Tag: Bereishis

Parshas Bereishis (5771)

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Parshas Bereishis (5771)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

The snake was a creature without a backbone; he had a philosophy to take each situation and deal with it as it comes, to twist and maneuver.  Adam was created with a backbone; to have a structure, a certain regimentation.  There are times when we must bend and manipulate our spine as symbolized in the lulav which represents the spine and we shake it and bend it.  The ben-adam must have a framework—derech eretz kadma laTorah.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Bereishis (5769)

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Parshas Bereishis (5769)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

In observing the significant opening of the Chumash we see a consistent repetition of “vayavdeil”; a “separation” on the part of Hashem.  This obviously is to communicate to us the message of priority of importance.  Hashem expects as a most basic mentality and behaviour the sensitivity to constantly and consistently be a “mavdil”—to be able to discern the fine light of the truth in all issues.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Bereishis (5767)

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Parshas Bereishis (5767)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

From the sequence of the creation we can understand the importance and the priority of “ohr” which is a clarity and an insight to the truth.  This sets for us a clear goal for our aspirations and yearnings how our lives should be.

Have a wonderful Shabbos Bereishis and a good Chodesh.

Parshas Bereishis (5766)

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Parshas Bereishis (5766)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Rashi opens the awesome gates to his perush on the Chumash with the Medrash of R’ Yitzchok which is of primary importance and significance.  It is reasonably complex, deep and full of difficulties.  A possible enlightenment would be that the benefit of starting the Chumash with the first mitzvah would have been a statement from Hashem that He runs the world within the parameters of the ordinances of the Torah; a very basic issue.  Hashem conducts the world and “confines Himself” to the laws of the Torah.  However, the nations would complain—how do You explain Klal Yisoel’s conquering and seizing of the lands of the 7 nations?  Irrelevant of how the nations obtained it, presently the land was in their hands.   Taking it by force is contrary to Your Torah guidelines.

Torah, yes, but above all the priority of My conducting the universe is that I am the Creator and the Giver of all. This is the message of opening the Chumash with the Creation.  Bnei Yisroel, stealing? Where and how did you gain ownership in the first place, if not from Me?  I run the world first and foremost with this principle.

Parshas Bereishis (5765)

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Parshas Bereishis (5765)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

As we again start the Chumash with Parshas Bereishis, it is in a way, a renewal of life, as if we are witnessing the very creation itself.  It is indeed inspiring, uplifting and surely injects us with optimism.  The splendid joy of all this is abruptly broken by the sin of Adam and Chava.  In our minds we think “can’t we have just one parsha, pure white, holy and clean; just one parsha!”.  This theme consistently follows in the rest of the Chumash; a chronicle of the constant falling of man.  Just to mention a few: Kayin, the ten generations from Adam to Noach, culminated by the great flood, the fall of the Chom, Lot, Yishmael, Esav, the selling of Yosef by the Shvatim,  From this point of view of a consistent theme throughout the Chumash it is appropo to have a fall right from the beginning.

There was no human who had the level of realization of the presence of Hashem in the world more than Adam HaRishon.  If Adam failed to have self-control in his obedience to Hashem how can anyone else be expected to have it?  The same query applies to all the great spiritual giants in the Tanach that failed in their free-will opportunities.

The redeeming side of all of this is that by relating these incidents, openly and candidly revealing the weaknesses, the slips and falls, the Chumash is enlightening us about a basic, vital and crucial principle and fact regarding the makeup of mankind and reveals the greatest truth of the constitution of mankind.

Our makeup is such that there are principles we believe in absolutely, there are concrete goals we have, great spiritual aspirations or even goals of materialistic nature for which we have our own pure interest and enjoyment in mind, or certain idealistic principles that make up our hardcore values.  All these and more you would expect the person to be loyal to, yet the opposite is true; the human must have constant reminders.  It is absolutely necessary to be persistently reminded of these ideals and principles.   They must be continuously “pumped” into our conscious awareness.  The Vilna Gaon testified about himself that any single day he was lax in inspiring himself to the importance of Torah he observed a definite shortcoming in his accomplishment.

