Bereishis תרל”א 5631

ב”ה

ברש”י ז”ל מה הי’ עולם חסר מנוחה בא שבת בא מנוחה כלתה ונגמרה המלאכה. 

Rashi (Bereishis 2:2) when introducing the concept of Shabbos, explains that at the end of creation the world was lacking rest, and once Shabbos came, the work was completed.

כי בריאת העולם היה להשפיע אור וטובו של השי”ת בעוה”ז שהוא הטבע ושעל שם זה נקרא עולם על שם ההעלם כבוד ה’ בעוה”ז כמ”ש אא”ז מו”ר זצלה”ה.

The Purpose of creation was (not for the sake of covering up HaShem in as of itself) rather it was in order for HaShem to effect His light and blessing in this world. (the only way to bring it down is by hiding it in the physical world.) This is the meaning of עולם – world, connected to the word העלם – hidden, for the glory of Hashem is hidden in this world. As the Chidushei Harim explained (Parshat Shlach).

(The Arizal explains that the reason why HaShem created this world, was in order to be able to spread His blessing. However before creation of the world, HaShem’s presence was everywhere and there was ‘nowhere’ to spread His blessing. Once HaShem created the world a place where He was hidden this created a place where He can place His light, hidden in nature).  

אך כמו שצריך להיות הכל בטל אל המכוין אז נתגדל שמו ית’ בעוה”ז יותר כדכתיב וירא אלהים כל אשר עשה טוב מאוד. 

However in order for HaShem’s name to be properly elevated the general rule הכל (The general principle described above that HaShem hides himself in nature in order to spread His blessing) must be constantly focused on the original intention. 

פי’ כמ”ש כל פעל ה’ למענהו 

as it says “all that HaShem did, is for His sake” (Mishlei 16:4)

כי הכלל לעולם מחובר בכח הפועל אם כי בפרט יש דברים שמתנגדים להקדושה. 

For the principal (klal) is always connected to the energy that is driving it, even though when it filters down on an individual level there may be individual things (prat) that are going against the principle. (Our job in this world is to take those individual parts that are opposing the rule, and elevate them and make them one with the rule. Even the bad becomes uplifted to the good. This is the idea of Sovev)

אבל בכלל נאמר הכל ברא לכבודו. 

Yet regarding the rule, the pasuk says “everything was created for His honor”

ועל שם זה קודם שבת הי’ עולם חסר מנוחה והוא השבת שכולל כל ימי השבוע 

Therefore before Shabbos the world was lacking rest – the Shabbos, this is the principle (the rule mentioned above) of the days of the week. (* Shabbos is the Klal and the days of the week are the prat)

ושבת דאתאחדת ברזא דאחד כו’. שכל הדברים מתעלים ונעשין אחד מיוחדים להיות כלי להשי”ת לעשות בהם כרצונו. 

And on Shabbos everything becomes one with the secret of oneness, meaning that everything becomes elevated and one with the original purpose to be a vessel to serve the original intention of HaShem.

וז”ש ויכלו במד’ שנעשה מעשה בראשית כלי והוא ע”י התכללות. 

this is the meaning of the Midrash that ויכלו He completed, (connected to the word כלי – vessel) means that due to Shabbos the creation became a vessel, through becoming a part of the rule.

ופי’ ויכלו מלשון כלתה נפשי כי הוא הביטול שכל דבר מתבטל לנקודה חיות שיש בהם מהשי”ת. 

The word ויכלו is also connected to the word כלתה – yearning, my soul yearns, this is the nullification of everything to the point of the life force of HaShem in everything. (as we have explained above this is so that the individual point that may seemingly be opposing the rule, now becomes nullified and a part of the rule. Through everything stopping on Shabbos, the true intention becomes apparent)

וזהו נק’ מנוחה שהיא שביתות הכל ומקום ושורש הכל. 

This is the idea of rest, which is when everything stops and reconnected to the root of it

ועל בחי’ זו נאמר הוא מקומו של עולם וכמ”ש אל יצא איש ממקומו ביום השביעי כו’. 

Regarding this aspect it says that “He is the place of the world”, and “no one should leave his place on the Shabbos day”. The idea of place is when everything is focused on the rule and not opposing it, then it is in its place.

וזה כלתה ונגמרה המלאכה כי זה מכוון הבריאה. 

That is why when Shabbos came it says “the work was complete” for now the original intention of creation came about. 

ואמרו חז”ל כלי מחזיק ברכה הוא השלום. ובזוה”ק מאי שבת שמא דקוב”ה והוא שלום. 

