Parashat Bereshit
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other Writings).
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical
books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song
of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and
Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and
Chronicles I & II.
Some minor alterations have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ having been corrected.
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Remember the following three truth’s from our beloved Scriptures!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, neither shall ye
diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments
of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (the LORD your
Elohim) which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2.
“This is My Name FOREVER, and this is My Memorial to ALL Generations”. Shemot - Exodus 3:15. (JPS).
“I am יְהוָה, that is My Name; and My glory will I not give to another”. Yeshayahu - Isaiah 42:8. (JPS).
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Bereshit - Genesis Chapter 2: vv 2-3.
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
I will start with the Hebrew, followed by a transliteration, and then the obvious translation.
וַיְכַל
אֱלֹהִים
בַּיּוֹם
הַשְּׁבִיעִי,
מְלַאכְתּוֹ
אֲשֶׁר
עָשָׂה;
וַיִּשְׁבֹּת
בַּיּוֹם
הַשְּׁבִיעִי,
מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ
אֲשֶׁר
עָשָׂה 2.
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ: כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל-מְלַאכְתּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר-בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת 3.
2. Vayechal Elohim bayom hashvi‘i melachto asher asah;
vayishbot bayom hashvi‘i mikol melachto asher asah.
3. Vayevarech Elohim et yom hashvi‘i vayekadesh oto; ki vo shavat
mikol melachto asher bara Elohim la‘asot.
“And on the seventh day אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And אֱלֹהִים blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which אֱלֹהִים in creating had made”.
The Torah tells us that אֱלֹהִים blessed be He, “finished His creation on the seventh day, and He then rested on what has become our blessed “Shabbat”.
I have been asked the following question; “Did אֱלֹהִים, create anything on Shabbat, and what does really mean when it states “And אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) finished on the seventh day His work?”
Well let us look at this verse more carefully ... First in Hebrew, followed by a Transliteration, and the English is already above.
At the very beginning of verse 2 It commences with the Hebrew verb וַיְכַל - Vaye’chal, meaning “He finished”. This should be understood not as ‘active labour’ but as havening brought it all to completion, thus the act of ceasing.
However, there is something else in this verse and it is this, which I will explain below, and we will look at the second part of verse 2:
אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה - Asher asah, meaning “which He had made”.
עָשָׂה Asah - is in the perfect tense, which in scriptural Hebrew usually denotes “completed action”.
The relative clause אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה confirms that the work had been already done, as it’s retrospective.
Because this is a most important question, and I am sure many others will have thought about it and could not understand it, thus the following will make it much clearer.
Word-by-word breakdown:
וַיְכַל
אֱלֹהִים
- Vayechal אֱלֹהִים - Elohim = and אֱלֹהִים finished.
בַּיּוֹם
הַשְּׁבִיעִי
- bayom hashvi‘i = on the seventh day.
מְלַאכְתּוֹ
אֲשֶׁר
עָשָׂה - melachto
asher asah = His work
which He had made.
וַיִּשְׁבֹּת - vayishbot = and He rested
or ceased.
מִכָּל
מְלַאכְתּוֹ
- mikol melachto = from all His work.
וַיְבָרֶךְ
אֱלֹהִים - vayevarech אֱלֹהִים
= And אֱלֹהִים
blessed.
וַיְקַדֵּשׁ
אֹתוֹ - vayekadesh
oto = and sanctified it.
כִּי
בוֹ שָׁבַת
- ki vo shavat
= because in it He rested.
אֲשֶׁר
בָּרָא
אֱלֹהִים
לַעֲשׂוֹת
- asher bara אֱלֹהִים la‘asot = which אֱלֹהִים - Elohim had
created to make.
Thus what we have learned from that is ... This passage is rich with layered verbs: “Asah” (made), “bara” (created), shavat (rested), and la‘asot (to make), each contributing to the rhythm and theology of Divine completion!
In this view, the “finishing” on the seventh day was the act of having concluded the creative work. Thus, the cessation itself is the final act, thus; “He rested from all His work which אֱלֹהִים in creating had made”.
What was the world lacked for the seventh day, Shabbat, it was the word מְנוּחָה – Menucha; and when that came then the work was completed and finished.
The truth is that יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים – the LORD Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, did indeed create something on or for the Shabbat; and that was the concept of מְנוּחָה - “Menucha” meaning “rest”, “peace” and “tranquillity”.
As we know, by ‘resting’ on Shabbas we emulate אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s original ‘rest’. We should learn that the ‘Shabbat - מְנוּחָה - “Menucha”’ (Sabbath rest) that we are required to participate in a day of rest as well as our תְּפִלָּה - Te’fee’lah’s (Prayers)!
What has all this told us? Just like אֱלֹהִים who stopped and reflected upon all His work done on the previous six days, so too we are supposed to actively contemplate our achievements of the previous six days and appreciate what we have achieved spiritually, but ask yourself, have I done all we should have. Did we keep Kosher, say our prayers, and say the blessings for our meals, and of course lit the Shabbas candles, etc, etc? All this an important aspect of Shabbat as is contemplation of where we are going in life which should enable us to enter the next week as growing individual’s, and hopefully encouraging our Mishpacha to do the same and אֱלֹהִים - Elohim willing join us at Shul!
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Remember
what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via a
number of our prophets...
“Return unto Me, and I will
return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. MEC).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה
(the LORD your God); walk in My statutes,
and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be
a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - YaHVaH Eloheicem”. Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as follows;
“The More Torah, the More Life”,
For our Elohim is the One who gave us our ... Life!
May
the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom (Peace) of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה(the LORD of
hosts) be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the ‘מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your
daily תְּפִלָּה - Te’fee’lah’s (Prayers) and
regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s (blessings) before food and
drinks, etc!
PLEASE
NOTE: If you need
help I can email you special items to help you with whatever you may need, etc!
Just email me (using the link further below) and I will send it to your email,
without any follow up whatsoever, or any requests from me!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom
Aleichem - Peace be
with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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