"In Memory of Rosa Parks, who taught us the courage requisite for new beginnings"

 

 

AND THE LORD SAID:

LET THERE BE LIGHT - AND THERE WAS LIGHT

"And the Lord saw that the light was good, and the Lord divided between the light and the dark"

 

Bereishit - For The Sake of Reishit [Beginning], For the Sake of Torah, For the Sake of Israel, For the Sake of Light, for the Sake of Peace

Bereishit Barah - "In the beginning the Lord created" - This text calls out: Explain me! As our Sages of Blessed Memory expounded: "For the sake of Torah which is called "Reishit darko" - "The beginning of His way", and for the sake of Israel which is called "The first fruits of His harvest".

Should you desire to understand its plain meaning, explain the text thus: In the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth, and the earth was unformed and void and dark, and God said "Let there be light". Scripture did not intend to teach the order of creation, to tell what preceded what. Had it intended to do so, it should have written "First He created the heavens etc." for there is no 'reishit' in the Bible which is not tied to the word following, such as (Jeremiah 26:1) "In the beginning of the kingdom of Yehoyakim", (Bereishit 10:10) "In the beginning of his rule", (Devarim 18:4) "The first fruits of your grain"; so here too, "Bereishit bara Elohim" means "In the beginning of His creating"

(Rashi, Bereishit 1:1)

 

 

Said Rabbi Yochanan: "And God separated the light from the darkness" - actual separation.

This may be compared to a king who had two generals - one ruled during the day and the other at night. They argued with each other, this one saying: I reign during the day, and the other saying: I reign during the day.

The king called for the first and said to him: Your domain will be the day. He called for the other and said: The night will be your domain. Thus "And God called the light day - day will be your domain, "And the darkness He called night" - night will be your domain.

Said Rabbi Yochanan, this is what The Holy One, Blessed Be He, said to Job: "Have you ever commanded the day to break, assigned the dawn its place?" - He assigned him his place.

Said Rabbi Tanchuma: I gave a reason - "Makes light and creates darkness, makes peace..." - Since He created them, He makes peace between them.

(Yalkut Shimoni Job 247 924)

 

 

 

THINGS WHICH PRECEDED THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

Binyamin Salant

 

From time to time the media describe the discovery of findings dating back thousands - even millions - of years. At first blush it would seem that these findings pose a problem for people who believe in Rabbinical tradition regarding the creation of the universe, but deep study of texts reveals that things are not as they seem

The age of the universe should not be cause for contradictions or difficulties between the scientific version and that offered by the Sages. A random collection of news items presents the following picture:

"We do not bring fossils or the skeleton of a snake, the age of which has been estimated to be three and a half million years, because the haredim believe that the world is only a few thousand years old. Why spoil the creation narrative for them, and enter into argument with them? Thus spoke the organizer of an exhibition of reptiles, Tsachi Avraham, who brought, together with his partner, the exhibition to a hall in the ultra-Orthodox Meah Shearim neighborhood. (Interview in Mussaf Haaretz, 12/10/90).

"Hatsofeh is a national religious newspaper; it will never publish an opinion which contradicts its ideology such as research indicating that the world exists 50 million years." Thus said the previous editor of "Hatsofeh", Moshe Ishon, in an interview to "Amudim", Tishrei 5761.

I know of teachers in Government Religious Schools who admit that when they visit the archaeological section of the Israel Museum, or a "pre-historical" site, such as the caves of prehistoric man, they are often perplexed, feeling themselves inadequate to cope with the subject. This also happens when hearing about similar discoveries, e.g., when, after two successive years of draught, the waters receded, revealing an ancient settlement and a skeleton about 19,000 old. Occasionally we hear about additional cases which are publicized in all the media, and it seems to us that the reaction of religious teachers and educators is feeble; the entire subject cries out: Explain me!!

It seems that Jewish sages of all periods coped with many questions, among them the question of "eternity of the universe", in a most courageous and daring manner.

 

ETERNITY OF THE UNIVERSE

Opinions on "the eternity of the universe" ["kadmut"]or on the world's being produced in time [chidush] are to be found among the ancient Greeks in the 4^th and 5^th centuries BCE, in the period of Plato and Aristotle. These two philosophers held differing views on the creation of the universe.

