B'reisheet
In the beginning — בראשית
Note: The regular readings above are often interrupted with special readings on Jewish holidays, special Sabbaths, and Rosh Chodesh. Refer to the annual Torah Portion schedule for these special portions.
Portion Summary
The scroll of the Torah is the oldest and most sacred of all Israel's Scriptures. It contains five books. The Hebrew name for the first one is B'reisheet (בראשית). It is also the first word of the book in the Hebrew text, as well as the name for the first parasha (the first week's reading). B'reisheet means "in the beginning."
The English name Genesis comes from the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Genesis means "origins." Therefore, the Greek name for the first book of the Bible means "The Book of Origins."
Genesis describes the origins of everything. It begins with the origins of the universe, focuses on the origins of man and then explores the origins of the nation of Israel.
As we study the first week's reading from the book of Genesis, we will learn a great deal about God, but even more about ourselves. After all, this is the story of our origins. When properly understood, the story of our origin helps us find our destination.
Portion Outline
- Torah
- Genesis 1:1 | Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath
- Genesis 2:4 | Another Account of the Creation
- Genesis 3:1 | The First Sin and Its Punishment
- Genesis 4:1 | Cain Murders Abel
- Genesis 4:17 | Beginnings of Civilization
- Genesis 5:1 | Adam's Descendants to Noah and His Sons
- Genesis 6:1 | The Wickedness of Humankind
- Genesis 6:9 | Noah Pleases God
- Prophets
- Isaiah 42:1 | The Servant, a Light to the Nations
- Isaiah 42:10 | A Hymn of Praise
- Isaiah 42:21 | Israel's Disobedience
- Isaiah 43:1 | Restoration and Protection Promised
The Heavenly Adam
God made Adam "in His image," but what is the image of the invisible God? What, or who, is the image of God?
The Creation of Adam – An illustration of the famous
section from the Sistine Chapel fresco by Michelangelo. (Image © FFOZ)
The apostles say, "Yeshua is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature" (Hebrews 1:3).
Paul also alludes to the same mystical ideas when he states: “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly [i.e., Adam], we will also bear the image of the heavenly [i.e., Yeshua]” (1 Corinthians 15:49). Paul calls Adam “the first Adam” and Messiah “the second Adam.” According to Paul, “The first Adam is from the earth, earthy; the second Adam is from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47), “an impression of Him who was to come” (Romans 5:14). That is to say that Adam was made in the image of Messiah.
Tz’nah Ur’enah says, “Just as Adam was created in God’s image, so the Messiah is anointed by God, and God’s Spirit will be upon him.” God created Adam in His image, and the Messiah is the image of God: “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15); “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Luke even refers to Adam as “the son of God” (Luke 3:38).
The Messiah, as the second Adam, provides humanity with a fresh start. In Messiah, the human race can go back to Eden, so to speak, and start over in perfect innocence and righteousness.
Adam’s name means “man.” Sin and death came to humanity as the result of one man’s sin. Through one single act of disobedience, Adam forfeited his right to the tree of life, so human death came through Adam. Death came “even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam” (Romans 5:14), which is to say that everyone dies.
It does seem frightfully unfair that one man’s single transgression consigns all humanity to death, but it is equally unfair that one man’s righteousness also offers all of humanity the reward of righteousness: “The right to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14). Those who cast their allegiance with “the last Adam,” the life-giving Spirit, receive that reward.
Messiah is a second Adam, but unlike the first Adam, He did not transgress. If the first Adam’s sin was sufficient to merit death for all mankind, the righteousness of Messiah—the last Adam—is sufficient to merit life for all of us: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). This is the hope of eternal life through the resurrection of the dead. Resurrection reverses Adam’s bane.
The weekly Sabbath celebrates the coming of the Messiah. The Sabbath offers a weekly foretaste of the era of peace and rest when Messiah will rule the earth.
(Photo:
Bigstock / Composition © FFOZ)
In the Talmud, some of the sages viewed the seven days of creation as a broad outline for human history, as the Scripture says, “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by” (Psalm 90:4). Accordingly, they compared each of the six days to a millennia of history. Different rabbis offered differing opinions, but they generally agreed that the seventh day, the day of the Sabbath, corresponds to the seventh millennium—the thousand-year Messianic Era. In the poetic words of the sages, the Messianic Era will be a “day that is altogether Sabbath.”
