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Chassidut on the Torah |
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The week of Parshas Bereishis, 5762 This Dvar Torah is dedicated to Avraham Zalman Gertner in honor of his Bar Mitzvah this week. Mazal Tov! Overview Parshas Bereishis (Genesis 1:1-6:8) opens with G-d's creation of the world in six days - plus Shabbos. G-d planted a garden in Eden, with the Tree of Life in the middle, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. G-d told man that he may eat from every tree except for the Tree of Knowledge. The serpent persuaded Eve to eat from the tree, and she gave some of its fruit to Adam. G-d punished the snake, that it must crawl on its stomach, and eat dust. To woman He increased the pain of pregnancy and childbirth, and that her husband would dominate her. To man He cursed the ground, so that he would have to toil for his food. G-d then clothed them, and banished them from Eden. Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel, and subsequently Eve gave birth to Seth. The Parsha then lists the ten generations from Adam to Noah. When Noah was 500 years old, he fathered Shem, Cham and Yapheth. G-d then decided that man shall live only to 120. G-d saw that the world was evil, and decided to obliterate it, except Noah. Insights It is important to look at the entire first portion of the Torah, understanding that many of the people whose lives are mentioned however concisely, had unique relationships with G-d. I always remind myself of this when I read in Rashi that not only were Adam and Chava created on the 6th day of creation, but Cain and Abel were also born then, before anyone ate from any forbidden trees. Moreover, the portion B'reishis spans a period of over 1000 years. Even though we are given some details, it is obvious that we are getting only the events that are most crucial to the future of mankind. But if it is so concise, why do many verses at the parsha's end seem superfluous in listing people's names and ages. It must be that even these words have inner meanings for our benefit. The following is how the Lubavitcher Rebbe demonstrates the great significance in two sets of these Torah verses. We find towards the end of the portion that there are two individuals called Chanoch. The first was the son of Cain. The Torah tells us that after he was born, his father built a city and named it after him (4/17). The second is a descendant of Shais (Seth), who was born 400 years later. The Torah says about him (5/24), "Chanoch walked with G-d, and he was no more, because G-d had taken him." Here we are, the first portion of G-d's Will and Wisdom to His people and the world. Why do we need this information? This question becomes more interesting because we find that both Chanochs' behavior went against the grain of their forefathers. Chanoch's father Cain killed his brother Hevel, weakening the fabric of the world. Yet he built a city in his son's name, strengthening and developing the world. On the other hand, it is the second Chanoch who because of his righteousness decided to 'walk with G-d', separating himself from the settlement. It was for this reason that G-d took him before his time. Building a city and naming it after his son was, for Cain, the completion of repentance. This is the Torah reminding us at the very beginning of our new year that complete repentance is not just admission and regret but also required is an action that reverses the negative consequences of the sin. Not only did Cain bring a child into the world to replace the soul he took, he built a city also to fill the gap he created. Cain is showing all of mankind the way for all generations. This is a hint in the child's name, Chanoch, meaning dedication or education, that he wanted to share his rectification with the world. The story about the second Chanoch gives us the opposite teaching. Even if it will help them in attaining their own spiritual perfection, an individual is not allowed to disconnect from the world. A person is created to change the world for the better, not to sit in some ivory tower. We see the result, that the Almighty took him. It is easy to conclude that the best thing to do is to severely limit our involvement with the world and then we can be holy. The Torah is teaching that this is not the way. The portion brings both Chanochs to teach us balance between two extremes. On one hand, we must be attached to G-d and aloof from the world, placing our spiritual needs as our main motivation. On the other, we are required to build the world and settle it without hindering its development. The life of a Jew has to have both directions intertwined, not leaning to only one extreme. It is this combination between elevating ourselves spiritually and at the same time digging in for the sake of the world, that we learn from these two individuals called Chanoch, and that the Torah is teaching all generations to come. Shabbat Shalom, Shaul |
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Ascent of Safed
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