New answers tagged parashat-bereishit
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Before the Mabul, men would marry two women: one to have children and one to satisfy their desires. Adah was the one Lamech married to have children, and Tzilah was the one he married for pleasure (Rashi to Bereishis 4:19, from Bereishis Rabbah 23:2; Yerushalmi Yevamos 37b has it vice versa).
Adah and Tzilah refused to submit to Lamech. According to Rashi (...
0
Genesis 26:5 states that G-d said that Abraham "listened to my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws", the Talmud and Midrash Genesis Rabba says that Abraham observed all the biblical and rabbinical commands. The rabbis here are emphasizing not only the importance of the Oral Torah (or, Oral Law), but that the Torah and ...
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They are not created, they are formed by means of the natural laws from preexisting matter. This has nothing to do with yesh mai-ayin (creation from nothing) which occurred at the very beginning.
We usually talk of star formation in terms of the gas mass that is converted
into stars each year.
Indeed as Rashi and others point out on Bereishis 1:14 Yesh ...
5
According to Nefesh haChaim shaar 2 (mostly around chapter 2, but it's a major theme of the whole section), a berakhah is a way to "draw down" the spiritual light inherent in the physical object.
For example, R Chaim Volozhiner writes that when the gemara says that someone who eats without making a berakhah is akin to stealing, it doesn't mean that they ...
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Rav Hirsch explains in Bereishis 1:22 that the term blessing with respect to all creatures except Man refers to the automatic fulfillment and the refinement of the creation as part of the command. That is, this was part of the creation and is specified to explain what is being done and what details needed to be included.
Hashem blessed the organic living ...
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Them is not created yet.
The line you quoted Gen 2:16, Hashem is talking to Adam. It says it right there “Vayitzav H”E” Al HaAdam...”
Bereshis second chapter (hereafter Gen 2:) tells of creation details again starting with verse 4. Adam is created in Gen2:7.to Gan Eden in Gen 2:8. The commandment you quote is Gen 2:16-17. Woman is created after that in Gen ...
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Rav Hirsch explains that the second רבו is a modification of the שרצו which is a new commandment over and above the basic fruitfulness of the world.
Noach 9:7
As Rashi says:
And you, be fruitful and multiply: According to its simple meaning:
the first [mention of this expression] (verse 1) was a blessing, and
this [mention] is a commandment. ...
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The problem you see is wrong assumptions!
Since G-d does not emit evil it is inconceivable to image that G-d would produce or create "dark forces" such as Satan or malevolent talking serpents (snakes) to manipulate or distort the creation of the world in which the Bible calls "Very good."
The "Garden of Eden" story is about morality and intelligence, and ...
2
In the beginning of his commentary to Genesis Chapter Four, Ralbag enumerates four reasons for the Torah's protracted genealogical/biographical discussions. The first one directly addresses your question:
הראשונה לישב לנו אמונת החדוש וכבר זכרה הרב המורה וזה כי מפני שספרה לנו התורה שהעולם מחודש ושהנברא ממנו ראשונה הוא איש אחד לבד יפול ספק חזק לאנשים על זה ...
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Rav Hirsch explains that this shows that a man is not complete until he marries and becomes a an independent being with a partner of his own. Until that occurs, he is part of the family unit and subject to the control of his parents.
Therefore, because as long as man was alone it was not yet "good", and
because once the division had been made, it was no ...
3
Rav Hirsch says that calling by name is this case expresses the setting up of the mission and purpose of the item which is called by the names involved.
In any case, where Hashem dowes call something by a name it always
expresses a mission, a calling for the one to be so called, as Abraham,
Israel etc. It is accordingly here also to be taken in the ...
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I think Maimonides answered this well. The Rambam says that the world probably wasn't created for people so people should take care of the earth and be careful not to pollute it. This interpretation suggests that animals are also important to G-d. We should show respect for animals because animals also have feelings. This is the meaning of the 7th law of ...
0
The image (selem) and likeness (debut) “Leu us make man in our image after our likeness (Gen 1:26) seem to be expressing the opinion that G-d has a shape. Selem does not mean a shape because G-d does not have shape. G-d does not have corporeality (tzelem). People are not made in the “image” of G-d in terms of likeness but in intellect.
The Talmud exclaims ...
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One approach is found in Pirkei Avot 5:2
עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מֵאָדָם וְעַד נֹחַ, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ
אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין עַד
שֶׁהֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מֵי הַמַּבּוּל. עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מִנֹּחַ וְעַד
אַבְרָהָם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל
הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין, עַד ...
1
Rav Hirsch explains this at length in Beraishis 4:3-6
3 Now it came to pass at the end of days, that Cain brought of the
fruit of the soil an offering to the Lord.
4 And Abel he too brought of the firstborn of his flocks and of their
fattest, and the Lord turned to Abel and to his offering.
5 But to Cain and to his offering He did not turn, ...
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I would suggest that the distinction here is between things that were commanded to "Jews", and things that were commanded to everyone. Let's first look at the actual wording of Rashi's comment:
אמר ר' יצחק לא היה צריך להתחיל התורה אלא מהחדש הזה לכם שהיא מצוה ראשונה שנצטוו ישראל
R. Isaac said: The Torah need not have started but from "this month is ...
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Where was Adam in the garden when the snake tempted Eve (Chava)? Nowhere. Because the temptation of Eve never happened.[1]
Additionally, how could Chava be fooled or cheated by a snake when they can't actually speak? We know that animals do not speak because it is contrary to the nature of things. A breach in the laws of nature. The truth is: natural law is ...
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In Emunot V'Deiot 3:9 R. Saadia Gaon explains that prior to the priesthood of Aaron and his sons, there were always specific people appointed to perform sacrificial services:
The third [problem is presented by] the fact that God commanded all men to offer up sacrifices and then forbade such activities to everyone except Aaron and his children. But this, ...
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