In-the-Beginning
-hebraicstudies.net-
Please do NOT visit this
site on שַׁבָּת - Shabbat or on
the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts!
Re Tanakh versions:
Throughout this site I may use any of three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish
Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), three brilliant versions, However, the
JPS-1917 is my preferred version!
Colour coded
details of our beloved TaNaKh:
1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all 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.
Please Note: Some
alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’
of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God), having been corrected
like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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בְּרֵאשִׁית - Bereshit - Genesis 1:1.
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Of course you will have read Genesis Chapter 1, verse 1 countless times.
Here it is in Ivrit – Hebrew, followed by English
version. (All verses are from the JPS-1917 version).
In the JPS-1917
translation, Genesis 1:1 reads:
בְּרֵאשִׁית,
בָּרָא
אֱלֹהִים, אֵת
הַשָּׁמַיִם,
וְאֵת
הָאָרֶץ
“In the beginning אֱלֹהִים created the heaven and the
earth”.
The Hebrew word בְּרֵאשִׁית (Bereshit)
is composed of the prefix a larger letter בְּ (B’ - meaning “in” or “for”) and the
noun רֵאשִׁית (Reshit),
derived from רֹאשׁ (Rosh), which literally means “head”, “chief”,
“first” or “prime”.
Throughout our certain
other writings, ‘Reshit’ does not mean a point
in time, but rather a choice, prime entity or purpose.
The Purposeful Meaning
of Reshit:
Across the Tanakh, “Reshit” actually refers
to “first fruits”, “choicest” or “wisdom”.
Torah/Wisdom: In Proverbs 8:22, Wisdom (understood in classical Hebrew
thought as the Torah) states:
יְהוָה-קָנָנִי,
רֵאשִׁית
דַּרְכּוֹ:
קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו
מֵאָז
“יְהוָה - the LORD made me as the beginning
(reshit) of His way, the first of His works of old”.
In Jeremiah 2:3, it is
written as follows:
קֹדֶשׁ
יִשְׂרָאֵל
לַיהוָה,
רֵאשִׁית
תְּבוּאָתֹה;
כָּל-אֹכְלָיו
יֶאְשָׁמוּ,
רָעָה תָּבֹא
אֲלֵיהֶם
נְאֻם-יְהוָה
“
Interestingly the First fruits Offering, in
Leviticus and Deuteronomy, the first and best portion of the harvest given
to אֱלֹהִים is called “Reshit”.
Looking again at Genesis 1:1, we should note that the word is בְּרֵאשִׁית (B’reshit)
rather than בָּרִאשוֹנָה (B’rishona -
which standard Hebrew uses for chronological sequence, “at first”). Because of
this, classical Hebrew sources explain that the verse can be read teleological:
For the sake of (B’) which is called
First/Choicest (Reshit), אֱלֹהִים created the heaven and the
earth.
The creation of the physical world was not an accident or a mere starting
marker of a clock; it was brought into existence specifically for the
purpose of Torah (Wisdom), ‘spiritual alignment’, and Israel to fulfil that moral purpose on earth.
Grammatical Insight from
the Masoretic Text:
Grammatically, Bereshit is in the construct state
(nismach), which means “at the beginning of...”
rather than a standalone “in the beginning”.
Classical Hebrew traditions point out that if the text meant to assert a absolute temporal order, it would read differently.
Thus, the ancient Hebrew translations (Targum Onkelos and Targum Yerushalmim) often translate Bereshit as: “In
wisdom (B’chokhma) אֱלֹהִים created...”
This reinforces the concept that creation was executed through Divine
blueprint and purposeful design, rather than simple raw timeline chronology!
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Please Note: “hebraicstudies” links are located down
the page!
This site was originally created, for those who desired to
return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith
and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our
beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s
guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed
be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of
studies!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following through a number of
our prophets...
“The More Torah, the More Life”,
For 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 - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and
regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before food
and drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom
Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Enter ...