This is not due to a specific weakness of a specific individual but the state of reality of the whole human race.  One moment he is on the highest level and the next it is all gone.  He is not a hypocrite or inconsistent, just an uncharged soul.  All this is imperative to understand the giants of Tanach, all other human beings, and ourselves.  It enlightens us to the necessity to always be inspired.

Parshas Bereishis (5764)

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Parshas Bereishis (5764)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

The underlying message we see in Rashi from the beginning of the parsha which is an introduction to the whole Chumash is that we have no comprehension of the text without the accompanying Torah Shebe-al peh.  All the brachos of the Chag together with the blessings of Shabbos Mevorchim should bring a wonderful month for you all and for all KLal Yisroel.

Parshas Noach (5763)

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Parshas Noach (5763)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

One of the most striking Chazal Rashi quotes in the entire Chumash is in our Parsha (11:9): the atrocities of dor Haflaga were much greater than of the generation of Noach since it tampered with their belief in Hashem.  But since there was true love and friendship between them they weren’t destroyed.

The more one gains insight into the true will of Hashem the more it is apparent that the greatest priority to Hashem is our consideration and relationships with our fellow man.  This is an area we are constantly put to test with; dealing and putting up with the idiosyncrasies of our human contact, to actuate our real love and consideration to all.

Have a lovely Shabbos.

Parshas Bereish (5763)

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Parshas Bereish (5763)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

The fact that this is called Shabbos Bereishis is unique and has special significance.  No other parsha  has a shabbos named in it’s honor.  Perhaps we can say that the parsha connects with the whole purpose of Shabbos, a celebration and recognition of Hashem, the Creator.

Rav Miller zt”l asked:  Every great miracle has a holiday to commemorate it.  What is the Yom tov of Brias HaOlam?  He explains that there are 52 Yomim Tovim, every Shabbos is a commemoration of Bereishis.  So this week of the Parsha Bereishis certainly deserves special notation.

It reminds and inspires us to focus the seuda as a party in honor of Hashem the Creator.  It is important to keep in perspecdtive the Chazal that Rashi quotes that the Creation was for Clal Yisroel and the Torah.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Bereishis (5762)

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Parshas Bereishis (5762)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

There is a beautiful and natural hadran of Habracha and Bereishis in the Medrash of Zos Habraca (11:3), a debate between Adam HaRishon and Moshe Rabeinu as to whom is greater.  Adam points out the greatness bestowed upon him from Hashem.  Moshe’s rebuttal is mine lasted and yours was confiscated……food for thought.

Rashi quotes the rebuttal to the complaints of the umos haolam that we are bandits.  Hashem gave Eretz Yisroel to us.  Obvious question, that we acquired it through war.  The answer—even the goyim understand that victory is “mayais Hashem yatza hadavar”.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Bereishis (5761)

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Parshas Bereishis (5761)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

With great awe and respect I attempt to say a few words on Parshas Bereishis—‘Brias HaOlam’.  There is a magnificent and obvious lesson from the sedra that I suspect is overlooked.  There is no law, force, or power that had any influence in the sequence of the creation other than the absolute Will of HaShem.  The order therefore achieves a special significance.

The Sefer “Nefesh HaChayim” and Sefer “HaTanya” open our eyes to the fact that the creation is an ongoing, perpetual process.  This principle must be studied in depth to be understood properly and it is a most important foundation.  This concept sheds even more special significance to the “Maaseh Bereishis” and its unique sequence.

“VaYomer Elokim Yehi Or”—let there be light; HaShem chose light to be first!  Light indeed is supreme.  Light means seeing the truth.  Light is the great power that reveals and clarifies.  True understanding is first and foremost.  It is our first request in Shmoneh Esray.

Our greatest yearning must be that Hashem constantly and for every situation reveal to us the pure truth.

A lovely Shabbos to you all.