בס”ד
It is said that this Torah portion of Bereishit, has great significance as this is the beginning of the Torah. But still, the centrality of the Totah portion of Bereishit requires explanation. What is so special about it? What is unique about this portion is that it describes the creation of the world. Knowledge of this fact and contemplation of its meaning is the cornerstone of one’s service to G-d throughout the year. The more a person is deeply imbued with the significance of Shabbat Bereishit, the easier it will be for him to serve his Creator throughout all the days of the year.
The story of creation begins with “In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth,” explaining that the word ‘creation’ indicates the emergence of something from nothing. In other words, before creation, there was no reality; there was nothingness and void, and from this nothing, G-d created the world.
This is a tremendous insight, unlike any creative act we know: the creation of a reality of a world—out of absolute nothingness. Therefore, in order for the created world to persist in its existence and not revert to nothingness, G-d continually recreates it at every moment, just as He created it the first time.
The significance of this is that the only true existence of the entire world is the Divine Utterance. The world itself has no independent existence as a substance in itself. The entire existence of the world is nothing but the Divine Utterance, which creates and sustains it at every moment.
Now we can understand the centrality of the weekly portion of Bereishit. This portion gives a person the correct perspective on the world. When he enters life, he encounters challenges and obstacles; on the other hand, the Divine Utterance is the reality of all creation. Therefore, there cannot be a contradiction between the two; it cannot be that the world hinders the observance of the seven commandments! The world was created so that we would fulfill the seven commandments.
Every person who enters life throughout the year imbued with this awareness will not see worldly matters as an obstruction. On the contrary, even when engaged in his business, he maintains a true consciousness that the entire world was created at every moment to fulfill the commandments of the Creator, as the sages explain that the world exists only for the sake of fulfilling G-d’s will.
By Rabbi Moshe Bernstein
If you want more questions for contemplation, SEE THE OTHER BLOGS FROM RABBI MOSHE BERNSTEIN
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