Starting Cheder:
This Shabbos is known as “Shabbos Bereishis”. The Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch zy”a (quoted in Sefer Hasichos, page 43) explains the concept of Shabbos Bereishis with a moshol of a father taking his son to school to learn aleph bais for the first time. It goes without saying that the father will be extremely happy at this time. So too, Shabbos Bereishis is a time of great joy for Hashem, as His children are starting to learn His Torah from the beginning. Hashem, so to speak, is bringing us to cheder.
The General With 15 Soldiers:
The Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a once explained the concept of Shabbos Bereishis by declaring, “Today, a general with 15 soldiers is coming...” His intention was to make reference to the mizmor of Barchi Nafshi and the 15 chapters of Shir Hama’alos, which is customarily recited on Shabbos during the winter months, beginning with Shabbos Bereishis.
Shabbos Bereishis is Akin to Rosh Hashanah:
It is also stated that the Shabbosim of the beginning of the year re-arouse the hisorerus of the holiness of the Yomim Noraim. At this time, when we realize that the holy days have passed, we become full of yearning for those sacred times. Therefore, Hashem performs a great act of kindness for us and allows the hisorerus of those days to reemerge during these weeks. In this vein, Sefer Bais Avrohom (Parshas Bereishis) quotes the Yesod Ha’avodah of Slonim zy”a as saying that Shabbos Berieshis is akin to Rosh Hashanah. Shabbos Noach is akin to Yom Kippur. And Shabbos Lech Lecha is akin to Sukkos.
Revealing Hashem’s Name in Heaven and Earth:
Sefer Hasichos (5702, Ois 2) relates that the Baal Hatanya zy”a served as the baal koreh and would read from the Torah with his talis covering his head until his eyes. The chasid, R’ Pinchos Reines zt”l, told the Tzemach Tzedek zy”a that one year on Shabbos Bereishis, after reading the words “Bereishis bar Elokim”, the Baal Hatanya’s head fell onto the sefer Torah and he stayed there for a while, immersed in d’veikus. He then lifted up his head and read, “Es hashamayim v’es ha’aretz...” The Tzemach Tzedek said that he could explain what occurred and what the Baal Hatanya was thinking as he stood over the Torah. He said that it can be assumed that he was thinking about the Baal Shem Tov zy”a’s explanation of this verse. He continued: “When I was young, my grandfather (the Baal Hatanya) told me some of the incredible things he heard in Mezhritch in the name of the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, from the Besht’s student, the Magid of Mezhritch zy”a. One of the things he told me was an explanation of this pasuk. ‘Bereishis bara Elokim es hashamayim v’es ha’aretz.’This means that the ‘reishis’ - the beginning of one’s avodah – is ‘bara Elokim’ – to reveal the name of Hashem – ‘es hashamayim v’es ha’aretz’ – so that it is revealed and glorified in the Heavens and on earth.”
The Main Thing is The Beginning of The Work That is Done by Man:
It is stated in Medrash Rabbah (1:2): “Bereishis – (the world was created) because of Yisroel, who are called ‘reishis’ (the first).” Sefer Kisvei Rama”m quotes Rav Mordechai of Lechovitch zy”a as explaining this to mean that a Yid is “the beginning” because a Jew must take the initiative to start doing the right thing, and he will then receive help from Hashem. Hashem created the world because of this “beginning” that every Jew must do. He adds in the name of the Kobriner Rebbe zy”a that the pasuk is teaching us that one should not simply say that everything is up to Hashem and he doesn’t need to lift a finger to do anything. While it is, of course, true that Hashem is the only source of power in the world, a person still has to put forth some efforts of his own. The Medrash says (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 5:3) that Hashem wants us “open the door a crack, the size of the eye of a needle, so that He can then open it with an opening that is the size of a huge hall.” A person is only asked to do “the beginning”, and the vast majority is done by Hashem alone. A person has to “come forward to purify himself” (Yoma 39B) so that he is prepared to accept Hashem’s goodness. Once he does this, Hashem sends His Divine assistance and finishes the job. Accordingly, the Medrash says that the entire world was created for this “reishis”, this first step towards purity taken by man.
Master of All Worlds:
Sefer Kisvei Rama”m quotes the Yesod Ha’avodah of Slonim zy”a as explaining this Medrash to mean that the “reishis”, the first and main focus of Klal Yisroel, must be to constantly remember that “Hashem created Heaven and earth”, and He is the master of all worlds who knows all of our thoughts and sees all.
Worlds Built Through Torah:
The Medrash also states: “Berieshis bar Elokim – because of the Torah, which is called ‘reishis’ (the first). Rav Henoch of Alexander zy”a (Sefer Chashbah L’Tova) states that we are meant to learn from this that the Torah is so great that worlds can be built from its study, just like Hashem created this world with the Torah.
Making Earth Out of Heaven:
The Bais Avrohom of Slonim zy”a (Kovetz Sichos Kodesh 5690) explains the pasuk of “Bereishis bara Elokim es hashamayim v’es ha’aretz” by quoting the pasuk in Tehillim (115:16) that says that “the Heavens are to Hashem and the earth is given to man.” He explains that the earth was given to man to make it into Heaven – meaning that we can uplift the earth and make it as sanctified as the Heavens, and everything will then be shomayim.
