The Alef and Beis of Torah
Why does the Torah start with the letter Beis?
Summary Chart, Likkutei Sichos 15 Bereishis 1
Why does Torah start with a Beis?
Questions:
Answer: Torah has 2 levels:
1) Learning with understanding.
2) The essence of Torah, and the connection with the Giver of the Torah.
There must always be “Borchu BaTora Techila,” the recognition of the Giver of the Torah first (Alef of Torah) before actual learning (Beis of Torah). This impacts:
Kabbala
Alef – Torah of Atzilus,
Beis – Torah of BY”A.
Torah starts with Beis to symbolize that “our” Torah is the second level.
HaShem gave us the same Torah from above, if we have a Beis, then the Torah above is also with a Beis. Why would the Torah above begin with Beis?
The Torah itself:
When learning without the Giver of the Torah, it creates separation (as in BY”A), but with the preface of “Borchu BaTora Techila” there could be oneness and unity with HaShem (as in Atzilus).
Yerushalmi
Alef – Arira (cursed).
Beis – Bracha (Blessing).
The Torah starts with a blessing.
There must be words that begin with Alef that have a positive connotation, and words with Beis that have a positive connotation?
The person learning:
If he is meritorious – meaning, he learns with the holiness and essence of Torah – it becomes a portion of life, meaning blessing (Beis – Bracha).
If he is not meritorious – meaning, he’s lacking the giver of the Torah – it becomes a portion of death (Arira).
Medrash
The shape of the Beis is similar to the world which is closed from 3 sides and open on one (northern) side.
The world was created by, and for, the Torah. Why would the Torah change itself for the world (and not vice versa?)
The world:
When acknowledging the Giver of the Torah, we recognize that “this world has a master,” and we are able to rectify that which is lacking in the world, due to the “openness of the Northern side.”
Translation of Talmai Hamelech
All of the sages translated with divine inspiration “Elokim Bara Bresishis,” thus actually beginning the Torah with an Alef.
A. How could they have started with an Alef?
B. Why would Talmai not have understood the above-mentioned reasons?
The learning of non-Jews is only about the comprehension and not about the essence of Torah, so there is only one level. The sages therefore began their translation with an Alef, which is the only level that Talmai could understand.
Further Viewpoints
Zera Shimshon
The Midrash says, (Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishis), that the Torah begins with the letter Beis as opposed to Aleph (the first letter of the Aleph Beis) to teach us that the Torah is the source of all Bracha (beginning with a Beis) in the world.
This idea, explains the Zera Shimshon, connects the end of the Torah with the beginning. The last Parsha, Vezos Habracha, leads into Bereishis, alluding to this concept of the Torah as a blessing. However, this Medrash seems to contradict the Passuk in Tehillim which states; "Your first Word is truth" (Tehillim 119:160). Shouldn't the Torah have therefore begun with an Aleph representing Emes-truth, as implied by the Passuk, "The beginning of Hashem's word (the Torah) begins with truth?"
The Zera Shimshon answers with a Medrash (Vayikra Rabbah16:7) speaking about the necessity of using honest weights when selling merchandise. The Medrash teaches us that only when a person fulfills this Mitzvah of "a perfect and whole weight" will he then be blessed with "you shall have." Meaning, the blessing that he sees in his business will directly correspond with his honesty.
Using this concept, the Zera Shimshon explains that Emes is in fact implicitly included in the Beis representing Bracha. The source of all real blessing is truth and honesty, therefore this idea of Emes is innately implied within the Beis of Bracha!
Rabbi Avi Fleischer
The Torah begins with the letter Beis. The configuration of this letter at the start of the Torah teaches us a major lesson. The words of the Torah are written from right to left, thus the right is earlier and the left is later. Do not delve into what was before the world was created, just as there is a vertical stroke on the right side of the letter Beis. Do not delve too much into grasping Hashem, what is above, just as there is a horizontal stroke at the top. Do not delve too deeply into what is below, i.e. negative powers in the world, just as there is a horizontal stroke at the bottom. Our efforts have to go into the left side, going forward, just as the left side of the letter is open. Although the gemara Chagigoh 11b says that one should also not delve into the future, this means to not divine into the future.
Medrash Rabba
The letter Bais refers to the two worlds that were created, this world and the World to Come.
Baal haTurim
The letter Bais refers to the two Torahs, the Written Torah and the Oral Torah
Chidushi haRim
The Torah begins with the letter Bais to teach that Torahs needs to be everyone’s home (Bayis).
Ibn Ezra
HaShem is one signified by the letter Aleph. In contrast after Creation, created beings’ existence entails a unity of two components – mass and energy, alluded by the letter of Bais.
Kli Yakar
The reason the Torah begins with a Bais and ends of a Lamed since these letters can be adjoined to the letters Yud, Heh and Vav from the Four-letter name of HaShem. Such as: בי, בו, בה, לי, לו, לה
This is not found with any other letters of the Aleph Bais that combine to make a two-letter word (Aleph and Mem can combine with two but not with a third – אי, או, אה מי, מו, מה)
Recanti explains that the letter Bais expresses that the whole world is with, in and created by Me (HaShem). Similarly with the letter Lamed.
