The auspiciously approaching Shabbat Kodesh is referred to universally by the Jewish community as ‐Shabbat Bereishis.‐ This appellation denotes the fact that the Torah-portion we will read is parshat Bereishis. In the words of the Levush (O.C. 669, 21): The Shabbat after ‐chag‐ (Succot) is called ‐Shabbat Bereishis,‐ since we read parshat Bereishis on it. But why is this the only Shabbat of the year that is named after its parsha?
In Divrei Yechezkel, the esteemed Rabbi of Shinaveh, zy‐a, brings down in the name of his esteemed father-in-law, Rabbi Aryeh Leibush, the head of the Beis-din of Vizhnitz, zy‐a, a practical explanation for this unique designation: Here is the explanation. During the holy ‐Yamim Nora’im‐ (the High Holidays), every human being entertained thoughts of teshuvah, and accepted upon himself some particular good behavior—every person according to his ability and spiritual level. Therefore, it is called ‐Shabbat Bereishis,‐ since a person is reminded that what has passed has passed, and from this moment on, he is starting a new chapter; and he should strive to be better from now on.
‐Bereishis‐ for the Sake of the Torah and for the Sake of Yisrael
We will begin to shed some light on the subject by explaining Chazal’s rationale for naming this Shabbat specifically after the name of the parsha that will be read on it—parshat Bereishis. They wished to emphasize the importance of this Shabbat. We, Bnei Yisrael, who received the holy Torah on Har Sinai, are privileged to begin the reading of the entire Torah with the special word ‐Bereishis‐: ‐בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים את הארץ‐.
Now, we have a fundamental principle (Eitz Chaim, Sha’ar 4, 4): ‐כי הכל הולך אחר ההתחלה‐—everything follows suit from its beginning. Accordingly, this implies that the first word of the Torah—‐Bereishis‐—is the basis and foundation of the entire Torah. In fact, in his introduction to the allusions inherent in the term ‐בראשית‐, the Agra D’Kallah writes: ‐אמרו רבותינו זל״ש שכל התורה כולה נכללה בבראשית‐—our Rabbis of blessed memory said that the entire Torah is encompassed by the term ‐Bereishis.‐
Let us embellish this notion based on Rashi’s commentary: ‐בראשית ברא, אין המקרא הזה אומר אלא דרשני, כמו שדרשוהו רבותינו זל״ש, בשביל התורה שנקראת (משלי ח-כב) ראשית דרכו, ובשביל ישראל שנקראו (ירמיה ב-ג) ראשית תבואתו‐. Rashi is telling us that this passuk cannot be taken literally; it is linguistically incorrect; it begs to be expounded. Therefore, our Rabbis of blessed memory expound the verse as teaching us that the world was created for the sake of two ‐reishit‐s—for the sake of the Torah and for the sake of Yisrael, both of whom are referred to by this term.
We can now begin to comprehend the tremendous significance of this Shabbat—‐Shabbat Bereishis‐—that is named after the parsha that we will read this Shabbat. By opening with the word ‐Bereishis,‐ it highlights the fact that the world was created for the sake of the Torah and for the sake of all the neshamot of Yisrael.
Reconciling an Apparent Contradiction: Did HKB’H Create the World with the Letter ‐Beis‐ or with the Letter ‐Hei‐?
Since we are discussing the word ‐בראשית‐, the first word of the holy Torah, the foundation of the Torah, it is fitting that we present a fascinating inquiry to our esteemed audience. Did HKB’H create the universe with the letter ‐Beis‐ or with the letter ‐hei‐?