Hashem Enlightens Through The Power of Tefillah:
The Bais Avrohom of Slonim zy”a (Kovetz Sichos Kodesh 5690) quotes the Lechovitcher Rebbe zy”a as saying that even when one is in a situation of darkness and even if one feels like he “empty and desolate”, He should still ask Hashem to send him light. If at such a time, a Yid will say, “Ribono Shel Olam please have mercy and send me Your light”, then there will be light. Hashem will enlighten and illuminate the world for him.
The Greatness of Immersing in a Mikvah:
A Rov once asked the Bais Aharon of Karlin zy”a why chasidim place so much emphasis on immersing in the mikvah. He answered, “It is stated that the spirit of Hashem was hovering on the water. We learn from this that the ruach of Hashem rests on the water in a mikvah. When one immerses in a mikvah, as soon as he dunks his head in the water, he is influenced by the holiness of the Shechinah that is floating in the water.”
“So It Should Be”:
Sefer Vayehi Ohr relates the following incredible story: When the Toldos Yaakov Yosef zy”a was once visiting a certain city, a resident of a nearby town had a baby boy and asked the Rebbe to serve as Sandik at the bris. The Rebbe agreed but asked that he should only be called to come after everyone else was already there and they were ready to start because he had no time to sit around waiting. The father promised the Rebbe that this is what he would do. When the Toldos Yaakov Yosef was summoned to come to the bris, he entered the room and saw that there only nine men present and there was no minyan to start the bris. The father had not realized that they were short one man and quickly ran outside to find a tzenter. He spotted a Jewish man walking in the street and asked him to please come in to be the tenth man. The passerby said, “Zahl zein azoi. (So it will be.)” The father then asked the man if he could give him a kibud at the bris and he again said, “Zahl zein azoi.” Whatever question he was asked, the man’s answer was always the same, “Zahl zein azoi.” The Toldos Yaakov Yosef asked the man what his name is and he replied, “Zahl zein azoi.” After the bris, the Toldos Yaakov Yosef asked for the man to be brought to his room, but he had disappeared. The Rebbe was very puzzled by this and asked a question to shomayim: Who was this man? He was answered that it was Eliyahu Hanavi. He had come to teach him the lesson that one should say “zahl zein azoi” in every situation. In other words, one should accept whatever Hashem does with love and recognize that it is exactly as it should be. Afterwards, the Toldos Yaakov Yosef boarded his carriage to go home. As he got ready to leave, a man appeared and asked if he could have a ride. The Rebbe asked him who he was and he answered, “Zahl zein azoi.” Sefer Vayehi Ohr adds in the name of the tzadik R’ Yitzchok Mattisyahu Luria zt”l of Teveriah that this story helps us understand why the Torah uses the words “vayehi kein” (and so it was) by each day of creation. Even by the sixth day, when it does not say that anything was created, these words are used. What is the meaning of this? He explains that the Gemara says (Pesachim 118A) that when Hashem told Odom that he would plant and thorns and thistles would grow (Bereishis 3:18), Odom began to cry and he said, “Will I have to eat from the same trough as my donkey?” Hashem then told him that he would eat bread by the sweat of his brow (ibid:19) and this caused him to calm down. Accordingly, he says that Hashem was not the one who said “vayehi ken” on this day. Rather, Odom Harishon said those words. When Hashem told him about the hardships he would endure and that he would have to eat together with his donkey, he said, “Zahl zein azoi”, and accepted it with love. Hashem then permitted him to eat separately from the animals as reward for his acceptance.
The World Was Created to Toil:
Sefer Kisvei Rama”m writes the following explanation in the name of the Yesod Ha’avodah of Slonim zy”a, who said it in the name of the Kobriner Rebbe zy”a, who related it in the name of Rav Moshe Tzvi of Savron zy”a: The translation of the word “la’asos” is “to do and to toil.” Thus, the pasuk is saying that the main reason that Hashem created the world was for people to be active and to toil in avodas Hashem.
A Humble Person is Considered to Have Brought All Korbanos:
The Chida (Sefer Pnei Dovid) writes that this pasuk can be translated to mean that if an “odom” (man” considers himself to be “ayin” (nothing) and is exceptionally humble, he is able to “work the land” – which he understands to mean to serve Hashem. This is because one who is humble is considered as if he did the avodah of bringing every korban to Hashem. He adds that a humble person will also merit great understanding of Torah.
