(א) בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(1) When God began to create heaven and earth—
- Smichut - "In the beginning of..." ?
- Rashi points out that in every other place in the Hebrew Bible that contains the word b'reishit (there are four more of them) the word clearly has this meaning. For example, in Jeremiah 26:1 we read, "B'reishit mamlechut Yehoyakim," "In the beginning of the kingdom of Jehoiakim." The form of the word b'reishit can only mean "in the beginning of...," and the word that follows it should be a noun that answers the question, "in the beginning of what?"
- Rashi points out that in every other place in the Hebrew Bible that contains the word b'reishit (there are four more of them) the word clearly has this meaning. For example, in Jeremiah 26:1 we read, "B'reishit mamlechut Yehoyakim," "In the beginning of the kingdom of Jehoiakim." The form of the word b'reishit can only mean "in the beginning of...," and the word that follows it should be a noun that answers the question, "in the beginning of what?"
לפיכך כו': תנו רבנן אדם יחידי נברא ומפני מה שלא יהו המינים אומרין הרבה רשויות בשמים דבר אחר מפני הצדיקים ומפני הרשעים שלא יהו הצדיקים אומרים אנו בני צדיק ורשעים אומרים אנו בני רשע
§ The mishna teaches: Therefore, Adam the first man was created alone. The Sages taught in a baraita: Adam was created alone, and for what reason? So that the heretics will not say: There are many authorities in Heaven, and each created a different person. Alternatively, Adam was created alone due to the righteous and due to the wicked. It was so that the righteous will not say: We are the children of the righteous, and righteousness is natural for us, so there is no need for us to exert ourselves to be righteous, and so that the wicked will not say: We are the children of the wicked and cannot change our ways.
ת"ר אדם נברא בערב שבת ומפני מה שלא יהו המינים אומרים שותף היה לו להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית דבר אחר שאם תזוח דעתו עליו אומר לו יתוש קדמך במעשה בראשית דבר אחר כדי שיכנס למצוה מיד
The Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 8:7): Adam the first man was created on Shabbat eve at the close of the six days of Creation. And for what reason was this so? So that the heretics will not be able to say that the Holy One, Blessed be He, had a partner, i.e., Adam, in the acts of Creation. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve so that if a person becomes haughty, God can say to him: The mosquito preceded you in the acts of Creation, as you were created last. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve in order that he enter into the mitzva of observing Shabbat immediately.
דבר אחר כדי שיכנס לסעודה מיד משל למלך בשר ודם שבנה פלטרין ושיכללן והתקין סעודה ואחר כך הכניס אורחין שנא' (משלי ט, א) חכמת בנתה ביתה חצבה עמודיה שבעה (משלי ט, ב) טבחה טבחה מסכה יינה אף ערכה שולחנה (משלי ט, ג) שלחה נערותיה תקרא על גפי מרומי קרת
Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve, after all of the other creations, in order that he enter into a feast immediately, as the whole world was prepared for him. This is comparable to a king of flesh and blood, who first built palaces [palterin] and improved them, and prepared a feast and afterward brought in his guests. As it is stated: “Wisdom has built her house, and she has hewn out her seven pillars. She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine; she has also furnished her table. She has sent forth her maidens; she calls upon the top of the highest places of the city” (Proverbs 9:1–3).
- Is humankind the pinnacle of Creation, and if so, does this mean that all that preceded them was created for their sake?
תַּנְיָא רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר מִנַּיִן שֶׁבְּתִשְׁרִי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע עֵץ פְּרִי אֵיזֶהוּ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהָאָרֶץ מוֹצִיאָה דְּשָׁאִים וְאִילָן מָלֵא פֵּירוֹת הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה תִּשְׁרִי וְאוֹתוֹ הַפֶּרֶק זְמַן רְבִיעָה הָיְתָה וְיָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים וְצִימֵּחוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ
The Gemara explains these matters in detail: It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: From where is it derived that the world was created in the month of Tishrei? As it is stated: “And God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind” (Genesis 1:11). Which is the month in which the earth brings forth grass and the trees are full of ripe fruit? You must say that this is Tishrei. And a further proof that the world was created in Tishrei is that when the world was first created, it needed rain so that the plants would grow, and the period beginning with Tishrei is a time of rain, and rain fell and the plants grew, as it is stated: “But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground” (Genesis 2:6).
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר מִנַּיִן שֶׁבְּנִיסָן נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע וְעֵץ עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי אֵיזֶהוּ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהָאָרֶץ מְלֵיאָה דְּשָׁאִים וְאִילָן מוֹצִיא פֵּירוֹת הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה נִיסָן וְאוֹתוֹ הַפֶּרֶק זְמַן בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה וָעוֹף שֶׁמִּזְדַּוְּוגִין זֶה אֵצֶל זֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לָבְשׁוּ כָרִים הַצֹּאן וְגוֹ׳
Rabbi Yehoshua says: From where is it derived that the world was created in the month of Nisan? As it is stated: “And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree yielding fruit” (Genesis 1:12). Which is the month in which the earth is full of grass and the trees begin to bring forth fruit? You must say that this is Nisan. And further proof that the world was created in Nisan is that when the world was first created, the animals had to breed in order to fill the world, and the period beginning with Nisan is a time when cattle, and beasts, and birds mate with one another, as it is stated: “The flocks are clothed in the meadows, and the valleys are wrapped in grain; they shout for joy, they also sing” (Psalms 65:14).
- What theological difference exist between these two opinions?