According to the Midrash: The Letters of Rabbi Akiva, all of the letters of the aleph-Beis petitioned HKB’H to have Him create the world with them. They entered one by one, beginning with the last letter of the ‐aleph-Beis,‐ the letter ‐tav,‐ and proceeded in reverse order down to the letter ‐aleph.‐ HKB’H rebuffed all of their petitions until the arrival of the letter ‐Beis.‐ To make its case, the letter ‐Beis‐ cited numerous pesukim from Tehillim, which begin with it, which people in every generation use to praise Hashem. HKB’H was convinced and agreed to create the world with the letter ‐Beis.‐ Hence, He began the Torah with the words: ‐בראשית ברא אלקים‐. Here is the pertinent passage from the Midrash related to the letter ‐Beis‐:
‐אחר כך נכנס בי״ת לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא ואמר לפניו, רבונו של עולם רצונך שתברא בי את עולמך, שבי משבחין לפניך באי עולם בכל יום, שנאמר (תהלים פט-נג) ב״רוך ה״ לעולם אמן ואמן, (שם קג-כ) ב״רכו ה״ מלאכיו וגו״, ואומר (שם כא) ב״רכו ה״ כל צבאיו וגו״, (שם כב) ב״רכו ה״ כל מעשיו וגו״, ועתידין כל דורות העולם לומר לפניך (שם עב-יח) ב״רוך ה״ אלקים אלקי ישראל, ואומר (שם יט) וב״רוך שם כבודו לעולם וימלא כבודו וגו״, מיד קיבל הקדוש ברוך הוא ממנו ואמר לו (שם קיח-כו) ברוך הבא בשם ה״, וברא בו את עולמו בבי״ת שנאמר בראשית ברא אלקים‐.
Nevertheless, the commentaries point out a blatant contradiction concerning this matter. Although this Midrash teaches us explicitly that HKB’H created the universe with the letter ‐Beis‐ of ‐בראשית‐, we are taught in the Gemara (Menachot 29b) that the world was created with the letter ‐hei.‐ They base this conclusion on an elucidation of the passuk (Bereishis 2, 4): ‐אלה תולדות השמים הארץ בהבראם, אל תקרי בהברא״ם אלא בה״ בראם‐. ‐These are the generations of the heavens and the earth בהברא״ם. ‐Do not read the word as (it is actually written) בהברא״ם but rather as בה״ בראם (meaning that He created the heavens and the earth with the letter ‐hei‐).
I thought of a wonderful way to resolve this contradiction. We will rely on the precious teachings of our holy teachers, zy‐a, to guide us in the right direction. We will begin with Rashi’s comment in the name of the Midrash: ‐בראשית ברא אלקים, ולא אמר ברא ה״, שבתחילה עלה במחשבה לבראותו במדת הדין, וראה שאין העולם מתקיים, והקדים מדת הרחמים ושתפה לדת הדין, והיינו דכתיב ביום עשות ה״ אלקים ארץ ושמים‐. The opening passuk of the Torah employs the name Elokim rather than Havaya; this indicates that the Creator initially intended to create the world based on the midah of ‐din.‐ He foresaw, however, that the world could not survive based on this strict standard. Therefore, he preferentially partnered the midah of ‐rachamim‐ with the midah of ‐din.‐ This partnership and preference for ‐midat harachamim‐ are evident in the passuk (ibid. 2, 4): ‐ביום עשות ה״ אלקים ארץ ושמים‐. (Note that in this passuk both divine names are employed, but the name of rachamim precedes the name of ‐din.‐)
The commentaries are perplexed by Rashi’s comment. After all, HKB’H foresees everything from beginning to end. So, how can he assert that the Almighty originally planned to create the world based on ‐midat hadin‐ and then changed His mind? Undoubtedly, He knew from the onset that the world could not endure based on this strict standard.
‐There is nothing new beneath the sun‐
It appears that we can reconcile the better by referring to a statement from Shlomo HaMelech (Kohelet 1, 9): ‐מה שהיה הוא שיהיה ומה שנעשה הוא שיעשה ואין כל חדש תחת השמש‐—whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new beneath the sun! Clearly, the wisest of all men is teaching us a vital principle: Everything that is destined to be when the complete tikun is accomplished at the end of days was already revealed once at the beginning of creation in keeping with the notion of: ‐סוף מעשה במחשבה תחילה‐—‐last in deed, but first in thought.‐