Aristotle's philosophy speaks of the eternity of the world, i.e., the world has existed forever. This view posits involvement of a god, but not in the determination of universal order which has existed forever. Even though large portions of Aristotle's teachings were accepted by great Jewish and Islamic scholars, in this particular case his view was rejected by many - primarily by Maimonides, who is considered to have adopted Aristotle's teachings on many subjects.

The view of Plato (Aristotle's mentor), however, was more easily acceptable to Jewish sages. True, he believed that the world was created from preexisting matter, but he clearly stresses the will of the god as one who created the world of his own free will (Ralbag's position on this further on, in his unique formulation).

Aristotle and Plato were preceded by the Greek philosopher Empedocles, author of the theory of elements, who assumed that the world was created from four elements - earth, water, fire and air - a theory which was accepted for thousands of years. Because the philosophers recognized the existence of a god, the attitude of the Jewish sages towards them and their teaching was very tolerant. Sometimes they challenged them, and sometimes they learned from them, even taking ideas which seemed to deviate from the accepted norm and transmitting them from vessel to vessel in literary-Midrashic style.

 

THE ACCOUNT OF CREATION

Even Chazal found "The Account of Creation" to be one of the most difficult and impenetrable subjects. In Midrash Shemot Rabba (15:22) it is written: "Moshe wrote many inscrutable things in the Torah, came David and explained them." This means to tell us that in many of his psalms' praises, the poet expresses wonder at the creation and at the events of creation, while expanding the range of creation events and expounding upon them. So other books of the Bible - Proverbs, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc., chose this method in order to describe the events of creation in novel formulation which sheds new light on the subject.

 

"THINGS WHICH PREDATED THE CREATION OF THE WORLD"

Many midrashim mention excerpts regarding "Things which predated the creation of the world", as well as excerpts on the antiquity of some of the four elements not mentioned in the creation narrative - such as fire - or those which are mentioned but which are unaccompanied by explicit orders of creation - such as wind and water. For example, in the above-mentioned midrash (Shemot Rabba) we read a text written in Mishnaic style: "Three creations predated the world… water, wind and fire." A different source (Bereishit Rabba 1-4) reads: "Six things predated the creation of the world... the Torah and the Throne of Glory were created. From where do we know the antiquity of Torah? For it is written (Proverbs 8;22) "The Lord created me at the beginning of His course as the first of His works of old, in the distant past I was fashioned."

These are but a few of the examples which deal with the subject of the primordial and the elements. The quote from Proverbs is most interesting but it deals with wisdom as preceding creation, as can be seen from the following:

"The Lord created me at the beginning of His course as the first of His works of old, in the distant past I was fashioned, at the beginning, at the origin of the earth. There was still no deep when I was brought forth, no springs rich in water; Before the foundations of the mountains were sunk, before the hills I was born. He had not yet made earth and fields, Or the worlds first clumps of clay. I was there when He set the heavens into place, when He fixed the horizon upon the deep; when He made the heavens above firm and the mountains of the deep gushed forth; when He assigned the sea its limits, so that its waters never transgress His command; when He fixed the foundations of the earth, I was with Him as a confidant, a source of delight every day" (Proverbs 8:22).

"Still no deep", "no springs" are understood by most commentators as meaning prior to the creation of the world. This excerpt uses most - if not all - possible words and combinations (note emphasized words above) in order to stress the idea of "precedence" of wisdom, and many sages interpret 'wisdom' to mean Torah. Indeed, it is not for naught that this chapter from Proverbs is quoted in tens of midrashim which deal with the subject of Genesis, the creation of the world, and things which preceded the creation of the world.

Rashi, interpreting "Bereishit ", says explicitly: "Before the creation of the world." A similar idea is found in Plato (a few centuries after the composition of the Book of Proverbs) who deals with the "world of ideas" and with the god who studies them and creates the universe.

