SEDRAH SELECTIONS PARSHAS BREISHIS 5774 BS"D

Ch. 1, v. 1: "BorO ElokiM eiS" - Of G-d's creation - The final letters of the three words spell EMeS. Similarly, the last words that recount the creation are "BorO Elokim laasoS," also ending with EMeS. The creation of the world is predicated on truth. Osios d'Rebbi Akiva explains the letter Alef in its "milluy," Alef-Lamed-Pei, to be an acronym for "Emes Lameid Picho."

Ch. 1, v. 31: "V'hinei tov m'ode" - And behold it is exceedingly good - It was only on the sixth day when all things had been created that the creation was EXCEEDINGLY good. Before this, even though many wonderful things were created, there was no "exceedingly," as the interplay between things was not totally functional. Only upon completion were the forces of all creations interacting properly, and then it was "tov m'ode." (Shaar Bas Rabim)

Ch. 1, v. 31: "V'hinei tov m'ode" - And behold it is exceedingly good - Hashem reports that when all was created "it was exceedingly good." There was no need to improve, to add, too evolute. (Tzror Hamor citing the Holy Zohar)

Ch. 2, v. 3: "Asher boro Elokim laasos" - That G-d created to do - What does "laasos" mean here? It means that Hashem included in His creation that the creatures have the ability to "Do." Vegetation will grow, etc.

Ch. 2, v. 17: "U'mei'eitz hadaas tov vora lo sachal mi'menu" - And from the tree of knowledge of good and bad shall you not partake of it - These words can be an allusion to the difficulty in understanding why good and bad happen to different people. Do not delve into understanding the "good and bad." (Kli Yokor)

Ch. 2, v. 18: "Lo tov heyos ho'odom l'vado" - It is not good the man being alone - These words seem to indicate that the creation of a woman was done to allow primary man to have a partner. However, a woman was needed to procreate and allow for populating the world. See the Rambam in his preface to mishnios who deals with this.

Ch. 2, v. 18: "E'e'seh lo eizer k'negdo" - I will make for him a helper - The gemara Y'vomos says that if he merits it, she is a help, and if he doesn't then she is "lashes" for him. The word "k'negdo" can be understood as "angid," lashes.

If he chooses to involve himself with the pursuit of Torah and mitzvos then she is of great value. She prepares meals, does his laundry, etc., etc,. etc., ad ein shiur. This frees up his time to study Torah and do mitzvos. If however, he involves himself in meaningless pursuits, her freeing up his time is for his detriment. He ends up having more time to fool around. (Rabbi Hillel Kalamia)

Ch. 2, v. 21: "Va'ya'peil Hashem Elokim tardeimoh al ho'odom" - And Hashem Elokim cast a deep sleep upon primary man - Note the word used for causing man to sleep, "va'ya'peil." This teaches us that a person is thrown down from his level when he sleeps. Albeit that this is the human condition, that we all need to sleep, but during that time we do not actively serve Hashem. This is a true "mapoloh." (Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin)

The story is told of the holy brothers, Rebbe Reb Shmelke of Nikelsberg and Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Anipoli, who were studying Torah together. They usually studied until their strength came to an end and they fell asleep on the spot. One time one of them was about to "conk out" and he grabbed his hat off his head and placed it under his head before it hit the hard wooden table. When he awoke a while later his brother reprimanded him for not learning with due diligence. "If you had the presence of mind to place your hat under your head why didn't you push on and learn a few more words?!" zy"o

Ch. 2, v. 23: "L'zose yikorei ishoh" - To this shall be called woman - We know that a suffix letter Hei means TO, as in "MitzraimoH." Although the Torah clearly states, "V'el isheich t'shuko'seich," that a woman has a desire for a man, a man likewise has a desire for a woman. This might be alluded to in primary man's giving the woman the name "ishoh," adding a Hei to "ish," to indicate that man is drawn to woman.

Ch. 3, v. 1: "Af ki omar Elokim lo sochlu" - Even though G-d said you shall not consume - Chavoh was very firm in her position. Hashem said no! The ploy of the snake was to say "af," - even though. This is the strategy of the snake and also of latter generation snakes. Have the message of "so what" enter the ears of those who are stalwart in their service of Hashem and it will cool off the determination of the listener. This has plagued us throughout the generations. (Chidushei Hori"m)

Ch. 3, v. 7: "Vatipokachnoh einei shneihem" - And the eyes of both of them became opened - Until now they only had eyes that saw spirituality. Now they had an added dimension, eyes that viewed the physicality of items. This is "einei shneihem," eyes that saw both dimensions. (Mor Dror)

Ch. 3, v. 7: "Va'yeidu ki eirumim heim" - And they realized that they were naked - Until they sinned by eating the forbidden fruit their spiritual component was so primary that they looked upon their physical bodies like clothes. Once they sinned the physical self took on a more prominent role. It was then that their nakedness became an issue. (Rabbi Boruch Sorotzkin)

Ch. 3, v. 20: "Ki hee hoysoh eim kol choi" - Because she was the mother of all living humans - The gemara Y'vomos 63 says that a woman in marriage has two main accomplishments, to save him from temptation and to bring up her children. Since Chavoh brought temptation to Odom she was only praised with being the mother of all mankind. (Likutei Bossor Likutei)

From the above-mentioned gemara it is clear that temptation means other women. It is thus obvious that she deserves no accolade for saving him from temptation for other women, as there was only Chavoh and their daughters.

Ch. 4, v. 4: "V'Hevel heivi gam hu va'yifen Hashem el Hevel v'el minchoso" - And Hevel brought as well and Hashem turned to Hevel and his meal offering - What is the intention of this verse by saying that Hashem turned to both Hevel and his offering? We can explain "v'Hevel heivi GAM HU" to mean that not only did he bring an offering, but he also put his whole emotion into it. He thus offered himself and the meal offering. In turn, Hashem turned to him and to his offering. This was not the case with Kayin. He just went through the motions, and as a result of this Hashem did not turn to his offering and surely not to him. (n.l.)

Ch. 4, v. 14: "V'hoyisi na vonod bo'oretz v'hoyoh kol motzi yahargeini" - And I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the land and it will be that anyone who will find me will kill me - With this incident of Kayin killing Hevel we have the first murder committed in the history of the world. Hashem told Kayin (verse 12) that he will always have to wander. This makes for a very unsettled existence. This can be interpreted to mean that Hashem told him that his conscience will wreak havoc with his mind. He will have severe guilt feelings. We can now understand Kayin's response to Hashem as "v'hoyoh," an expression of joy, when someone would kill him. A life plagued with extreme guilt is worse than death (a bit akin to the theme of the "telltale heart" by Dostoevsky). (Holy Admor Rebbi Yisroel of Rizhin)

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See also Oroh V'Simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh on the Weekly Parsha, Chasidic Insights and Chamisha Mi Yodei'a