Parashat Bereishit

Saturday 6 October 2018               27th Tishrei 5779

Parashat Bereishit
B’reisheet 1:1 – 6:8; Isaiah 42:5 – 43:10; Rev 19:6-16; 21:1-7 (John 1)           Herschel

This week begins the new yearly cycle of the reading of the Torah. The Jewish year is divided into 54 Torah portions called a ‘parasha’ (singular) or parashiyot (plural). Each week, a new portion of about five chapters is read. On Shabbat, there is an additional reading from one of the prophetic (nevi’im) or the Ketuvim (writing) books of the Bible. This additional reading is called the Haftarah, which while sounds like half of the Torah, actually means "completion." The various Haftarah readings were chosen because the ancient scholars found in them something relevant to the weekly Torah readings. The passages selected as the Haftarah readings are the same each year. Along with these two readings, as followers of Messiah, there is also a reading from the new covenant chosen because of its connection to the weekly parasha. For example, John 1 is directly connected to Gen 1.

Now, as we commence with Genesis 1:1, we should realize that Torah is not a history book, but the charter of Man's mission in the process of the redemption of the world.

Thus, in his very first comment, Rashi cites Rav Yitzchak who says that since the Torah is primarily a book of laws, it should have begun with the commandment of the new moon (Exodus 12:2), the first law that was addressed to all of Jewry as a nation.

But, Torah commences with the narrative of creation and this establishes that God is the Sovereign of the universe: He declared to His people the power of His works in order to give them the heritage of the nations (Psalms 111:6). If the nations accuse Israel of banditry for seizing the lands of the seven nations of Canaan, Israel can respond, "The entire universe belongs to God. He created it and He granted it to whomever He deemed fit. It was His desire to give it to them and then it was His desire to take it from them and give it to us."
The first book of the Torah is called in Hebrew Bereshit, meaning "in the beginning." As always, it derives it name from chapter 1 and verse 1. “In the beginning, G-d created…’. In Hebrew; ‘bereishit barah Elohim..’. So, the parasha is called Bereishit and the entire book of Genesis shares the same name as the first parasha.

In English it is commonly called "Genesis," meaning "origins." A lot of fuss is made over this book because of its descriptions of the origins of life. But actually, only very few chapters are concerned about these very early origins.
The foundational premise of Torah is clearly and boldly stated in Gen 1:1; ‘in the beginning, G-d created’! The belief that God created the heavens and the earth and everything contained within, above and below the earth, is fundamental to everything else that we learn about HaShem in the Scriptures.

Similarly, we see that the foundational premise of the new covenant is clearly stated in Matthew 1: 1 – “A record of the genealogy of Yeshua HaMashiach the son of David, the son of Abraham”. You can debate and argue about this as much as you want. But, scripture clearly states that HaShem created the universe from previously not existent material. Furthermore, we know with absolute certainty that Yeshua is the Son of David, the son of Abraham. He is the promised Messiah!

The invisible, eternal and self-existent One brought all things into being with His uttered word.  This is the meaning of the word ‘barah’ used in Gen 1:1; ‘barah’ means to create something completely new that never previously existed. Only G-d can create in this manner!

There is also a Latin word for this: Creatio ex nihilo (Latin for "creation from nothing") refers to the view that the universe, the whole of space-time, is created by a free act of God out of nothing, and not either out of some pre-existing material or out of the divine substance itself.

Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachmanides) comments that the Torah relates the story of the six days of Creation ex nihilo (from nothing as is confirmed in the usage of barah for creation) to establish that God is the sole Creator and to refute the theories of those who claim that the universe is timeless or that it came into being through some massive coincidence or accident (the big bang was an accident of history).

Bereishit is far more concerned about the origins of God's promise to restore fellowship and intimacy with the Divine after our first parent’s failure in Eden, than in the legitimacy of the actual 6 days of creation! The Midrash Tanhuma explains that there is no evil that has no remedy, and the remedy for sin is repentance. The story of creation is the story of the Father sending Yeshua into the world to become our atonement and the avenue of our return and restoration to intimacy with HaShem.

And so, Scripture gives no specific details regarding the process of Creation. In a mere 6 chapters, the story of Creation tells of when the major categories of the universe came into existence only in very general terms, because its primary purpose is to state that nothing came into being except at God's command.

Heb 11:3
3  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Rashi explains that Torah’s narrative of creation is to establish that G-d is sovereign over all His works;
Ps 111:1-10
2 The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
3 His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him; he will ever be mindful of His covenant.
6 He has declared to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure.
8 They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent redemption to His people; he has commanded His covenant forever: holy and awesome is His name.

Verse 6 says that ‘He has declared to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations’. It is as if that this is the purpose behind creation. G-d created the world and the universe in order to choose a people for Himself through whom He would reveal Himself to the nations of the world!

One of the major themes in the Genesis account is that man sins, but if he makes t’shuvah, a way of return and restoration is possible. This is the big heart of G-d; this is His abundant grace! After the fall and the exclusion for paradise, HaShem patiently waited 10 generations from No’ach to Abraham to find a person of faith who would completely trust in Him and obey His instructions.

What we do know is that Adam and Eve, the forerunners of humanity, had the mission of bringing about the fulfillment of Creation by carrying out God's commandment. They were given every opportunity for they walked with the Father in the cool of the evening. However, they failed, and were consequently driven into exile.  However, man's mission did not change, only the conditions in which it would be carried out. God punished the transgressors, but did not discard them. They could repent; indeed, the concept of repentance was a prerequisite to Man's existence, because he could not have survived without it.

Adam and Eve repented. So did the subsequent sinners Cain and Lemech. This, too, is one of the major lessons of the story of Genesis: Man may sin, but he can make teshuva and God allows him the opportunity to do so.

But, ultimately, the story of Genesis is not about Abraham and not about Israel and not about man’s propensity to sin! It is about Yeshua who not only was present in creations, but was the vehicle of creation! In Ephesians, Sha’ul speaks about the mystery of creationEph 3:8-10

9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Yeshua, the Messiah;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the ecclesia to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

And so, the story of creation is about the Lord and it extends beyond Yeshua to the Name HaShem, for even Yeshua acknowledged that ultimately, it is all about G-d Himself.

The Midrash Tanhuma says that Torah is full of holy fire; it was written with a black fire upon a white fire (like black letters on a blank white page). The Torah has meekness as its footgear, and the fear of God as its crown. Hence Moses was the proper person through whose hands it should be delivered; he was meek, and with the fear of the Lord he was crowned. Moses only delivered the account of creation but the doer – the One who ordered – is Yeshua, our Messiah!

Ezekiel 36 teaches that the end is about the restoration of the sanctity of the Father ineffable name which man has defiled throughout the ages. This was the goal of creation and is the goal of recreation!