Midrashim from a later period explain in similar fashion the creation of the Torah as preceding the creation of the world: "And when The Holy One, Blessed Be He, created His world, He consulted the Torah and created the world" (Tanchuma). And in Bereishit Rabba: "So The Holy One, Blessed Be He, looked into the Torah and created the world." These midrashim stress that the world is not some spontaneous, accidental creation; it is the result of intention and planning.

 

"Ancient Chronology"

The following midrash, ostensibly quite innocent, similar to the above midrashim, succeeded in arousing Maimonides's anger:

"It was evening and it was morning etc.," - Said Rab Yehuda bar Simon: It does not say 'Let there be evening' - but 'it was evening'. From this we derive that there was an order of time prior to this. Said Rab Abahu, From this we derive that The Holy One, Blessed Be He, created worlds and destroyed them until He created these". (Bereishit Rabba 3 - 7, ed. Buber).

Yehuda bar Simon learns from the conjunctive vav ["and"] of "And it was evening" a connection to an earlier past, that is to say, a vav of inversion which transforms from future tense to past. In his view, this is proof of an earlier order of time. Therefore, the words of Rab Abahu (a contemporary of Rabbi Simon's father), about worlds which existed earlier and were destroyed, fit in very nicely, because we learn from them, too, about a long period of time which preceded the creation.

The whole subject of "Creation of the Universe" engrossed Rabbi Yehuda Halevi (1140-1170) and Maimonides (1135-1204). Both relate to the views of Plato and Aristotle and also to the midrash of Rabbi bar Simon. Both emphasize that acceptance of opinions differing from their own, does not constitute a contradiction of faith! Thus writes the Kuzari:

But the question of the eternity of the world or its creation, is a difficult one, difficult to solve, and the proofs offered in support of both positions are balanced - and the scale is tipped to the side of creation because of the tradition passed on from Adam, from Noah, and from Moshe, a"h, the testimony of prophecy which is more dependable than logical deduction. With all this, if a believer sees in the Torah logical necessity supporting primordial matter, this, together with the idea that our world was preceded by many worlds, would not constitute a fault in our faith that that our current world was renewed only before a specific time and the first human beings were Adam and Noah". (First Essay 67)

In this short statement, Rabbi Yehuda Halevi is referring to Aristotle, who believed that the world always existed, i.e., "the eternity of the universe" and to Plato, who believed in primordial matter, i.e. primary matter which preceded creation, as per the words of Rav Abahu in the above midrash, who held that our world was preceded by many worlds.

Maimonides rejects Aristotle's theory about the eternity of the universe out of hand, yet he relates to his words in "The Guide for the Perplexed" (Book II, Chap. 27):

"I have already made it clear to you that the belief in the creation of the world is necessary for the foundation of the entire Law. However, the belief in its passing-away after its having coming into being and having been generated is not, in our opinion, in any respect a foundation of the Law, but none of our beliefs would be repudiated by the belief in its permanent duration. Perhaps you will say: Has it not been demonstrated that everything that comes into being passes away? If, then, the world is generated it will pass away. Know then that this need not apply to us. For we do not assert that it has been generated according to the rule applying to the generation of the natural things that follow a natural order".

Maimonides relates similarly to the words of Plato in an earlier chapter. But despite all this, Maimonides speaks out against the words of Rabbi Yehuda Bar Simon and Rabbi Abahu. In strong language (Book II, Chap. 30) he writes: "It was their notion that time existed prior to the existence of this sun... That, however, is the belief in the eternity a parte ante of the world, and all who adhere to the Law should reject it..." Further on, Maimonides stresses once again the principle of creatio ex nihilo.

 

"THERE IS PRIMORDIAL MATTER, AND GOD CREATED IT"

The sources and midrashim which we have quoted are but a tiny portion of the wealth of sources to be found in the literature of the Talmud and other Jewish sources (see, for example, the Bavli and the Yerushalmi, Tractate Chagiga, Chap. 2)

As we have already said, many sages devoted considerable thought to the subject of creation and to what preceded it - from the days of the Mishna (and even earlier), through the Middle Ages, down to our times.

