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1:1 Breishis

According to Rashi that says that the possuk is an introduction (in the beginning of creation of the heavens and the earth). My question is why does the torah need a introductory possuk?

It could of just say בראשונה וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר.

In other words the words בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ are superflous. What is the point of them

msh210
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    Rashi's first commentary gives the reason: " Now for what reason did He commence with “In the beginning?” Because of [the verse] “The strength of His works He related to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations” (Ps. 111:6). For if the nations of the world should say to Israel, “You are robbers, for you conquered by force the lands of the seven nations [of Canaan],” they will reply, "The entire earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it (this we learn from the story of the Creation) and gave it to whomever He deemed proper When He wished – rosends Jul 04 '14 at 20:43
  • Great Answer! I changed my question can you answer that one too? –  Jul 04 '14 at 20:45
  • I ask for an answer which is pshat but that only works if my question is pshat so if you prove that my question is not pshat then that also answers my question –  Jul 04 '14 at 21:15
  • on the level of pshat, your question is "why does a text which gives an account of creation, have to include the moment of creation? Why not start 5 minutes later?" The simple answer is "because it is an account of creation." – rosends Jul 04 '14 at 21:18
  • My question is more like the words בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ are superflous. –  Jul 04 '14 at 21:20
  • But your version would have to presume that they were created without that having been attested to by the text. They are not superfluous because they provide an accounting of facts otherwise not in evidence. It also includes "elokim" to name the power responsible. Your version would not include that. – rosends Jul 04 '14 at 21:21
  • I do not need a pashuto shel mikra any more. My question is not why did he start with creation if the possuk would of said בראשונה וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ. That would still begin with creation and still coincide with rebbi Yitzchack –  Jul 04 '14 at 21:23
  • How would that start with creation? In that version, where is creation? – rosends Jul 04 '14 at 21:24
  • Look at edit. (another question of mine is what is the point of verse 2 which I kinds squeezed in there as you can see but I will ask that at a different time (if you have an answer please share) –  Jul 04 '14 at 21:27
  • It is my understanding that Rashi's rendering of the text makes it clear that the Torah does not "begin" with the literal "beginning" of creation but at some point in the initial stages. In fact, some argue that at that point, time was "timeless" as certain natural phenomenon (such as the sun and moon) were not yet in place and thus time was immeasurable at that point. In addition to Danno's response above, there is I believe a Jewish tradition of not delving too deeply into what occurred before this point in time. Perhaps Hashem did not want us to have such knowledge..... – JJLL Jul 04 '14 at 23:54
  • .....Other than some references with Kabbalistic underpinnings, such as the letters of the Alef Bet battling it out over which letter would be the first in the Torah, we are not suppose to venture into what happened before. The book, Wisdom in the Hebrew Letters by Rabbi Michael Munk (Art Scroll) might provide insight into why Hashem selected Bereshit as the beginning of the Torah given the "fact" that Hashem has no literal beginning or end. – JJLL Jul 05 '14 at 00:00
  • So why is it written in the torah? Where every letter etc. is very precious? –  Jul 06 '14 at 02:18
  • ...also, Bereishit is a great name for the book. What would they call it if it started with parsha 2 "V'Haaretz"? "Tohu v Bohu"? Nope - "Bereishit" is a much better name for the book! – Gary Jul 07 '14 at 00:44
  • I agree, but it could of just done בְּרֵאשִׁית וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ.... –  Jul 07 '14 at 00:50

2 Answers2

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This is really answered by the second Rashi in the parsha: אין המקרא הזה אומר אלא דרשני - the the purpose of this verse is the Drasha. Yes, it has a way to read it in plain meaning, but its phrasing is awkwardly constructed and superfluous precisely because its primary purpose is not the plain meaning.

Even at the simple level, it is understood that there are deeper levels to the Torah. It is just not something that is explained at the plain level. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe elaborates on this concept in the Sicha referenced here, where drash is even more prominent).

That is to satisfy Rashi. If you want a different approach in Pshat in these pesukim, you can look at the Rashbam. The Rashbam says that the purpose of the creation story is to justify what it says in the Ten Commandments - that Heaven and Earth were created in 7 days. What he says is that the existence of the earth preceded these 7 days by an indeterminate amount of time, but the purpose is to describe that aspect of creation about which it can be said "כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי". So here the verse has to orient that this represents the beginning of creation vis-a-vis these seven days, so the heavens and the earth have to be specifically called out.

Really, you can't pass by (even in the plain meaning) the fact that without this verse, the implication would be that the heavens and earth were not created, rather G-d came along and formed from existing materials ח"ו.

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Yishai
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  • But look in Rashi who says that it can't be the order of creation. Anyway I still do not get your answer to my question why we need the WHOLE first possuk it could of just said בְּרֵאשִׁית וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ –  Jul 07 '14 at 19:47
  • @user613, I don't understand what remains unclear. In your formulation something major is missing - that anything was created. So that means ברשית ברא. Once you have the word ברא, you have to specify what. And Rashi elaborates later - everything is including in that one verse. It as all created at once, and then put into place afterwards. – Yishai Jul 07 '14 at 19:50
  • Which Rashi? Does it say that? –  Jul 07 '14 at 19:55
  • @user613, 1:14 – Yishai Jul 07 '14 at 19:57
  • Ok Thanks I see how you answered my question now. –  Jul 07 '14 at 19:58
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I was taught the beit in B'reishit stood for 2 as in "two beginnings created Elokim..." And that B'reishit 1:1 introduced what those two beginnings were.

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