Tz’enah Ur’enah says, “Man was created on the sixth day, for within six thousand years the Messiah will come.” The apostolic community held a similar view of redemptive history. The book of Hebrews compares the age to come to the Sabbath and speaks of the Sabbath as a foretaste of final salvation and the Messianic Era. The book of Revelation speaks of a coming millennium of peace—a thousand-year reign of Messiah during which the adversary is bound in chains. The Apostle Peter reminds us that “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Peter 3:8).
Why doesn’t it say in regard to the Sabbath “and there was evening and there was morning” like it does for the other days? Because the Sabbath alludes to the world to come, and it is called the day that is completely Shabbat, and there is no night. (MinchahBelulah)
Though the Messiah may tarry, we eagerly await the coming return of Messiah, who will initiate that seventh millennium, a thousand-year era “that is altogether Sabbath.” May He come speedily, soon, and in our lifetimes.
Did you know that you are an exile? Much as the Jewish people endure the punishment of exile from the holy land, all humanity suffers in exile—driven from the delights of paradise and the potential of eternal life.
A concept of the Tree of Life from the pages of the
Bible. (Image © Bigstock)
The LORD exiled Adam and Eve from the garden. It was an act of mercy. Had they remained in the garden, they might have eaten of the fruit of the Tree of Life. God did not create them immortal, yet He left immortality hanging within their grasp. They only needed to reach out and eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life, and that fruit was never forbidden them. Should they do so in their fallen state, they would have been consigned to an immortal existence in rebellion against God, not unlike the Devil, unredeemed and unredeemable for all of eternity: an eternal life of endless death.
In His abundant mercy, God exiled them from paradise and banned them from immortality:
Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. (Genesis 3:22-23)
God created our souls and our bodies for the Garden of Delight. In some spiritual memory, every human being can still recall the taste of the fruit of the garden. Human beings have a longing wired into their hearts for the place of God, a desire we cannot quite articulate. We thirst for water we have never tasted. We long for fruit we have never eaten. We hunger and thirst for the presence of God. That’s why you are reading these words. That’s why we are always seeking to fill the empty places of our lives, and it is why we are prone to addictions, sensuality, and self-destructive behaviors. We are longing for Eden.
The exile from the garden corresponds to Israel’s exile from the land and this current exile we endure. When the kingdom comes, Israel will return to the land, and the exile will be over. The gates of Eden will open, and we will return to the presence of God. Then all humanity will know the LORD.
So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)
There is a way back to Eden, past the flaming sword and between the cherubim. The Torah calls this the “derech etz haChayim” the “way of the tree of life.” The word “way (derech, דרך)” appears first in Genesis 3:24. The cherubim embroidered in the Temple curtains allude to the way of the tree of life. They stand sentry before the holy of holies and the presence of God, just as the cherubim in Genesis guard the way to the tree of life. This may be one of the meanings of the rending of the Temple curtain when the Master died. He has made the way between the cherubim. He Himself is “The Way, the Truth and the Life.” The early sect of Jewish believers who followed Him and believed Him called themselves, “The Way.” He has made the way through the curtain, into the garden, to holy of holies and the tree of life.
We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Yeshua, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. (Hebrews 10:19-20)
Where Are You?
Where is God? According to the Torah, this is the wrong question entirely. The real question is, "Where are you?"
Where is God? This is the wrong question. God has not
hidden himself behind the stars and the galaxies. God is here! The real
question is, where are we? (Image © Bigstock)
Adam and Eve had choices: The tree of life or the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Choosing is an essential part of being human. We can choose good, which is the way of life, or disobedience, which results in death. We choose between the two trees countless times every day.
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8-9)
Once there was a Chassidic teacher, a great rabbi, who was observing the children playing hide-and-seek. One child covered his eyes and counted while the other children scattered and hid. Then he went and began to find the children, one after another. As he found them the others join the search.
After watching the children play for a while, the rabbi returned to his books. Time passed, and the voices of the children faded away. He was eventually disturbed from his studies by the sound of a lone child’s voice crying in the schoolyard. He went out to see what had happened, thinking perhaps the child might be hurt. He asked the child, “Son, what is it? Why all this weeping?” The boy explained, “We were all playing hide-and-seek. I was hiding, and they didn’t find me. They quit looking for me, and they all went home.” He began to sob. The rabbi realized that this child’s sorrow was like God’s sorrow. God has, in a sense, concealed Himself and bid us to look for Him, but no one is looking for Him.
In the garden of Eden humans experienced God directly. In the paradise of Eden, human beings lived in simplicity and innocence, without sin, guilt, shame or knowledge thereof. God was present; He was immediate; He was revealed. He spoke with them. Walked with them. They knew His presence; they recognized His voice. He was not hidden. There was no seeking after God. God was everywhere; His voice carried through the orchard.