A Tikkun Through The Sin Itself:
Rashi says (Brachos 40A) that they made the belts from the very tree that they had used to sin. Thus, the thing that caused the downfall was used for the rectification. The Chasam Sofer (Sefer Toras Moshe) understands this slightly differently. He says that not only was the tree used to cloth them, it brought about an actual rectification for the sin. When one does chesed with the dead, this is known as “chesed shel emes” (genuine chesed). So too, visiting the sick is one of the highest forms of chesed. None of this was possible before Odom’s sin, as sickness and death did not exist. Thus, the sin led to the creation of the highest forms of kindness. This means that sin itself led to the creation of the means to rectify the sin. He adds an explanation of the Gemara (Sotah 14A) that says that we learn from this story that just like Hashem provided clothes for those who needed it, we also should do the same. We can learn from this that we should help a poor man even if he wasted his money and it is his own fault that he is poor. Hashem clothed Odom and Chava even though they caused their own problem. So too, we should help the poor even if they caused their own poverty.
A Person Must ask Himself: “Where Are You?”
The Slonimer Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Divrei Shmuel) explains that when Hashem said to Odom Harishon, “Where are you?” He was telling him to think about himself and contemplate where he was before his sin – when he was on the level of a malach (as is stated in Vayikroh Rabbah 20:2) – and where he was now – after he fell so far from that level. This question is very relevant to us at this time. We are now holding by Shabbos Bereishis, which is a time when every Jew has to ask himself: “Where am I?” Where am I holding in life? I just went through the month of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, the Aseres Yemei Teshuva, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, Shemini Atzeres, and Simchas Torah. I just experienced a tremendous hisorerus. Where am I now? How could I forget about those holy days so quickly? Where am I holding today?
The Snake’s Curse:
The Gemara in Yoma (75A) says that the actions of Hashem are not like the actions of man. When a man is angry with his friend, he takes away his sustenance. But when the Holy One cursed the snake, He ordained that he would always have food. Rav Yitzchok of Vorka zy”a (quoted in Sefer Bais Yitzchok) asks: If a snake always has food, what was the curse? He answers that the fact that a person needs to rely on Hashem to provide his sustenance creates a bond between him and Hashem. Even animals need to have this bond with Hashem when they ask Him for their food in order to survive. Hashem decreed that the serpent would have all the food he ever needed right before him and would never have this bond with Him. This is the greatest curse imaginable.
One Who Gives Tzedakah is Actually Taking:
Sefer M’Zekeinim Esbonen writes that Chazal say (Bereishis Rabbah 21:6) that the word “v’atah” always is a reference to teshuva. The words “lest he stretch forth his hand” is a reference to tzedakah (which is given by stretching forth the hand). “From the Tree of Life and eat” is a reference to tefillah (see Sefer Besh”t al Hatorah, Bereishis, Ois 139). Thus, the pasuk is saying that if one has all of these three things – teshuva, tefillah and tzedakah – he will “live forever” in Olam Haba. Regarding tzedakah it says “lest he stretch forth his hand and take” because an unwise person thinks that giving money away to others makes him the giver, while the ones he is giving to are the takers. However, a wise man knows that the truth is that the ones giving tzedakah are the true receivers, as they are given an abundance of blessing and good in return. Thus, one stretches his hand to give is actually taking.
Serving Hashem With Joy:
Sefer Kisvei Rama”m quotes the Yesod Ha’avodah of Slonim zy”a as explaining Hashem’s words to Kayin by saying that He was teaching him how to properly serve Him. He was saying that if one serves Hashem with joy, he will be able to serve Him throughout life, but if one serves Him without joy, he will end up falling to sin. The pasuk is saying: “Im titav” – if it is good for you and you are joyful when you serve Hashem. “Se’eis” – you will be able to rise up (l’hisalos) and continue to serve Him on new levels. “V’im lo titav” – but if it is not good for you and you are not joyful when you serve Him. “L’pesach chatas roveitz” – you are at the door of falling to sin.
He Was Taken so as Not to Bring The End Too Early:
Rashi says that Chanoch was a tzadik but he could easily have changed and become a rasha. Therefore, Hashem took him before his time while he was still a tzadik. Sefer Shama Shlomo relates that when Rav Aharon of Karlin zy”a was nifter, a hesped was given by his student, Rav Shlomo of Karlin zy”a, who quoted this Rashi and asked as follows: It is stated that when Chanoch was taken before his time, he was greatly uplifted and became the “Sar Hapanim”, a lofty angel who tied crowns for Hashem and could burn others malachim with his fiery breath. If he was on the level of being at risk to become a rasha, why did he deserve to be raised to such a high level? He answers that Chanoch was a great tzadik and Rashi does not mean to say that he actually was in danger of becoming a rasha, Rather, he was such a tzadik that if he would encounter another man doing something wrong, even if he didn’t actually rebuke the man, just seeing him was enough to make the person have thoughts of teshuva. Hashem saw that he was going to get everyone to repent and bring the end of time suddenly, when He knew that it was necessary to bring it gradually. Therefore, He had to take him before his time. Accordingly, he reads Rashi’s words to mean that Chanoch was a tzadik who could easily change others by getting them to do teshuva for being reshaim, which is why Hashem had to take him from this world so as not to bring the end too early. Rav Shlomo applied this idea to Rav Aharon and said that he also was able to bring the masses to teshuva very easily and provide each person with his tikkun. Therefore, Hashem had to take him before his time, which is why he was nifter at the young age of 36.
