God’s name appears here as the composite “Elohim”, of the root “el”, meaning “strong, mighty, powerful”. Elohim is in the plural form, a fact which lends the word much greater dimensions. But in addition to that, Elohim includes “El”, which is another word for God, as well as “Eloha”, yet one more word, of the same root, for God.
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 and first cause is Elohim, who is the initiator of everything. It is written in Colossians 1:16,17 it is written of Messiah Yeshua: “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 add an 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, as do verbs such as, to “clear up” an area (e.g. Josh. 17:15), and “eat” (2nd Sam. 12:17); the latter two almost opposing each other. This plethora (and other connected verbs) points to the act of creation as being multi-facetted. In fact the primary meaning of “bara” is to “release the varying elements or materials so as to enable them to exist, materialize, express themselves, or grow.”
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.” One word about the light and darkness: The word for darkness is choshech (ch.sh.ch - chet, shin, kaf). The verb for deprive or withhold (as it appears in Genesis 39:9, for example) shares a very similar root - ch.s.ch (chet, sin, kaf). Thus the small vowel change, of the letter "shin" into a "sin," reveals that "darkness" is simply a condition in which light is being withheld and is therefore only a "default state."
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 YHVH, 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 separated one from the other in an identical manner, by an evening and a morning. This was possibly done 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 many 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 (e.g. Jer. 33:25, Lam. 3:22-23), 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 sh.b/v.t meaning to “"cease”, and is similar to the root y.sh.v., to "sit”. It is this root, which also forms the word “Shabbat”.
As for the pinnacle of creation, man and woman, they were created "in the image and likeness" of their 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 2:18, 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.
In the last verse (25) of chapter 2 we read: ”And they were both naked ("aroomim"/plural), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. In 3:7 a major change takes place, and so we read: “And the eyes of the two of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed for themselves girdles of fig leaves”. The man and his wife made for themselves covering 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 Shoftim (Judges) 14:4 Shimshon (Samson) is seen looking for such a pretext or “an occasion against the Philistines.”
In 3:21 we read: "And He clothed them, - va’yalbishem, a verb whose root is l.v.sh, which is the verb for to “dress” and also forms the word for “clothes, garment” – “l’vush” or “malbush”. In 2:25 we read that “the man and his wife were naked and not ashamed”, the verb for “being ashamed” (plural) being, “yit’boshashu” of the root b.o.sh. Thus, although of no etymological connection, because of the similarity of consonants some rabbinical interpretations connect “l’vush” – garment, to “bosh” - “shame” (remember the b and v sounds are interchangeable), as indeed the garment was to cover the shameful nakedness.
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 this a subtle picture, inserted into the somber scene of the expulsion, of a future Holy of Holies where atonement (covering) was to be made? 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 praises 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 had this is insight is unknown, and therefore cannot be given credit here.)
* YHVH is the Tetragrammaton, or the ineffable name of God, which is made up of fourconsonants, the pronunciation of which remains unknown despite different conjectures.
* B and V sound are denoted by the same letter - Bet
* The “ch” consonant sound is the same as the “ch” in the Scottish “Loch.”
1 comment:
Outstanding! Thanks for your contribution.
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