Beraishis Ch. 2 – RSRH for All

Beraishis 2A ויכלו- Creation is Complete

The word ויכלו connotes coming to a planned end. The world came to be as it is because God planned it so. The world did not continue to evolve because God had planned the world to develop precisely in the manner and degree that it did and not beyond that. Each aspect of the universe was brought to its position to serve its purpose. Like soldiers (צבא) at the ready, each serves its unique role in God’s grand scheme. No individual part is insignificant.

The fact that the universe halted its development at this point is testimony to a Creator who designed it to arrive at this point. This is the meaning of the name of God ש-די.

שאמר לעולמו די – God told His world “Enough!”

Beraishis, 2:1, Pages 40-43

Beraishis 2B Shabbos – שבת בראשית

The word מלאכה is the feminine form of the word מלאך. Melacha is the tangible result of using and forming material for a specific purpose. With the universe’s formation complete, it receives the title of God’s מלאכה.

The word שבת means more than rest. It is a halt in activity because the activity has come to its desired end and purpose. With all of creation in place and free willed-Man given the world with the conditions that God had set forth, all new creation halted because there was nothing more to add.

Shabbos Beraishis itself was the last thing put in place for the education of Mankind. It was blessed, endowing it with the ability to continuously foster an awareness of God in the world. It was made holy, given a unique place, to endure forever.

God blessed this day and made it holy because this is a day for Man’s education. It is a time for Man to dwell on God the Creator and the purpose of all of Man and creation. All of creation was designed to lead up to this Shabbos education. This education of Man will gradually, in the course of human history, win over Mankind to become the messenger of God in this world he was intended to become – making use of and uplifting all the universe in service to God.

Beraishis 2:2-3, Pages 43-47

Beraishis 2C The Name of God י-ה-ו-ה and the Name(s) ה’ אלקים

י-ה-ו-ה

The Name of God י-ה-ו-ה is often translated as Eternal. (While this is of course absolutely true,) this understanding of God’s Name teaches us nothing about our relationship with God and our lives. We must seek a meaning of the Name of God which provides a message for our lives.

Our rabbis teach that this name (also) describes God’s מדת הרחמים attribute of mercy. Grammatically, this word, derived from its root היה “exist” means the One Who grants existence and is always prepared to grant new existence to meet the needs of Man’s education. Even if Man’s past actions may warrant his end, this attribute grants Man a new chance.

אלקים

Our rabbis also teach that the Name אלקים describes God’s attribute of Justice – מדת הדין. The Name אלקים indicates that God put all the rules of nature in place. There is a specific set order which should not be tampered with. Every created being must comply and fulfill its role.

The world without Man operates with the attribute of מדת הדין – Justice alone. But with the creation of Man, who often fails at his mission due to his free will, there is the constant adjustment to the set rules of natural development.

Because Avraham exerted himself to see God in nature, אלקים, God responded to him by teaching him about His name י-ה-ו-ה, the God who has brought about all of nature for the opportunity to educate Man to come closer to God. As י-ה-ו-ה, God will move history along the path to its higher purpose, the education of Man, even if it requires the suspension of the rules of nature.

The world only came to fully witness and understand this relationship with God at the time the Jewish nation was formed in Egypt. Then, the Jewish nation had no ability to fend for itself physically and survive and despite that God interceded and redeemed it. (This was clearly the divine hand operating against the rules of nature.) Jewish history begins with this lesson. All of Jewish history is one big lesson of God’s involvement in the world and His constant education of Man, which is the meaning behind the name י-ה-ו-ה.

The Name י-ה-ו-ה describes God as the God who is involved in the moral development of Man; the God of History, the God of Man’s Education. Man’s response to this should be submission to God in His expectations of our morality. This is why we pronounce the name as we do, whose meaning is “my Master”.

ה’ אלקים

The combined Name ה’ אלקים indicates both concepts in one expression; The God who has set rules in the universe and operates silently in the background, maintaining the constancy of nature. At the same time, God is constantly interceding, regulating and adjusting these rules as He sees fit, for the needs of the education of Man. (At times these changes are blatant and dramatic, but often these are very subtle, [appearing as part of nature such as weather conditions], catered to the needs of individuals.) ה’ אלקים is the God of Divine Providence.

Beraishis 2:4, Pages 47-51

Beraishis 2D The World’s Dependance on the Creation of Man

Vegetation was created on the third day but did not grow because God had not made it rain. Rain is granted to Man from God as ה’ אלקים (see Concepts, Names of God). God’s development of the earth is directly linked to Man’s moral growth.