What has happened since then? Why has God removed himself? Why has He hidden Himself away?
Let’s look at the story. Who hid from whom? The Torah says, “The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). In the story, it is God who calls out to man. God did not hide Himself. God searched for man. He called out to the human beings, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). Abraham Joshua Heschel took the title of his famous philosophy of Judaism from this narrative: God in Search of Man.
We are the ones who have hidden ourselves from the presence of God. In our fallen and rebellious state, in our place of sentience, self-awareness and self-determination, we are unable to bear the presence of God.
Where is God? This is the wrong question. The real question is, where are we?
Do You Have Two Souls?
Human life exists in constant tension between two very different points of origin. On one hand, we are made out of the stuff of earth. On the other hand, we are vessels containing a spark of the Divine.
God made Adam as a hybrid of spirit and flesh. Man possesses two souls—a “divine” soul called the neshamah (נשמה) and an “animal” soul called the nefesh (נפש). Both the nefesh and the neshamah are mentioned in Genesis 2:7:
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath [neshamah, נשמה] of life; and man became a living being [nefesh, נפש]. (Genesis 2:7)
The divine soul is that pre-existent aspect of the soul, the “breath” of God which He breathes into human beings. It is a portion of His own essence, and it survives after death.
The animal soul is the human life-force which animates the flesh. The animal soul provides our mortal vitality, our sense of self and sentience. The common biblical Hebrew word for soul is nefesh, (נפש), but nefesh is seldom used to refer to the immortal, spiritual element of the divine soul. Instead, nefesh refers to a person’s psyche, the “self” and the “personality.” The mystics describe the nefesh as a man’s thought, speech, and action. Even animals have a nefesh. Its inclination and appetites are carnal, material, and selfish, therefore, its influence over man leads us toward selfishness, lust, greed, and sin. Despite this, the animal soul is not evil, for it also comes from God. The animal soul can be harnessed and brought under the influence of the divine soul and into the service of God.
The Hebrew word for “breath” in Genesis 2:7 is neshamah (נשמה). The same word is commonly used in Judaism to refer to the divine soul. The neshamah entered Adam as the “breath of life” God breathed into him. The divine soul is the source of our innate thirst for God. The apostles refer to it as the “spirit” (not to be confused with the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit). According to apostolic theology, this spirit within man is dead until it is quickened by salvation and brought to life and communion with the Holy Spirit.
To enter a human being, the neshamah must leave its abode in the heavens and inhabit an earthly body. Then the nefesh (personality) and neshamah (divine soul) bind together, but remain distinct. At death, the nefesh perishes with the body, but the neshamah returns to its source: “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
Voice of the Prophets
Imagine Yeshua as a young man studying through the scroll of Isaiah. Imagine how the words of the prophet must have resonated within Him and burned in His heart like fire.
In this week's Torah portion God makes the heavens and the earth, spreads out the dry land upon the water, creates vegetation and animals, and breathes life into mankind. The opening verse of the haftarah hearkens back to these events as God identifies Himself as the creator of heaven and earth and the one who gave breath and spirit to human beings.
"Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it." (Isaiah 42:5)
God is not just a provincial or ethnic God but rather the creator of all things and all men. God is not just the God of Israel, He is the God of all creation. As He commissions His servant, He commissions Him as a minister to all nations:
I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)
As we read these words, we should envision the Father speaking directly to the Son. The voice of God speaks directly to His servant, the Messiah. Imagine Yeshua as a young man studying through the scroll of Isaiah and coming upon these passages. Imagine how they must have resonated within Him and burned in His heart like fire as He felt the voice of the Father speaking to Him through the ancient words of the prophet Isaiah.
The LORD tells the Messiah that He is indeed His chosen and appointed one: "I have called you in righteousness." He assures Him of divine protection and direction: "I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you." He reveals the purpose of the messianic mission to Him: "I will appoint you as a covenant to the people." He reveals the universal scope of the mission: "I will appoint you as a light to the nations."
In what manner is Yeshua a "covenant to the people"? His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection form the grounds for the new covenant described by the prophet Jeremiah. Therefore Yeshua called the cup of Passover, which represents His spilled blood, the cup of the new covenant. His apostles are called "servants of a new covenant" and Yeshua is called "the mediator of a new covenant."