Our sage said the vessel that can hold blessing is Shalom, and in the Zohar “What is Shabbos? it is the name of HaShem which is Shalom”

ופי’ שם הוא התגלות כבודו במעשה בראשית הרחוק ג”כ 

The idea of the name of HaShem is the revelation of HaShem even in the most distant parts of creation. (A name is used to call someone from afar)

כי קודם הבריאה הי’ ה’ אחד. ובחי’ הבריאה הוא שמו אחד כדי להראות שלימותיו. 

For before creation HaShem was one, and there was no opposition to Him, and the idea of creation is that His name will be one, in order to show his perfection. That even the opposition is elevated to become one.

וכשכל הבריאה מתבטל להכלל שנקרא כנס”י. זה שמו אחד והוא כלי לעצמותו ית’ והבן:

Meaning that when the entire creation becomes nullified to this general rule the focus of Hashem which is called knesset Yisrael, then His name becomes one, which is the vessel for His essence (in this world). And understand.

ברש”י א”ר יצחק לא הי’ צריך להתחיל התורה אלא מהחודש הזה מצוה ראשונה אלא כח מעשיו הגיד כו’. 

Rashi (Bereishis 1:1) “Rav Yitzchak said the Torah should have started from ‘this very month’ (the first Mitzvah in the Torah), however the reason why it started with with Bereishis is to Show His strength to His nation’ as a refutation to anyone who opposes the sovereignty of Bnei Yisrael over Eretz Yisrael.

ויש להבין מה התירוץ על כל הפרשיות מבראשית עד החודש הזה. 

However we need to understand, granted this answers why the first Parsha of Bereishis is first but what about all the other parshiyot from Noach till Bo, How does it answer all of them?

אך פירוש הדבר כי אף שעיקר התורה למצותיה נאמר. וזה תורה שבכתב. אבל השי”ת רצה לברר כי גם עוה”ז וכל הבריאה ג”כ ע”י כח התורה

the explanation however is that even though the main idea of the Torah is to teach us the Mitzvot, which is the written Torah. HaShem also wanted to clarify that this world and the entire creation is also through the energy of the Torah

כמ”ש בראשית הביט בתורה וברא העולם. 

As it says on the word Bereishis “He looked into the Torah and created the world”

וזהו ענין תורה שבע”פ שתלוי במעשה האדם. 

This is the idea of the Oral Torah, which is dependant on the actions of man

וזה כל הפרשיות ממעשי אבות להראות כי נעשה ממעשיהם תורה. 

This oral Torah is learnt from the actions of our forefathers, which teaches us how actions actually become Torah, just as their actions are written in the Torah.

וזה נקרא כח מעשיו הכח שנתן השי”ת בתוך המעשה. 

This is the answer to the question above, the importance of all these parshiyot are teaching us this lesson. This is what is called “the strength of His actions”, this is the strength and energy that HaShem placed in creation, that one can convert physical actions into Torah!

ועל שם זה נקרא מעשה בראשית להגיד כי בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם שגם חיות העולם ע”י התורה. 

This is therefore the idea of the creation of the world, for it teaches us that through the ten expressions of HaShem in the Torah He created the world, showing us that the actual energy of creation is through the Torah.

ועבודת האדם לברר זה שכל מעשה ע”י חיות השי”ת. וכשהאדם עושה מעשיו עפ”י כח התורה להשלים רצון הבורא אז מחדש האור שנגנז בהטבע. 

The mission of man is to clarify how every action he does is through the energy of HaShem. By doing every action with the energy of the Torah, with the intention of completing the will of HaShem, then he awakens the hidden light of HaShem in nature. 

וע”ז נאמר ואשים דברי בפיך כו’ וליסוד ארץ לאמור לציון עמי אתה ודרשו חז”ל אל תקרא עמי אלא עמי שהוא שותף במעשה בראשית בזוה”ק [בהקדמה דף ה’]. 

And it is regarding this idea that it says (Yeshaya 51:16)

 וָאָשִׂ֤ים דְּבָרַי֙ בְּפִ֔יךָ וּבְצֵ֥ל יָדִ֖י כִּסִּיתִ֑יךָ לִנְטֹ֤עַ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙

 וְלִיסֹ֣ד אָ֔רֶץ וְלֵאמֹ֥ר לְצִיּ֖וֹן עַמִּי־אָֽתָּה׃

Have put My words in your mouth  And sheltered you with My hand; I, who planted the skies and made firm the earth, Have said to Tzion: You are My people!

On this Pasuk our sages have said, do not read עַמִּי rather עמי with me, for he becomes a partner with the creation of the world. Zohar (introduction chapter 5)

פי’ ציון הוא הנקודה שיש בכל דבר רשימה ואות לזכור שהוא מהשי”ת. והוא החיות שמחי’ כל דבר. 