This is why this verse states that ה’ אלקים had not brought rain. The fact that rain exists is a law of nature. There is rain because of God operating as אלקים. When, where and how it rains, is governed by God as ‘ה as part of His moral education of Man. There are many aspects of the running of the world that God handed over to His angels. The “key of rain” however, God kept for Himself to be directly involved in the development of the world based on Man’s moral standing.

The verse tells us that there was no rain because Man was not there to work the soil (to service the earth). Although Man is master over the earth, by his using the earth correctly as אדם, as directed by God, he is doing a service to the earth. The earth is purely physical. Man is a free willed, moral being. Man’s use of the earth correctly, furthers its higher purpose, now becoming a participant in a free willed service to God.

Beraishis 2:5, Pages 51-53

Beraishis 2E Differences Between Man and Animals

1. The Torah uses the same expression, נפש חיה, to describe the life force of both Man and animals. However at the creation of animals the physical earth produced the life force as is stated תוצא הארץ נפש חיה. Contrast this to the creation of Man where the life force of Man comes directly from God as is stated in this verse וַיִּיצֶר ה’ אלקים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה

With animals the life force itself is physical by nature. With Man, the body is physical but the life force as well as the soul is spiritual. When a person’s body dies he continues to live because his life force is drawn after his spirit.

2. Just as Man/אדם is to master the earth for the use of service to God, so is Man to master his body, derived from the earth for the service of God.

3. Man’s body is also different to animals’. By the creation of animals, they were formed as a natural extension of the physical earth – תוצא הארץ נפש חיה. By the creation of Man, the earth was the matter from which Man was formed but God Himself formed Man – וַיִּיצֶר ה’ אלקים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה. This underscores the special dignity and high stature of even the human body.

Beraishis 2:7, Pages 54-55

Beraishis 2F וייצר- ב יצירות – The Dual Nature of Man

The word the Torah uses to say that God formed Man is וייצר, the letter “yud” appearing twice. As the word יצר can mean inclination or formation, our sages teach us that this verse contains a number of related lessons.

– Man is both mortal and immortal
– Man is both earthly and heavenly
– Man has a good inclination and a bad inclination

When this word is pronounced only one “yud” is heard. Man always appears to have both sides of him but one side is always the more dominant. Which one is up to him. The most holy person is still a person. In the background is his body and his inclinations. He had to fight to be as holy as he is. And even a person who seems to be at the lowest rung of his humanity still contains a spark of holiness within him.

Both inclinations and aspects of Man were created from the very beginning. The God who created Man’s inclination toward the spirit, created Man’s earthly inclinations. There is nothing unholy or wrong with either of Man’s inclinations as long as they are put to use according to God’s instructions. Man was not created to be a מלאך. Man is not pure white. That is God’s realm. That is the realm of angels. Man was created to be אדם. Man is put on earth. whose spiritual side is broken up by his encounter with the physical. Man is “red”. (See this very fundamental concept that RSRH refers to often.)

In this world, the world of the senses and with his sensuous nature, Man is to live his life and uplift it all in the service of God. The Christian concept that the sensuous nature of Man comes from Satan is a twisted concept that has been the curse of Man throughout history. (I believe RSRH is saying that by rejecting the body as a part of the service to God, Christianity has missed the main intention of Man’s mission; to uplift his body and this world. By striving to relegate the body as something evil, the body remains unholy or worse. The world does not become transformed and elevated, the opposite occurs. This misguided concept allows for moments of religious ecstasy and yet the whole of life is left out of the religious experience. This invites the most decadent elements of human nature to develop. GS)

Beraishis 2:7, Pages 56-57

Beraishis 2G Garden of Eden – Paradise on Earth

גן means guarded place. A place enclosed for the needs of humans. עדן means pleasure, usually meaning fulfilling all one’s material needs.

The Garden of Eden is a real location of earth. (It’s exact location is described in verses 10-14.) It was a designated place, prepared to provide Man with all of his material needs met in response to his work.

Man was created outside The Garden of Eden and was placed into the garden. The garden is prepared for him, awaiting his arrival, ready to meet his every need. But there is no guarantee that he will remain in this garden. The condition for remaining in the garden is to live by God’s laws, making use of the garden as God sees fit.

Man’s is destined to live in the Garden of Eden – life on earth where all of his needs are met. The world around him will flourish and his efforts will succeed when he lives by God’s rules. This is the ultimate destiny for all of mankind. Man grows towards that end in the course of history.

Later in history, the Land of Israel was to be another Garden of Eden on a smaller scale, given to the Jewish people, on condition that they live by God’s laws. In response, the land and all their lives would flourish. This would serve as an example for all of mankind of what they should strive for.