The Middle Ages witnessed a great cultural flowering among the sages of Israel and Islam. Important compositions in the realm of thought and philosophical speculation were written. We read quotes from the "Kuzari", who devotes a considerable part of his book to the subject of creation, and from Maimonides who deals at length with creation in his "Guide". Saadya Gaon (882-942) penned an entire essay on the subject of creation in his book "Beliefs and Opinions". Even though he accepts Plato's approach to "the eternity of the world", he adds and emphasizes the principle of creation ex nihilo. Ralbag, Rabbi Levi ben Gershon (1288-1344), devoted an entire book to the subject. Volume Six of his magnum opus "The Wars of the Lord", deals exclusively with this subject. In addition to his being an important philosopher and thinker, Ralbag was also an astronomer of note, who enjoyed recognition by - and appreciation of - his great contemporary. He embraces Aristotle's principle of "eternity of the universe", saying, in his unique formulation, "There does exist primordial matter, and God created it."

"He said that at the beginning of creation, when the Lord created heaven and earth and all that that is beneath them, and created the most primitive of first beginnings which are the first and unformed matter and it is basic form which first matter received in its locations, that is to say, that the earth was as a center beneath the cover of water (From Ralbag's commentary on the Torah, Book of Bereishit).

 

NATURAL ORDER AND RATING

In our times, many thinkers and Bible commentators have dealt with the subject of creation. One of them is Isidore (Yechezkiel) Epstein (1894-1962), an Orthodox rabbi who headed the rabbinical seminary Jews' College in London. He wrote important books on Judaism, among them "Judaism", which was translated into Hebrew and published by Mossad Harav Kook in 5721.

A number of important chapters are devoted to the Creator, creation and evolution. After a sum-up of the views of many thinkers, Epstein succeeds in constructing a bridge between the scientific version, which assumes the existence of a world millions of years old, and the Biblical version.

It seems proper and suitable to conclude this article with a few quotes from his book:

"In the Bible, the entire process is described in dramatic fashion, as though it had occurred quickly, within six days, whereas science believes that it evolved during millions of years of constant work, struggle, and development. In both versions, the element of time and the order of events are limited. Also, the term "day" need not be understood literally...

Similarly, what we must understand about the term "day" is that The Holy One, Blessed Be He, for whom a thousand years or actually millions of years are but a yesterday, created all things in such periods, which may be easily comprehended by man as six days." "... It is worthwhile noting that this is not only a modern theory, devised in order to reconcile the Bible's Bereishit narrative with science. Considerations such as these certainly never entered the mind of the author of the ancient legend who understood the meaning of the words "one day" as follows: One day is a thousand years which are one day of The Holy One, Blessed Be He, as is written "For a thousand years are in Your eyes, etc." A more exact explanation in this context was offered by Rabbi Levi ben Gershon (Ralbag), who knew nothing of geology and paleontology, yet refused to understand the days of Bereishit literally or as representing specific periods of time.

Creation, for God, is beyond time, and the six days teach the natural order and rating if existing things, progressing from the cause and the effect, and from the lower to the higher" (Rabbi Dr. Yechezkiel Epstein, "Judaism" pp. 101-102 in Mossad Harav Kook edition).

 

(Binyamin Salant is a member of Kibbutz Saad)

 

 

 

 

"FOR IN HIS IMAGE DID GOD MAKE MAN" - A CHOICE WHICH IS A CHALLENGE

Rabbi Akiva expounded: Whoever sheds blood is considered to have diminished His image. Why? "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in His image did God make man." (Bereishit Rabba parasha 34, 14)

The 'Divine Image' is the freedom to choose, unforced by nature, guided only by free will and intelligence... Only this do we know, that the freedom of choice is made possible only by a contraction of the divinity; The Holy One, blessed be He, permits his creations to do as they choose. He freed their actions from the [His] decree and from [His] decisions regarding their doings. Therefore He said to Himself: "Let us create man in our image". The meaning of this is that the Torah spoke in the vernacular, saying, let us leave place for man's choices, that he not be coerced in his actions or compelled in his thoughts; let him be free to choose whether to do good or bad as his heart desires, and he will be free to act even against his own nature and against that which is straight in the eyes of God.

 (Meshech Chochma, Bereishit 1:26)

 

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