Remaining spiritually upwardly mobile
This week's parasha.
One could write a book as commentary to Bereishit.
No, I’m not talking about the book of Genesis nor even the parasha of Bereishit. I’m speaking about the word “Bereishit” itself!
Our rabbis in fact declare that there are as many explanations of the word “Bereishit” as its numerical value – 913!
Allow me to share with you just one analysis. The word “Bereishit” is made up of six Hebrew letters. Each letter previews God’s agenda on that corresponding day of Creation. Thus one can see the whole chapter unfold within the letters of that first word.
The first letter “bet” stands for the initial “b’ria” itself – the creation of heaven and earth in the beginning and the formation of light on day one.
The second letter “reish” stands for “raki’a”, firmament or division between earth and heaven that takes place on the second day.
The third letter “aleph” stands for “eretz”, land, which was firmed up on the third day by the waters being gathered in one place and the dry earth appearing.
The fourth letter “shin” stands for “shemesh”, sun, which, together with its accompanying heavenly bodies was the product of the fourth day.
The fifth letter “yud” stands for “yishretzu ha-mayim”, God’s first spoken word on the fifth day: “Let the waters swarm (with aquatic creatures and birds that fly above the earth” – Bereishit 1:20).
The sixth letter “taph” stands for “totsei ha-aretz, “let the earth bring forth” (living creatures – Bereishit 1:24), God’s first spoken words on day six.
Then comes a space (prior to the next word). That symbolises the cessation of the Divine creative process by means of “dibur – word”, and the consequent bequeathing to man of the gift of Shabbat where we have the sacred space to refresh.
And we have not even begun to plumb the depth of meaning inherent in just that one word “bereishit”, 912 explanations (at least) still remain to explore.
How then can we hope to fathom the infinite profundity of wisdom inherent in God’s Torah? Yet that must not deter us from getting to first base!
For the last three thousand years, the same Torah we have today has been read by Jews everywhere. The same Torah portion is read in the same week, year in year out, in (normatively) an annual cycle. And every year, new meanings are elicited, new insights gleaned from the same sacred words. In this way the cycle of Torah readings resembles not so much a circle as an upward spiral – its readers and adherents growing in knowledge and wisdom year by year.
Traditionally, Jews read individually the Torah portion each week together with a commentary. Even for those with limited ability, resources or time, the one-volume ArtScroll Chumash provides an unrivalled opportunity for every English-speaking Jew to connect meaningfully with the world’s best-seller on a weekly or even daily basis and guarantee to remain upwardly (spiritually) mobile.
No time better than Bereishit (the book, the parasha or the word!) to begin!
Rabbi Chaim Ingram is the author of four books of parasha thoughts accessible by emailing judaim@bigpond.net.au
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