Beraishis 2:8, Page 57

Beraishis 2H Beauty and Harmony in Nature, Aesthetics

The Garden of Eden was designed as an arena for Man’s education. First, the Torah tells us about the beautiful trees that filled the Garden of Eden and only after that, tells of its food. The Torah is showing us the value of the aesthetic and appreciation for beauty.

It seems that Man is the only creature who has the ability to enjoy beauty and the order in nature.

Beauty, joy in harmony, can sensitize Man and serve as a stepping stone to find joy in the harmony of living a moral life. Man left to his own devices can grow to be wild. The animal side of Man can pull him to become brutal. Harmony and aesthetics can offset this.

Beraishis 2:9, Pages 57-58

Beraishis 2I The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil – עץ הדעת טוב ורע

To Man’s senses and understanding, the עץ הדעת appeared beautiful, nourishing and the most correct tree to partake of. Despite that, God told Man not to partake of it.

This is the meaning behind the tree’s name: By man’s choice it will become clear what Man considers good and evil. Does he make his determination based on his own senses and understanding or based on the will of God?

The tree stood to remind Man of that which must remain front and center in his mind. Man’s doesn’t understand why he can’t partake of this tree. Everything inside him tells him that he should partake of it, and yet God’s will is that he not partake.

For Man to fulfill his mission on earth and be worthy for the world to be a Paradise for him, he must learn to put God’s will, whenever it is revealed, before his own.

Beraishis 2:9, Pages 58-59

Beraishis 2J Working and Guarding the Garden

Man is to work the land even in Gan Eden. The difference between the Gan Eden experience and a non-Gan Eden experience is only that in Gan Eden the earth flourishes in response to Man’s work. (RSRH seems to be alluding to the opinion of the Rambam that after Mashiach comes and we will live in a Paradise, the only thing that will change from the current way the world operates is the Jewish people will no longer be oppressed by the nations of the world. According to the Rambam we will not be living a supernatural existence and will continue to work.

Along these lines RSRH considers that the work and the guarding might be referring to the state of happiness (Eden) by Man dong his job according to God’s dictates. The sages understand the work and guarding to be a reference to observing Torah and Mitvos, which is a similar idea.

Beraishis 2:15, Pages 60-61

Beraishis 2K The Challenges of the Test in גן עדן

The commandment to not eat from the tree had a number of difficulties associated with it:

1) It was a negative commandment which often meets with impulses wanting to resist it.
2) It was a commandment in the area of forbidden foods, a particularly difficult area where the יצר הרע tempts a person to sin.
3) It was a commandment that was a חוק. Common sense see no reason for thibehavior.
4) It was a commandment based on oral tradition. God told Adam, but Adam told Eve about it. There is room for doubt when it is rooted in an oral tradition.

As explained earlier in verse 9, the challenge of this test was see if Man would choose God’s will to determine what is good and evil, or his own senses and thought process.

To this day, each of us stands before God, as did Adam, before this very same tree of knowledge. Will we listen to God’s instructions or our own? Will we be drawn after our physical sense, or cast doubt on our obligations if their source is an oral tradition?

Beraishis 2:16-17, Pages 61-62

Beraishis 2L The Seven Noahide Laws Taught to אדם

Our sages (Sanhedrin 56b) teach us that this verse has all seven Noahide Laws contained within it.

וַיְצַו – דינין
Just as a commandment means assigning someone to his post, so too society must live by their duties and not step beyond their bounds. For this purpose they must set up courts to establish and uphold these boundaries.

ה’ – ברכת השם
This name of God emphasizes the relationship God has with mankind. It is self understood that blasphemy is a breach in this relationship.

אלקים – ע”ז
This name of God emphasizes God being the sole Creator and unifying force of all the forces of the universe. This implies serving no other perceived God alongside the sole God.

עַל-הָאָדָם – שפיחת דמים
If even with one’s own body one must use it it only in the manner God permits, all the more is there no right over another man’s body.

לֵאמֹר – גילוי עריות
The word לאמר is a reference to handing the law down via oral tradition. Our sages teach us that God chose the Jewish people to pass on His Torah to the next generation because that had the quality of sexual moral purity, as is repeated often about the Jewish people למשפחתם לבית אבותם. Therefore this verse, telling Adam to be a part of the oral tradition of God’s law (and all of mankind is to be that) must be sexually moral.

מִכֹּל עֵץ-הַגָּן – ולק מן הגזל
Man may only eat from within the area of the garden, the area designated for his use. Theft is forbidden.

אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל – ולא אבר מם החי
We may only eat that which can be אכילה – absorbed into the human body without negatively influencing it. אבר מם החי is forbidden because the body would not just absorb the flesh of the animal but even the life force of the animal. Eating a limb of an animal when the animal is still alive is forbidden.

Beraishis 2:16, Pages 62-64

Beraishis 2M The Creation of Woman as עזר כנגדו, Marriage

Until Woman was created the “good” that was to be proclaimed about the world was not complete. The perfection of the world could never come about without Woman.
Our sages taught us that a without a wife a man cannot become a Man. Husband and wife in marriage can become אדם. See Commentary on נעשה אדם.

Man’s task is too great to accomplish alone. To accomplish this Woman was created for Man. The wording of the Torah expressing Woman’s role is עזר כנגדו, a helper beside him. Nowhere in this role is the notion of sexuality brought up. A woman is not to be the object of Man’s lust. Woman stands parallel to Man, standing beside him, with complete equality and independence, sharing mankind’s mission.

RSRH explains the inner meaning of the word עזר to mean one who helps in a way that relieves the person from some of his tasks, allowing him to focus on the remaining tasks more completely. (See his commentary here for a full explanation.)

God created a woman as opposed to creating another man, because the intention was to create a different kind of person, who would not duplicate the tasks of man, but rather have a different position than man. Mand and Woman compliment one another. Woman does not stand with Man but next to him. Each stands at a different point along the same line.

Beraishis 2:18, Pages 64-66

Beraishis 2N Man Names all the Animals – Scientific Inquiry

God Who created Man and things, led all the animals to stand before him so that Man would see what to call them for himself.

Man does not view things objectively. He sees them subjectively, from his own perspective as a נפש חיה. Man gave things names based on the impression they give on him. Based on our understanding, we give assign things their place in the world. The word שם which means “name” is the same word for “there”.

The fact that God gives Man the task of naming things tells Man that while he may not grasp the complete truth of what he is observing, he has the right to trust himself enough to presume that he has grasped some of the truth. He can rely on his understanding of the world, limited as it may be, to put it to use to accomplish his mission on earth.

It follows from this that belief in God who created Man and things, is what gives us confidence to engage in scientific study.

(Science is not at odds with Religion. Religion is the basis of Science. GS)

Beraishis 2:19, Pages 66-67

Beraishis 2O Woman formed from Man’s Side

1. Man’s body was formed out of the earth but Woman’s body was formed out of Man’s body which was already a feeling, sensitive being. Our sages teach us that this is the source of a woman’s female character, temperament, voice and her developing both spiritually and mentally earlier than men.

2. At the creation of Woman, Man declares that after searching unsuccessfully all created beings, he could not find anyone who could stand beside him and join him in his mission as אדם until the creation of Woman. No other being on earth has free will. Woman stands alongside Man to become a complete אדם. The name אשה does not imply Woman’s dependance on Man but rather Woman’s equality with Man.

Beraishis 2:22-23, Pages 68-69

Beraishis 2P Marriage – ודבק באשתו

All animals, birds, fish etc. are divided into sexes but there is a very big difference between all of them and humans. They were all created at the same time, male and female. Each was created independent of one another. Each can carry out its mission in life without the other one. The only need in their uniting is to breed. However, humans were created one as part of the other. The woman is עזר כנגדו. Their lives are unfulfilled without one another.

A man is to work hand in hand with his wife to fulfill their joint mission. He cannot do this alone. The expression ודבק באשתו , he shall cleave to his wife, is only stated by humans.

This unity takes place when both invest their minds, emotions and spirit to to be subordinate to and directed by a Higher Will. Together they form אדם.

Beraishis 2:24, Pages 69-70

Beraishis 2Q They Were Naked and Were Not Ashamed

1. At that time they were both of one mind, dedicating body and soul completely to fulfilling God’s will. There was nothing to feel ashamed about.

Shame is a feeling of being disappointed in ones expectations of one’s self and Adam and Eve had no reason to feel any dissapointment. Nothing about their physical, sensual side was in opposition to their calling. It was part of their calling. The pure human body, directed by heeding God’s laws, is no less holy than the soul!

When a person makes use of his senses to serve himself rather than God, then there is shame in nakedness.

2. The Torah stresses that both Man and Woman were naked and not ashamed. Both were directing their complete selves toward godliness.

In some societies there is an expectation that girls are holy and chaste but the same is not expected of the boys and men. The Torah opposes this thought. Men and women are equally expected to uplift themselves in body and spirit. Men are given the mitzvah of ברית מילה as a warning to be holy in this area of life. See more on this in the Comment Man in the Image of God – Holiness of the Body.

Beraishis 2:25, Pages 70-72