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Drash for Shabbat B'reisheet By Barner Tiefenbrunn - October 5, 2007 Here we are starting with the beginning of the Torah once again. Or are we? We did so on Simchat Torah when we read from the last portion of the Torah and immediately followed by reading from Parashat Bereshit. There is never an end or a beginning of the study of Torah. The cycle is always a continued one. A lot is being discussed today as to whether we should teach creation side by side with the theory of evolution. The valid scientific theory of evolution should be taught in our classrooms, however the theology of creation surely has its place in our houses of worship. What people cannot see is that actually we are doing both when we study creation as related in the Torah. In its opening statement the Torah makes two assumptions. One, the existence of God and two, God is the creator. In its first verse nothing else is recorded concerning creation except the creation of heaven and earth. Nothing is said that allows us to fix the date of creation. Nothing is revealed about the appearance of heavenly bodies or earthy inhabitants. Nothing is said about the motives of God in creating or the purpose of his creatures and creations, or of how long it took creation to evolve. We are told that God created and there is no argument presented to prove God's existence, or non-existence. It is an undisputed fact. God was before the beginning and is therefore eternal. In the portion of Bereshit we read "In the beginning God created". Nowhere else in the Torah does the word "create"(Barah) appear. What we learn is that man cannot create but only discover what is already in existence and develop other things from it. Only God can make or produce something new. There are in actuality two stories of the creation of Adam and Eve. One, to appease the chauvinists among us, Eve was created from Adam's rib, but in two other places it states that they were created together. Adam and Eve were told that their responsibilities were to tender all other living animals and care for the land. But it was not so good after all. A rabbinical commentary suggests that God might have set into motion for Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, for without doing so they would never learn about the meaning of life. After they ate from the tree they were expelled from the Garden of Eden for a harsher life of hard work and difficult child bearing . They traversed the land and one day reappeared at the gate to the Garden of Eden. When invited to enter they asked what was expected of them in the Garden. God told them that they would live happily ever after with no need to work or toil with the sweat and tears. Adam took Eve by her hand and led her away, saying "This is not for us let us resume our life we have come to know". In my studies I came across an interesting commentary as to why Creation as described in Genesis took place. The purpose of Creation was Matan Torah (The giving of the Torah). When God created the universe there was a purpose in His plan. Having created the human being, the master plan although very good, was changed on completion. God wanted to destroy the world which got corrupted. The inhabitants were not the ones who deserved the Torah. We hence rush through two Parashiot to the appearance of Abraham, and the start of the Jewish race. Then the establishment of the covenant between God and Abraham. From there we learn that the purpose of creation was actually the giving of the Torah. Even when we are taught that the Torah actually existed before creation, it may in fact make this assumption of matan Torah more provable. Rashi even suggested that the Torah should not have started with the story of creation but rather with the departure of the Israelites from Egypt which led to the receiving of the Torah. How do we fit into the master plan? We were put on this earth to care for the universe. We have done poorly because we have the free will to do as we please. We know the difference between good and evil, yet we are not able to do the correct thing. Our air is polluted, the earth is over tilled, The waters are poisoned and now we have to make the new plan "B" of Tikun Olam. Just as God turned to plan "B" so must we! And if we fail God, may not be there to help us. With whatever little wisdom that we may have, Let's not put God to the test. Shabbat Shalom.
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