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Parsha Page
Torah, Genesis 1:1 -
2:3
1:1
When God began to create heaven and earth - the earth being unformed and void,
with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the
water – God said “Let there be light”; and there was light.
So we begin another Torah cycle by returning to Genesis.
But in our minds we hear the echoes of Deuteronomy and the last reading in the
Torah from last week. And there in Deuteronomy 32:10-11 we read that God - or
the Ruach, His Spirit - hovered over His people as they were in the wilderness
that was void and unformed. This Spirit of God is the Ruach, which can be
translated Spirit, wind or breath.
We will see it in each form.
In Chapter 1, without fanfare or hype, we read the entire
creation of the world, first the light and darkness; followed by the firmament
and waters; the gathering of the firmament into dry land and the vegetation; the
lights in the sky; the animals in the waters, and sky; and finally the animals
of the land. There is a symmetry to this creation story. In days 1, 2 and 3,
Adonai created the environments, or the physical places, for all things to live.
Then on days 4, 5 and 6 He created the creatures, and finally man, to live in
those environments.
Day six begins in verse 24 "God said "Let the earth bring
forth each kind of living creature-…".
But when it is time for man to be created, HaShem pauses and says in verse 26
says "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…". Where does that likeness come from? We will see in Chapter 2, verse 7, which reads, “Then Lord
God, formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath
of life, and man became a living being.” This breath is the Ruach. It is the same Ruach that in Ezekiel 37
finally brings life into the dry bones that had been covered with muscle, sinew
and skin, but lacked life. It is the same Ruach that in Exodus 14 divides the
water so the people can pass through as they escape from Egypt.
Chapter 2 begins with God blessing and sanctifying the Shabbat. With this day,
He rested, and set a pattern, which we are to follow. The people of Isra’el will
hear more about this Shabbos in Exodus 16. These phrases also give the concept
of the number 7 as being complete, or perfect.
We could also make a word study out of different translations of the original
Hebrew. Most people think of the time before creation as “nothingness”. However,
Rashi, the 11th century rabbi, contended that this was not so, there
was a malevolent chaos, which contains all of the ingredients necessary to form
the earth. Rashi prompted the translation “When God began to create…”
considering the phrase to be a temporal clause. We could say, then, that God
thus subdues this chaos, which in ancient Mid Eastern culture was high praise
indeed. Whatever our translation, and however we consider this phrase, the
complete majesty and power of the Lord our God is prevalent, and He is to be
praised.
Qeriath, Isaiah
65:17-25
Yeshiyahu has prophesied the return of he faithful remnant of Isra’el. Now
Adonai promises that He will create a new heaven and earth. He will choose to
forget the sins the people committed prior to the new creation. Instead, He says
to rejoice in what he is creating, for Yerushalayim will be a joy, and her
inhabitants shall have no wailing or weeping.
People will have long lives, and will enjoy the fruits of their labors. Adonai
will listen to their prayers, and nothing vile or evil will be done there.
Da'ath, Acts 17:24-31
Rav Shaul is addressing the gathering at Mars Hill in Athens, using their altar
devoted to “the unknown god” as an occasion to teach them about the Lord our
God. He begins by declaring that Adonai created the heavens and earth and
everything that dwells in them. He created all men as one blood, to seek the
Lord, and to live in Him for we are His offspring. God should not be considered
as gold, silver or stone as in idols. In the past, when men were ignorant of
this command, Adonai did not judge the world, but now that He has appointed a
day of judgment by Yeshua, people will no longer be held blameless for idolatry. |
Shalom