In what manner is Yeshua a "light to the nations"? The apostles metaphorically associated Messiah with spiritual enlightenment and revelation. The light-of-Messiah concept, of which they write so frequently, was first introduced in the writings of Isaiah.
The Gospel of John tells us that within Him is the life that is "the Light of men, the Light [that] shines in the darkness" (John 1:4-5). The teachings of Yeshua and the good news of His message are "the light of the gospel of the glory of Messiah" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Yeshua declared in John 8:12, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." Again He said, "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world" (John 9:5) and in another place He says, "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness" (John 12:46). In the world to come, He will be the lamp in the midst of New Jerusalem, a light to all nations, and "the nations will walk by its light" (Revelations 21:24).
Parashat B'reisheet - Genesis 1:1-6:8
Parashat B’reisheet is always filled with fascination and intrigue whenever we study it. There are so many facets of the Creation account to explore that it would take a lifetime to begin unraveling them. For instance, on the first day of Creation, we read about the creation of light:
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:3–5)
Although light is created on the first day, the sun, moon and stars are not created until the fourth day. If these luminaries were not created until the fourth day, then what was the light that illuminated the first three days? Fortunately, we have insights of our sages from the last two millennia that help us peer into the deep mysteries of these events. When Rashi, the famous medieval commentator, read this passage his response was that it cannot be properly understood without outside commentary, particularly the midrash.
What does the midrash have to say about this passage? It has more than we have time to cover here. But the main concept we need to understand is that this light that was first spoken into existence is unique and distinct from the light produced by the luminaries. It was a special, pure light that radiated from God himself. The Torah gives us a clue about the quality of this light when it says, “And God saw that the light was good.” It was the first of all Creation to have this special designation of “good.” According to Rabbi Elazar, in a midrash called Yalkut Shimoni, the light that God created on the first day was used by Adam to look from one end of the universe to the other. It was something extremely special.
Because of its uniqueness, its sanctity was more than a soon-to-be fallen world could handle. Therefore, the Torah tells us that “God separated the light from the darkness.” The midrash explains that this separation was not merely an untangling of light from darkness, but its complete removal. Where did this light go? The midrash tells us:
It is stored up for the righteous in the Messianic future, as it says (Isaiah 30:26), “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days.” (Genesis Rabbah 3:6)
For now, that light continues to be hidden away “until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10). When it is returned to the earth the New Jerusalem will shine forth this light to all of creation, as it is said, “The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23). Darkness will be vanquished and the supernal light of Creation will return to illuminate the world forever, as it says, “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).
As we longingly await its arrival, let us continue to shine forth the light of the Torah and of our Messiah so that the world will see our good deeds—a glimpse of this supernatural light—and glorify our Father in Heaven. One day the True Light will be revealed in all of its glory. Until then, may our actions be a reflection of its splendor.
First Light
Parashat B'reisheet (Genesis 1:1-6:8)
Parashat B’reisheet is always filled with fascination and intrigue whenever we study it. There are so many facets of the Creation account to explore that it would take a lifetime to begin unraveling them. For instance, on the first day of Creation, we read about the creation of light:
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:3–5)
Although light is created on the first day, the sun, moon and stars are not created until the fourth day. If these luminaries were not created until the fourth day, then what was the light that illuminated the first three days? Fortunately, we have insights of our sages from the last two millennia that help us peer into the deep mysteries of these events. When Rashi, the famous medieval commentator, read this passage his response was that it cannot be properly understood without outside commentary, particularly the midrash.
What does the midrash have to say about this passage? It has more than we have time to cover here. But the main concept we need to understand is that this light that was first spoken into existence is unique and distinct from the light produced by the luminaries. It was a special, pure light that radiated from God himself. The Torah gives us a clue about the quality of this light when it says, “And God saw that the light was good.” It was the first of all Creation to have this special designation of “good.” According to Rabbi Elazar, in a midrash called Yalkut Shimoni, the light that God created on the first day was used by Adam to look from one end of the universe to the other. It was something extremely special.
Because of its uniqueness, its sanctity was more than a soon-to-be fallen world could handle. Therefore, the Torah tells us that “God separated the light from the darkness.” The midrash explains that this separation was not merely an untangling of light from darkness, but its complete removal. Where did this light go? The midrash tells us:
It is stored up for the righteous in the Messianic future, as it says (Isaiah 30:26), “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days.” (Genesis Rabbah 3:6)
For now, that light continues to be hidden away “until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10). When it is returned to the earth the New Jerusalem will shine forth this light to all of creation, as it is said, “The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23). Darkness will be vanquished and the supernal light of Creation will return to illuminate the world forever, as it says, “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).
