VOLUME 103 NUMBER 1
Tishrei 26, 5783
October 21, 2022
PARSHAS BEREISHIS
Candlelighting Time 5:53 PM
We immensely enjoyed the entire Yom Tov of Succos, Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. We completed the entire Torah on Simchas Torah and we began anew the cycle as we read from sefer Bereishis as soon as we finished the last parsha in Devorim. Certainly, it is important to start again immediately to demonstrate that we never really finish. However, there is a deeper meaning to the continuous and never-ending cycle of reading from the Torah. It is all connected, even the end to the beginning!
The last letter in the Torah is ‘lamed’ and the first letter is ‘bais.’ The intrinsic Name of Hashem contains three basic letters, ‘yud,’ ‘hei’ and ‘vov.’ Kli Yakar provides us with an astonishing observation. Those three letters of Hashem’s Name each combine with the last and beginning letters of the Torah to form words. And those groupings only work with those letters specifically. Without going into the detail of the groupings, basically all the combinations spell out in various words that Hashem ‘owns’ the world and controls its happenings. Furthermore, since those two letters are the concluding and opening letters of the Torah, alluding to the fact that Hashem is sovereign and dominates all, this further promotes the understanding that Hashem ‘closes’ and ‘open ups’ the world and its functioning. Although this appears to be interesting but not fundamental, let’s review what Rashi comments at the beginning of the Torah in sefer Bereishis.
Rashi questions why the Torah starts with the narrative of Genesis, the creation of the world? Logically, it would seem that the Torah should have begun with the first mitzvah that we received which was to establish and consecrate the beginning of each month. He cites from the Sages that the nations of the world will come and complain that we have robbed them. We stole their land and we have occupied their living space. Doesn’t this complaint sound familiar? Rhetorically, the response is that Hashem controls the world and takes away from one nation and gives to the other. In this instance, Hashem ‘decided’ to remove certain nations and bequeath us their land. We merited to capture the Land of Israel from the occupying nations and claim the land for ourselves. However, this was not done without justice, Hashem led us out of Egypt and mandated that we should seize and control that land. And it is not without reason, the Land of Israel is the palace of Hashem and we were invited to join Him and rejoice in our relationship with Hashem in this special place. Indeed, our Sages expound upon this since the first word of the Torah ‘Bereishis’ alludes to us, His special and unique nation.
Now we can understand the connection between the end and beginning of the Torah and its special significance. It is a lesson in our faith in Hashem and the realization that everything that takes places is preordained and orchestrated to fit into the universal plan that will eventually launch the final stage of the world, the coming of Moshiach which will herald the completion of Hashem’s master plan!
BYTE FOR SHABBOS
We praise Hashem who has created the world. However, why is that so exemplary since Hashem is of infinite power? Hashem is the ultimate source of spirituality in the universe, yet He has created a universe which is the epitome of the physical, indicative of Hashem’s graciousness to bestow His benevolence upon others. S’FAS EMES
GOOD SHABBOS
