The First Word
The very first letter of the Torah translates as “because.” The most powerful word, arguably, is “because.” Because it says that there is a cause and that Creation is purposeful and that we are not accidents of birth.
Grammatically Incorrect
Bereishis, the first word of the Torah, is also the name of the first Parsha-weekly Torah portion of the first book of the Five Books of Moses. The standard translation for this word, “In the beginning,” raises a question.
It is reasonable to assume that the Torah would have chosen as its first word one that would convey a spiritual and enduring message. What is so significant and inspirational about the statement, “In the beginning (Bereishis) G-d created the heaven and the earth?”
More specifically: Of what import is the knowledge that the first things G-d created were the heaven and the earth? What spiritual and uplifting message is conveyed by the knowledge of the chronology of creation?
Rashi, the greatest and most important of all Biblical commentators, suggests an entirely different translation of Bereishis. It does not mean “In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth,” Rashi asserts, but “Because of the ‘beginning’ G-d created the heaven and the earth.” Rashi further clarifies the meaning of “beginning” as a reference to Torah and Israel (the Jewish people), which are referred to in Biblical literature as beginnings.
This rather novel translation/interpretation sheds light on the significance of the word “Bereishis,” and the Torah’s decision to commence with this word. According to Rashi, the first letter and syllable of the Torah, the letter beis, means “because,” and not “in” as it is generally translated.
The Torah is arguably the only book ever written that begins with the word “because!” By beginning the Torah in such an unusual way (Thank G-d, Moses did not ask an English teacher to do the editing of the Torah.) the Torah thereby conveys a two-fold message.
Purpose, Truth and Happiness
First, everything in creation has a purpose. The world was created “because of…,” implying that ours is not a haphazard universe. It is not an arbitrary creation, or a product of random mutations. There is a purpose in and a meaning to life. Without this realization, existence has no meaning. And, obviously, absent the notion of meaningful existence, there is no rational basis for Judaism.
We can now appreciate why the Torah begins with this word. It teaches us that the very first thing we must know is that there is meaning to everything.
Not only is it important for us to have this realization because it is true, but without the sense that the world has a cause and a purpose, life becomes meaningless and depressing. And to rid ourselves of depression, we self-indulge to the point where we are prone to do things that are self-destructive in the end.
Believing that the world has a purpose is both true and good for us spiritually and physically.
Psychologists have grappled with determining what the most fundamental motivating force is in the human psyche. Viktor Frankel, a noted psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, concluded from his experience in the death camps that what makes us tick is the need to find meaning in life. In his opinion, that quest for meaning was the only thing the tormented souls in the death camps had left. And it was this desire to find meaning that enabled many to survive the horrors of the Holocaust.
The Torah makes that case at the very outset. The word “because,” and the concept it contains, is at the beginning of the Torah, as well as at the core of our being.
Perhaps the dual benefit of knowing that life is purposeful and good for us is alluded to in the opening words of Genesis:
Ba’al HaTurim (one of the great Sages of the fifteenth century) writes that the last letters of the three opening words of Genesis form the word “emes” which means truth.
The second word of the Torah—the one that follows Bereishis—is bara, which is related to the word berius, which means health. This alludes to the fact that having a sense of purpose and meaning in life simultaneously brings one closer to the truth [even as one enjoys] and to a more healthful way of living.
Torah and Israel
But this realization must be followed by an equally important awareness about the purpose in creation. What is the meaning of our lives? How do we find it? The answers are found in the second part of the word Bereishis:
The purpose, as Rashi states, is Torah and Israel. All of our lives must revolve around the realization that our vast universe exists so that the light of Torah would illuminate its every nook and cranny. This goal, in turn, can be accomplished by the Jewish people who were charged at Mount Sinai with the responsibility to bring the light of Torah to the entire universe.
No Conflict
A corollary of this second realization is that the world cannot truly conflict with either of these two entities, Torah or Israel (See Likkutei Sichos, beginning of volume one).
In simple language this means that if one confronts a situation wherein the exigencies of life appear to conflict with the dictates of the Torah, one should consider this: How can the creation of the world by G-d possibly conflict with its very purpose and raison d’être? We must, therefore, conclude that the conflict is in our minds and not in reality. It is only a test to imagine that there is an inherent incompatibility between the world and Judaism.
To be sure, there are major challenges that we must confront. There are all sorts of obstacles that we must surmount. But, we are assured that there is no challenge or obstacle that will frustrate our mission.
The same can be said when we confront anti- Semitism. When we survey Jewish history, we may become overcome with a sense of resignation. We begin to believe that it is our lot to always be persecuted. The world is simply not a hospitable place for Jews. In its mild form, this reflection is responsible for our lack of enthusiasm for our Jewishness. In its more virulent form, this defeatist conclusion may lead to the total abandonment of one’s Jewish identity.
The word Bereishis emphatically repudiates any such notion. On the contrary, the very purpose for which the entire universe was created was for the Torah and the Jewish people. It is simply unthinkable, then, that the universe should fundamentally conflict with them.
The Messianic Age
One may still argue. How are we to deal with all the conflicts that we confront? Are we imagining things? How can we dismiss the suffering and pain as figments of our imagination?
The answer is that the reality of anything hinges on its power of endurance. The obstacles—including human suffering—are a temporary phenomenon that will cease in the future Messianic Age. In addition, it is Judaism’s belief that when the world was created, it was an inherently good and peaceful world. And, ultimately, the world will revert to that “Garden of Eden” scenario.
All the time “in between” Creation and the Messianic Age, our mission is to reveal and demonstrate the inherent harmony that exists between G-d, the Torah and the world that we inhabit. By doing that, we actually generate the energies that remove the obstacles and usher in the Era of Redemption.
Hints of Moshiach
As stated, the very opening word of the Torah— “because”—implies that the world was created with a plan in mind.
Where, in the opening words of the Torah, is it hinted that the plan will come to fruition during the Messianic Age, when all the conflicts, particularly the conflicts between our world and Torah, will ultimately disappear?
One hint can be found in the very first word of Bereishis itself. The Zohar states that this word is a composite of two Aramaic words: Bara-shis, which means “He Created Six,” an allusion to the six millennia that will precede the coming of Moshiach, paralleling the six days that precede the Sabbath.
The very first word of the Torah thus informs us that the purpose of the creation of the world will be realized, through our efforts, within these six millennia. (We are presently at the end of the sixth millennium, on the very threshold of Moshiach.) After that time, we will enjoy the fruit of our labor.
May we see the coming of Moshiach and the true and complete Redemption imminently!
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Breishis by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