As we longingly await its arrival, let us continue to shine forth the light of the Torah and of our Messiah so that the world will see our good deeds—a glimpse of this supernatural light—and glorify our Father in Heaven. One day the True Light will be revealed in all of its glory. Until then, may our actions be a reflection of its splendor.
Parashat B'reisheet - Genesis 1:1-6:8
Series:
The Devil Made Me Do It
Generally, when we study Parshat B’reisheet we focus in on either the days of creation or the Fall of Man. However, there are many more lessons to be learned from this brief account of the origins of humanity and sin. We can learn an important lesson from the story of Cain and Abel about how we are the masters of our own destiny.
As we know, Adam and Eve’s first two children were Cain and Abel, respectively. Cain was an agrarian, one who worked the land to grow produce. Abel, however, was a herdsman, raising livestock. They both brought offerings before the LORD:
Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. (Genesis 4:3–4)
Immediately after this we read that the LORD accepted Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s. Because of this Cain became jealous of his brother, Abel. He allowed his hatred toward his brother to grow until, unfortunately, he lured his brother out into a field where he killed him. Before this happened, however, the LORD noticed Cain’s sullen attitude and his resentment toward his brother. He warned Cain about this, saying:
Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it. (Genesis 4:6–7)
As we see in this passage, Cain was not merely the victim of his sinful nature, but actually had the ability to conquer it. He had a choice to listen to the yetzer hara (the evil inclination) or the yetzer hatov (the good inclination). In His admonition of Cain, the LORD made it clear that he had the ability to overcome the cancer of sin that was growing in his heart. He told Cain that his choices and his actions would set the stage for whether or not sin would be able to dominate him. When the LORD told him, “you must rule over it,” He was letting Cain know that the choice was fully in his hands.
We would all do well to heed the LORD's instruction to Cain. Every day we each have a choice as to what voice we will obey. We can listen to the lies of the Adversary, or we can listen to the truth of Hashem. Our yetzer hara wants us to listen to the Adversary, while our yetzer hatov wants us to listen to Hashem. Once we make the choice of who we will listen to, our commitment to that voice is strengthened, as we are taught in Pirkei Avot:
Ben Azzai said: Be eager to fulfill the smallest mitzvah and flee from transgression; for one mitzvah induces another and one transgression leads to another transgression. The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, the reward of one transgression is another transgression. (m.Avot 4:2)
When we choose to obey a commandment and flee from sin, we are strengthening our connection to Hashem. It will make it easier to choose what is right and resist temptation when we face our next decision. But when we choose to succumb to temptation, we strengthen our connection to sin and make more difficult to resist temptation in future trials.
The Midrash Rabbah (B’reisheet Rabbah 22:6) records Rabbi Akiva expounding upon this concept using Isaiah 5:18, which says, “Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes.” He explains that when we first give in to sin it seems as thin and breakable as a spider's web. But through our continued submission to sin it will eventually become as thick and as strong as a ship's rope.
We’ve all heard the expression, “The Devil made me do it.” Many times we tend to allow our feelings and our circumstances to overtake us and we blame our bad decisions on the Adversary. However, blaming the devil didn’t work out for Cain, nor for his mother, Eve. Just like us, they were both accountable for their actions. James, the brother of our Master Yeshua confirms this by telling us:
Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14–15)
We have the ability to make either good choices or bad choices. When we are faced with temptation, we must remember the LORD’s instruction to Cain: “You must rule over it.” We can either make choices that strengthen our sinful nature, or make choices that strengthen our godly nature. Let’s work to ensure every choice we make brings us closer to our Heavenly Father, rather than taking us farther away from Him.
Stairway To Heaven
Series:
Stairway To Heaven
Parashat Vayeitze (Genesis 28:10-32:2)
This week’s Torah portion begins with one of the most mysterious and little-understood events recorded in the Torah. When Jacob spent the night in what he later calls Beit-El he had a curious dream charged with spiritual import:
And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! (Genesis 28:11–12)
In Jacob’s dream he sees a ladder stretching from heaven to earth and on it angels were ascending and descending. Although he is puzzled by this imagery, Jacob realizes that is holds spiritual significance and determines that he has come to a place of holiness:
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:16–17)
Because of what he had seen in his dream Jacob calls the place Beth-El, or the “House of God.” He declares that not only is it the House of God, but that it is some sort of portal between heaven and earth where angels are able to come and go from one realm to the other. From this we can see the importance of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. While it stood it, the “House of God” functioned as the “gate of heaven” connecting heaven and earth.
