Parshat Bereishet
PARSHA OVERVIEW
In the beginning, Hashem creates the entire universe, including time itself, out of nothingness. This process of creation continues for six days. On the seventh day, Hashem rests, bringing into existence the spiritual universe of Shabbat, which returns to us every seven days. Adam and Chava — the human pair — are placed in the Garden of Eden. Chava is enticed by the serpent to eat from the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil," and in turn gives the fruit to Adam. By absorbing "sin" into themselves, Adam and Chava render themselves incapable of remaining in the spiritual paradise of Eden and are banished. Death and hard work (both physical and spiritual) now enter the world, together with pain in childbirth. Now begins the struggle to correct the sin of Adam and Chava, which will be the subject of the history of the world.
Cain and Hevel, the first two children of Adam and Chava, bring offerings to Hashem. Hevel gives the finest of his flock, and his offering is accepted, but Cain gives inferior produce and his offering is rejected. In the ensuing quarrel, Cain kills Hevel, and is condemned to wander the earth. The Torah traces the genealogy of the other children of Adam and Chava, and the descendants of Cain until the birth of Noach. After the death of Sheit, mankind descends into evil, and Hashem decides that He will blot out man in a flood which will deluge the world. However, one person, Noach, finds favor with Hashem.
PARSHA INSIGHTS
The Anti-Semites Are Right: the Jews Do Run the World
“In the beginning…” (1:1)
Our rabbis teach, “Lev Melachim v’sarim b’yad Hashem.” This means, “The hearts of kings and ministers are in the Hand of Hashem.” When it comes to international affairs, anything that impinges on the future of the world, even the most important leaders have no freedom of choice. They become puppets.
And who pulls the strings of those puppets. We do. The Jewish People.
The very first word in the Torah is “Bereishis.” The Midrash expounds ‘Bereishis’ to read as ‘Bishvil Reishis’ – ‘Because of Reishis.’ One of the things the Gemara calls ‘Reishis’ is the Jewish People. Meaning that the world was created in the merit of the Jewish People.
Hashem set up this world in such a way that our every action, for the good or the not-so-good, ascends through all the spiritual worlds above to the highest possible places. It makes its effect there and then the power of that action descends back down through all those worlds to this, the lowest world, becoming a physical reality. For example, when someone keeps Shabbos in Bristol or in Ramsgate or in Timbuktu, that spiritual energy ascends all the way to the control room of the universe and is sent back down as massive positive energy. A typhoon in the China Sea is cancelled, abundant rain falls in Niger, averting a famine.
The Gemara says, “Pnei Hador, k’pnei hakelev.” This means that the face of the generation just before Mashiach is like the face of a dog.
Let’s pretend you were a visiting Martian, unfamiliar with Earth creatures and you saw a man and dog out for a walk. You would think that the dog was leading the man because he’s out in front. But the dog is constantly looking over its shoulder, finding out which way it should go. The leaders of this world are not in charge. We are. Don’t look at the news to find out what the polls say, what the pundits say.
The real news is being created by you. How did you treat your wife this morning? How did you treat your mother? How did you pray? Were you careful about what went into your mouth and were you just a careful about what type of words came out?
The anti-Semites of this world are right: the Jews do run the world. But not in the way they think. It’s not the puppets of politics who are the movers and shakers of this world. You are.