The idea of Tzion, is this very point. In everything there is a mark and a sign reminding us that it is from HaShem, which is the life force that is sustaining it.

והאדם הדבוק בנקודה זו וכל חיותו נמשך אחר זאת הנקודה נעשה שותף במעשה בראשית. 

The person who can therefore attach himself to this point, so much so that his entire life energy will be attached to this, he becomes a partner in the creation of the world

ועי”ז לתת להם נחלת גוים שיהי’ נחלה בלי מצרים שע”י שאדם מקשר עולם הטבע בכח הפועל. אין הטבע יכול להסתיר כח הקדושה:

This therefore is what will cause ”To give them the inheritance of the nations” (the continuation of the Rashi above). That through connecting oneself in the physical world to the source energy the purpose of creation, then nature will no longer be able to hide and cover the holiness.

בספר קדושת לוי הקשה איך הי’ מתחיל מהחודש הזה והלא התורה צריך להתחיל בב’. 

The Sefer Kedushas Levi asks, how can (Rashi ask that the Torah) should begin with “This month is for you” (the first mitzvah in the Torah), we know that the Torah needs to begin with the letter ב?

וי”ל כי מה שמתחיל בב’ כמ”ש במדרש לשון ברכה הלואי שיתקיים כו’ וגם כנגד ב’ עולמות כו’ 

We can explain that (all the reasons given for the Torah to) begin with a ב, whether it is because ב is an expression of blessing, or wether ב symbolizes the two worlds (this world and the world to come)

וכן בזוה”ק שעלו האותיות והשי”ת השיב לכל אות כי אין כדאי לעוה”ז כו’ 

Or as the Zohar explains that all the letters came to HaShem, (and there is a reason why each one of the letters could not be used)

והכל ע”י שעוה”ז הוא עולם הטבע. וזה עתה. 

However (all these reasons are only applicable) in this world, in nature, now.

אבל הקושיא להיות מתחיל מהחודש היא בחי’ תורה שבכתב ולא הי’ מקום הסתר כלל והי’ גם העוה”ז נמשך אחר התורה והמצות. 

However the question of the Torah beginning with (the first mitzva) “this month” is based on the idea of the written Torah (see above TRLA 2) and (regarding the written Torah) there is no place for hiddenness and even the physical word would completely follow the Torah and Mitzvot.

רק עתה שכח מעשיו הגיד כנ”ל למשוך כח התורה גם בעולם הטבע לכן מתחיל בב’ כנ”ל:

Now however because “He revealed the strength of his actions to his children ” (as explained above) that through one’s physical actions one can draw the energy of the Torah into the natural world, therefore it needs to begin with the letter ב.

ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי ברש”י ברכו במן קדשו במן כו’. 

“And HaShem blessed the Seventh day” Rashi explains that He blessed it with the manna and sanctified it with the manna.

בזוה”ק יתרו כיון דלא אשתכח בי’ מנא מה ברכתא כו’ אלא הכי תאנא כל ברכאין בשביעאה תליין. 

The Zohar in Parshat Yosro asks, if there was no manna on Shabbos why is that a blessing on the Shabbos? He answers that all blessings come from the Seventh day.

אין מובן התירוץ. 

However the answer is not clear?

אך כי הפרנסה נמשך ממקום גבוה. וכל ימי החול הם ירדו בעוה”ז ונתלבשו בימי המעשה והשבת נשאר במקום גבוה ועי”ז מיני’ מתברכין שיתא יומין 

However all sustenance is drawn down from a very high place. During the days of the week they come down in this world and become enclothed in the days of the week, however they are all drawing on the energy of Shabbos which remains in it’s place, and the six days become blessed from it. 

ולכך בשבת לא ירד המן כי הוא גבוה מבחי’ המאכל רק ע”י שיום זה נשאר כמו שהוא. עי”ז יכולין ימי המעשה ג”כ למשוך חיות ממקורם 

However on Shabbos there was no manna this is because (Shabbos) is actually higher than the food, and and it is through this that the days of the week an draw life force from the source

(והדברים מובנים מה שנק’ ימי מלאכה שבחול ע”י מלאכים כנודע. ולכן אף כי ששת הימים במקורם גבוהים מהשבת רק ששבת נשאר כמו שהי’ והבן מאוד):

**** (And it is understood that the reason why (the days of the week) are called “days of work” for during the days of the week, the sustenance comes via angels. Therefore even though the six days of the week are actually rooted in a higher place than Shabbos, however it is only through Shabbos it remains in its place unchanged. and understand