פרשת בראשית: ויהי ערב- ויהי בוקר. ברישא חשוכא והדר נהורא

The beginning of tractate Berakhot, the first tractate in the first of the six orders of Mishna, opens with a discussion of the recitation of Shema, as the recitation of Shema encompasses an acceptance of the yoke of Heaven and of the mitzvot, and as such, forms the basis for all subsequent teachings. The Mishna opens with the laws regarding the appropriate time to recite Shema:

From when, that is, from what time, does one recite Shema in the evening? From the time when the priests enter to partake of their teruma. Until when does the time for the recitation of the evening Shema extend? Until the end of the first watch. The term used in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:7) to indicate the time for the recitation of the evening Shema is beshokhbekha, when you lie down, which refers to the time in which individuals go to sleep. Therefore, the time for the recitation of Shema is the first portion of the night, when individuals typically prepare for sleep. That is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. The Rabbis say: The time for the recitation of the evening Shema is until midnight. Rabban Gamliel says: One may recite Shema until dawn, indicating that beshokhbekha is to be understood as a reference to the entire time people sleep in their beds, the whole night. The mishna relates that Rabban Gamliel practiced in accordance with his ruling. There was an incident where Rabban Gamliel’s sons returned very late from a wedding hall. They said to him, as they had been preoccupied with celebrating with the groom and bride: We did not recite Shema. He said to them: If the dawn has not yet arrived, you are obligated to recite Shema. Since Rabban Gamliel’s opinion disagreed with that of the Rabbis, he explained to his sons that the Rabbis actually agree with him, and that it is not only with regard to the halakha of the recitation of Shema, but rather, wherever the Sages say until midnight, the mitzva may be performed until dawn. Rabban Gamliel cites several cases in support of his claim, such as the burning of fats and limbs on the altar. Due to the quantity of offerings each day, the priests were often unable to complete the burning of all of the fats and limbs, so they continued to be burned into the night, as it is written: “This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall remain upon the pyre on the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar burns it” (Leviticus 6:2). And, with regard to all sacrifices, such as the sin-offerings and the guilt-offerings that are eaten for one day and night; although the Sages state that they may be eaten only until midnight, by Torah law they may be eaten until dawn. This is in accordance with the verse: “On the day on which it is offered must you eat. Do not leave it until the morning” (Leviticus 7:15). If so, why did the Sages say that they may be eaten only until midnight? This is in order to distance a person from transgression, as if one believes that he has until dawn to perform the mitzva, he might be negligent and postpone it until the opportunity to perform the mitzva has passed.

ה׳ went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, that they might travel day and night.

Thus said GOD: As surely as I have established My covenant with day and night—the laws of heaven and earth—

By day may the LORD vouchsafe His faithful care,
so that at night a song to Him may be with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

By day the sun will not strike you,
nor the moon by night.

Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips, but recite it day and night, so that you may observe faithfully all that is written in it. Only then will you prosper in your undertakings and only then will you be successful.

To proclaim Your steadfast love at daybreak,
Your faithfulness each night

Let them fear You as long as the sun shines,
while the moon lasts, generations on end.

The life you face shall be precarious; you shall be in terror, night and day, with no assurance of survival.

You need not fear the terror by night,
or the arrow that flies by day,

He made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows when to set. You bring on darkness and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forests stir. The lions roar for prey,
seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they come home
and couch in their dens. Man then goes out to his work,
to his labor until the evening.
How many are the things You have made, O LORD;
You have made them all with wisdom;
the earth is full of Your creations.

God called the light Day and called the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.

On the topic of the nature of the world, the Gemara relates that Rabbi Zeira found Rav Yehuda, who was standing at the entrance of his father-in-law’s house, and observed that he was in an especially cheerful mood. And Rabbi Zeira understood that were he to ask Rabbi Yehuda about anything in the entire world, he would tell him the answer. He therefore posed questions to him on a variety of topics unrelated to halakha. He asked: Why do goats walk in front of the flock and then ewes follow? He said to him: It is just as it was in the creation of the world, which at first was dark and then light followed. Goats, which are typically black, precede the ewes, which are typically white. And he asked: Why are the genitals of these ewes covered with a tail, whereas these goats are exposed? He answered: These ewes, whose wool we use to cover ourselves, are rewarded in that they are covered; and those goats, whose hair we do not use to cover ourselves, are exposed. And he asked: Why is the camel’s tail short? He answered: Because a camel eats thorns, and a long tail would become entangled in the thorns. And he asked: Why is the ox’s tail long? He answered: Because the ox lives in a swamp and must fend off mosquitoes.

With every elevation, there is always a state in which lack precedes being. That manifests itself as a state of descent and spiritual weariness prior to the intensified strength [that comes] from the more elevated source.

But the truth is that no person is able to stay at one level always, because the life-force ebbs and flows, it comes and goes, meaning that when he is attached to Blessed God he feels life-force and pleasure; and afterward he moves away and falls from his level. And contained in this are secrets of Torah, the reason why it is necessary to fall from his level; and one reason is so that he can arrive afterward at an even greater level, for in every thing there must be Absence before Presence. When we want to rise to an even greater level there must be absence beforehand, therefore one must fall from the level at which one currently stands.

Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up,
While the wicked are tripped by one misfortune.

Do not rejoice over me,
O my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I rise again;
Though I sit in darkness, GOD is my light.

Rebbi Yose bar Abun said: Anybody who identifies the “morning hind” with the planet Venus is in error; that planet sometimes is too early and sometimes too late. What is it? It is like two double horns of light that arise from the East and give light. Explanation: The great Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalaphta were walking in the valley of Arbela before morning and saw “the morning hind” that started radiating. The great Rebbi Ḥiyya said to Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalaphta, the great man: so will be the deliverance of Israel; it starts out very little and grows and longer as it goes on. What is the reason (Micha 7:8): “When I shall dwell in darkness, the Lord is my light.” So also at the start (Esther 2:21): “Mordocai was sitting at the king’s gate.” After that (6:11): “Haman took the garment and the horse.” After that (6:12): “Mordocai returned to the king’s gate.” After that (8:15): “Mordocai left the king’s presence in royal garb.” After that (8:16): “The Jews had light and joy.”

“I did not know; my soul placed me upon chariots of my noble people” (Song of Songs 6:12).
“I did not know; my soul placed me,” Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: This is comparable to the daughter of kings, who was gathering residual sheaves. The king passed and recognized that she was his daughter. He sent his friend and he took her and seated her with him in his carriage. Her friends were astonished in her regard and saying: ‘Yesterday she was gathering residual sheaves and today she is in the carriage with the king?’ She said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about me, so I am astonished about myself.’ She declared about herself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
So too, when Israel was in Egypt, they were enslaved with mortar and bricks and were despicable and contemptible in the eyes of the Egyptians. When they became free men and were redeemed, they became elevated over all mankind. The nations of the world were astonished and saying, ‘Yesterday you were working with mortar and bricks, and now you have become free men, elevated over the entire world?’ Israel said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about us, so are we astonished about ourselves.’ They declared about themselves: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” it is regarding Joseph the righteous that the verse is speaking. Yesterday, “they tortured his legs with chains; his body was placed in irons” (Psalms 105:18), and today, “Joseph is the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6). He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of David. Yesterday he was fleeing from Saul, and today, David is king. He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of Mordekhai. Yesterday, “he donned sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:1), and today, “Mordekhai emerged from before the king in royal garments of sky-blue and white…” (Esther 8:15). He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of the congregation of Israel. The congregation of Israel says to the nations of the world: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I fell, I will rise” (Micah 7:8). When I was sitting in the dark, the Holy One blessed be He took me out to the light, as it is stated: “Though I sit in the darkness, the Lord is a light to me” (Micah 7:8). It declared about itself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Yusta, the tailor of Tzippori, ascended to the royal palace and found favor with the king. The king said to him: ‘Make a request and I will grant it to you.’ He said to him: ‘Appoint me governor over our locale [Tzippori].’ The king granted it to him. When he was appointed governor, he descended from it. Some of those who knew him said: ‘It is him,’ And some of them said: ‘It is not him.’ One said to the others: ‘He will now pass through the marketplace; if he looks at the stall upon which he would sit and sew, it is him. If not, it is not him.’ He passed through the marketplace and he began to look at the stall upon which he would sit and sew, and they realized that it was him. He said to them: ‘You are astonished about me, but I am astonished about myself more than you are.’ They declared of him: “I did not know; my soul placed me…” “My noble people [ami],” the noble One accompanied me [imi]—the One who lives eternally.

As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great dark dread descended upon him. And [God] said to Abram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years; but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.

He begins [instructing him about the Exodus story] with [the account of Israel’s] shame and concludes with [Israel’s] praise [glory]: What is [meant by] 'with shame?' Rav said, "At first, our ancestors were idol worshipers." And Shmuel said, "We were slaves."

One must begin [the narrative describing our ancestors'] base [roots] and conclude with [their] praise. What does this imply? One begins relating how originally, in the age of Terach, our ancestors denied [God's existence] and strayed after vanity, pursuing idol worship. One concludes with the true faith: how the Omnipresent has drawn us close to Him, separated us from the gentiles, and drawn us near to His Oneness.
Similarly, one begins by stating that we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and [describing] all the evil done to us, and concludes with the miracles and wonders that were wrought upon us, and our freedom.
This [implies] that one should extrapolate [the passage beginning] from [Deuteronomy 26:5]: "An Aramean sought to destroy my ancestor..." until one concludes the entire passage. Whoever adds and extends his extrapolation of this passage is praiseworthy.

Who among you has, transformed darkness into light, and the taste of bitter into sweet, before he came here? Who among you has awaited eagerly every day the light that shines when the King calls upon the Gazelle? [The Shekhinah] For then - the Shekhinah [increases], and He is called the King of all the other kings of the world. Because he who does not await eagerly for this every day, has no part here.