Bereishit 5780

Question: The creation story in chapter 1 uses a number of verbs to describe the creative process. What's the difference between them all? Specifically, we have ויעש and ויברא; the latter used only for creation of sea creatures and humans. Why?

Approach: The root ברא also appears in the first very first verse. It appears that this root connotes the concept of ex-nihilo, creation of something from nothing. The creation of living and breathing creatures is a significant "improvement" in the creative process, and is akin to something being created from nothing. Similarly, the human being, with the נשמת חיים (famously rendered as the ability to speak by תרגום אונקלוס) also represents a significant "jump" in the creative process.

Interestingly, the root ברא is used elsewhere in the תורה to refer to the creation of Earth or humankind, and two other places. Shmot 34:10 relates that wonders will be performed for the nation that have yet to be created. And of course, in Bamidmar 16:30, משה refers to the (hopeful) punishment of קרח ועדתו of the earth being opened up as a בריאה. It seems that both references would fit in the concept of a something-from-nothing experience (although see of course משנה אבות ה:ו)

Comments

  1. Unknown24.10.19

    Indeed, ברא occurs three times in פרק א' - once with regard to the heaven and the earth, then in regard to the תנינים, and finally with regard to אדם. Three qualitatively different creations. יפה מאד.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pinchas 5781

Question:  Why are מנשה counted before אפרים, in distinction to most of the rest of the time when the two are mentioned? Approach: It's possible to suggest that the reason is based on the relative sizes of the counts of the two tribes; משנה being larger than אפרים (the opposite to the count in במדבר). Alternatively, we can suggest that the wish to mention the בנות צלפחד - apart from being a preview of the upcoming subject - gave מנשה more importance.
Read more

Ki Tavo 5779

1. How does the לוי have cause to be happy with ביכורים? 2. When was the תורה meant to be written on the stones? 27:3 implies before moving them to הר גריזים והר עיבל, but 27:8 implies afterwards 3. In all other cases where the לויים are separated out from the rest of the nation, מנשה ואפרים replace יוסף. Why not with the ceremony on הר גריזים ועיבל? 4. Why are the punishments of bodily ailments split?
Read more

Re'eih 5783

Question:  Why are the laws of בכור not written together with the other קרבנות rules earlier in the פרשה? Approach: The rule of בכור being only allowed to be eaten in המקום אשר יבחר ה' is mentioned in the earlier section. This section comes to teach us the rule of the בכור בעל מום, and the special leniencies that apply, allowing the animal to still be eaten - and anywhere. It thus could be viewed as similar to the released slave, who no longer is limited to his master's domain (the rules mentioned just before).
Read more