch (6:14 italics added). The verb and
noun for the action (of "covering") and the material ("pitch") are of
the root, k.f.r (kaf, pey/fey resh*) - which makes up "kippur". Thus
this Ark is to become a shelter, offering a covering for the sins of
the age, as it were. The rabbis believe that anyone, among those who
had watched it being built over a great number of years, could have
also found refuge in it. Instead, the spectators choose to scoff and
ridicule its builder. In all other cases, the verb and the noun
stemming from the root k.f.r are used directly in connection with
'atonement' (e.g. Daniel 9:24) or the 'payment of a price, or ransom'
(e.g. Num. 35:31).
The importance of covering is brought out one more time in this Parasha, in the story of Noach's three sons' reaction to their father's drunken stupor. Cham (Ham), the son who looks upon his father's nakedness, is condemned by a curse of slavery which is pronounced upon his son, Cna'an (Canaan) (9:20-26), whose name stems from the root "subdued" (k.n.a, kaf, noon, ayin).
"And it happened in the six hundred and first year, at the beginning, on the first of the month, that the waters were dried up from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked. And, behold, the face of the earth was dried!" (8:13). "Dried" in both instances in the above verse is "cha'rvu". In 7:22 we read, "all that was in the dry land, died." Once again, "dry land" is "charava". Both the verb, as well as the noun, are of the root ch.r.v (chet, resh, vet) which is also the root for "waste, desolate, attack, sword, plunder, wage war, fight" and more. It is interesting that "dryness", denoting lack of water and rain (and hence drought), is commensurate with terms associated with lifelessness and destruction.
When emerging out of the ark, Noach and his family are given the same 'marching orders' as was Adam, their 'proto-type' predecessor. They are to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (9:1). The injunction to be fruitful is "pru". In the 10th generation, one of Noach's descendants, Avram (Abram) will be informed, this time by the bestowal of a blessing, that he will become "fruitful" (Gen. 17:6), while four generations his great-grandson is named, in faith, "multiple fruitfulness" - that is, Ephraim.
Among the many names found in our Parasha, there are 3 in particular that call for our attention. All three persons are second cousins: the first is Yefet's (Jepheth) grandson, the son of Yavan (Javan) - Dodanim (or Rodanim, as he is called in 1 Ch. 1:7); the second is Cham's (Ham) grandson, the son of Cush - Nimrod; and the third is Shem's grandson by his son Arpachshad, who is named Ever (Eber).
Yavan is the Hebrew word for Greece. Down the road of history Greece
becomes a major power of great influence over the entire world in a
number of areas, one of which is government. Yavan's son's names,
Dodanim and Rodanim mean, respectively, "cousins and rulers" ("rdu",
connected to Rodanim, is the verb YHVH used when He told Adam and
Chava to subdue the earth in Gen. 1:28). His cousin, Cham's grandson,
Nimrod, is the one who builds Bavel; a place, which will become
synonymous with the 'world hierarchal systems', especially as
pertaining to religious matters. Nimrod means, "we will rebel", and
rebel he does by setting up his own kingdom, a direct counterfeit of
God's Kingdom (10:10).
The third cousin, Shem's grandson Ever, is of the firstborn lineage.
It is he who gives his name to the entire race - the Hebrews
("Ivrim"), who are to represent God's Kingdom on earth. The name Ever
is derived from the verb to "pass or cross over", a fact that this
race will be seen demonstrating throughout biblical history, beginning
with Avram. We will observe the Hebrews passing over from one place,
or condition, to another, whether in a physical sense or otherwise,
thus qualifying them to bear the name of Ever.
The generation of the "cousins" (is it a coincidence that one of them is actually named "Dodanim" - "cousins"?) was a unique one, having left its imprint upon humanity to this very day.
At the very end of the Parasha we are introduced to the "exalted
father", Av'ram, whose goings forth, preceded by the command "lech
lecha" ("go!"), will be reported next, in a Parasha by the same name.
* The p and f sounds are designated by the same letter and may be pronounced as "p" in one form of the word, and as an "f" in another. The same is also true about the "b" and "v" sounds.
Ephraim Frank,
Elon Moreh, Israel
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