Mefarshim on Breishit Flashcards
רש”י בראשית פרק א פסוק א
Why did the Torah start with Breishit? To show the power of Hashem. Also, when other nations say we’re robbers, we can say, Hashem made the world and he can choose who to give it to.
רמב”ן א:א בראשית ברא אלוקים
Clearly there is an obvious reason the Torah started with Breishit; it’s שורש האמונה, its the basis of our faith. We don’t know what was before Breishit, it’s a big secret and the people who know, have to hide it. Rav Yitzchak gives a reason that the other stories of Breishit are included (mabool, gan eden). It’s to show how Hashem runs the world. שכר ועונש, reward and punishment
Difference of approach to Breishit from Rashi and Ramban
Rashi thinks Breishit is a book about G-d, and about G-ds power (he focuses on perek 1-2). Rashi says we automatically get the land.
Ramban thinks Breishit is a book about reward and punishment focuses on 1-11. Ramban says we have to earn the land, we don’t automatically get it
Nicknames for Bereishit (רמב”ן הקדמה לספר שמות, Ramban 1:1)
The nickname Ramban says for Breishit is ספר היצירה
נצי”ב (העמק דבר), פתיחה לספר בראשית
Bilam called the Avot “ישרים”,
We want to understand why Bilam calls the Avot, Yesharim and therefore why is the book called the Book of ישרים?
This was the praise of the Avot, they weren’t just Tzadikim for Judaism and for Torah, they were good people in general, treated everyone with kindness; like Avraham davens for s’dom, yitzchak went out of his way to reconcile with Avimelech, and Yaakov never spoke to Lavan unkindly. From this we learn that the world runs bc of ישרים. the book is unique in that way.
R’ Lord Jonathan Sacks,
He explains that what Rashi was really asking is what is the genre of the book? R. Sacks explains that Breishit is a guide book. It doesn’t only have narratives but also laws and all together is how we should live our lives.
בחירה ודחייה (R’ Menachem Leibtag)
The theme of B
Rav Soloveitchik, Chumash Mesorat HaRav
Rabbi Abahu says before Brieshit the world was formless matter. Hashem then built it into something but destoryed and recreated a few times. What we can learn from this is that bc we’re in the image of G-d, we should also try and if needed, destroy and rebuild.
R’ Tzvi Grumet, “Genesis”
legacy, Hashem’s legacy passed through Adam, Noach, etc
רש”י בראשית א:א (role of pesukum 1-2)
Rashi says that there is nothing being created in these verses, basically an intro
רמב’‘ן (first two pesukim)
Ramban says that matter is being created in these two pesukim which is what Hashem creates everything out of.
אבן עזרא פירוש שני בראשית א’:ב’
eiben ezra says the world was submerged in water and then seperated on 2nd and 3d day.
שד”ל בראשית א’:ד’
The reason the Torah uses human attributes to describe Hashem is so that humans can comprehend/
understand
→ רשב”ם שמות ב’:ב’
Tov Me’od is because of the completion of everything and animals, is not for humans though because the creation wasn’t complete.
רש”י בראשית א’:ז’ (טוב)
Rashi says there was no “tov” on the second day bc Hashem wasn’t done separating waters but on 3d day there was two bc he finished the day itself (land and plants) and bc he finished separating the waters (w/ the land)