When Yeshua was calling Nathanael to follow him as one of his disciples, Yeshua told him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51). Where did Yeshua get this imagery of the heavens opening and “the angels of God ascending and descending”? None other than our current Torah portion. But how is he able to make this bold claim angels will ascend and descend upon him? Although it is difficult to make the connection in English, when we read the Hebrew it becomes more apparent.
In English it seems obvious what the angels are moving upon. It says the angels “were ascending and descending on it,” meaning the ladder. In the original Hebrew, however, non-gender pronouns such as “it” don’t exist. Like Spanish and most other languages, everything has a gender. So when the Torah says the angels went up and down “on it,” we can just as easily read it as “on him.” It is the same pronoun (bo) in Hebrew. Were the angels ascending and descending on it or on him? The Jewish answer to that question is, “Yes.” This is why Yeshua was able to allude back to this Torah portion to refer to himself as the one on whom the angels will ascend and descend. He is the stairway, or the gateway, between Heaven (God) and earth (man).
The Midrash relates a teaching by Rabbi Aha in which he expounds on this passage saying that God told Jacob, “This gate will be opened for many righteous men like yourself” (B’reisheet Rabbah 69:7). He predicted a time would come in which many would pass through the gate and make the spiritual journey from earth to Heaven.
Yeshua taught, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). Through Yeshua the gate to God has been opened to the masses. Through Yeshua a stairway to Heaven has been opened to all who will heed his call. Through Yeshua we can ascend with the angels to the presence of the Almighty and descend back down to earth, bringing with us a portion of the Divine in order to illuminate this dark world. When Yeshua walked this earth his disciples were able to see this angelic exchange. May we catch a glimpse of it in our day as well.
Yeshua: Light of the World
Series:
On two different accounts Yeshua makes the statement that he is “the light of the world.” John records these two accounts just one chapter apart from each other. The first time, Yeshua tells us:
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)
His second statement is in a different context, but has the same implication as the previous one:
We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:4–5)
What does Yeshua mean by these statements? What is he trying to say? Many times turning to other Jewish writings can help us uncover the deeper meaning behind the Apostolic record, especially Yeshua’s teachings. In this instance, the midrash helps to illuminate the implications behind Yeshua’s words.
First, the Midrash Rabbah comments on a passage in Daniel that says, “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Daniel 2:22). It records an interpretation of this passage that connects it with the Messiah:
R. Abba of Serungayya said: “And the light dwells with him” alludes to the royal Messiah. (B’reisheet Rabbah 1:6)
Even more telling is a passage from another midrash that connects the light of Isaiah 60 with the primordial light of Creation, and then links the two passages together as a reference to the Messiah:
What is the meaning of “in your light we see light” (Isaiah 60:1)? For what light is Israel waiting? This is the light of Messiah as it says, “And God saw the light that it was good” (Genesis 1:4). This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, observed Messiah and his deeds before the creation of the world and concealed His Messiah under His throne until his generation.” (Pesikta Rabbati 36).
In Jewish thought, the Messiah is the agent of God who will right all wrongs at the end of days. He will restore all that has been destroyed, gather in all the exiles, and usher in an era of global peace as he reigns from Jerusalem. His “light” will extend to the uttermost regions of the earth. And although Yeshua did not bring about this fulfillment in his first appearance, he began the process of this restoration. His light has been spreading throughout the earth for the last two thousand years. Matthew, quoting from the prophet Isaiah, says that this is an expectation of the Messiah that Yeshua fulfilled. Yeshua’s light continues to shine upon the nations—those who dwell in darkness:
The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16, quoting Isaiah 60:1)
As we have been describing, Yeshua is the Messiah, the Light of the World. John describes him as “the true light, which gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). But not everyone desires light. Although light brightens and illuminates, it also exposes anything hiding under the cover of darkness. John alludes to this by saying, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4–5). Yeshua makes this point clearly to Nicodemus when he says:
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. (John 3:19–21)
But for those of us who have trusted in Yeshua, we anticipate a time when his light will one day fill the entire world. At his first appearance Yeshua’s light was concealed and its brilliance was restrained. But since that time, the light of our Messiah has been working its way throughout the world like leaven in a batch of dough:
The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened. (Matthew 13:33)
One day, however, the fullness of his light will radiate throughout the earth as he sits upon his throne in Jerusalem to reign over all the peoples of the world. May it be soon and in our day.
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario