Beresheit 5786 - Darkness into light; parsha and haftarah

ByRabbi Anita Josefa Barzman MD Founder, micro-mishkan.net

Parashat Beresheit brings us from the formless depths into the possibility of being human and into the complexities of humans' capacity for "wickedness". Every year, I wonder at the expansive and complex narrative arc in this one Torah portion.

In Parashat Beresheit, the very first day of "the world", of "creation", of consciousness, includes and encompasses a division / distinction between darkness and light. It seems that the darkness is a priori, the condition from which we seem to start.

Packed into this first portion in our Torah, we move from this:

בראשית א׳:א׳-ה׳

(א)בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃ (ד) וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (ה) וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃ {פ}

Genesis 1:1-5

(1) When God began to create heaven and earth— (2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— (3) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (4) God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. (5) God called the light Day and called the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.

to this:

בראשית ו׳:ה׳-ז׳

(ה) וַיַּ֣רְא יהוה כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכׇל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ו) וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יהוה כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יהוה אֶמְחֶ֨ה אֶת־הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֙אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַד־רֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַד־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם׃

Genesis 6:5-7

(5) יהוה saw how great was human wickedness on earth—how every plan devised by the human mind was nothing but evil all the time. (6) And יהוה regretted having made humankind on earth. With a sorrowful heart, (7)יהוה said, “I will blot out from the earth humankind whom I created—humans together with beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.”

We move to light being brought forth from darkness, to the magnitude of human wickedness on the earth. The motif of light and darkness runs through Tanakh as it does through so much of human culture and religion. The distinction between darkness and light is necessary for consciousness. Light is necessary for vision and for consciousness.

This year as we return again to the start of our Torah cycle, there often seems to be more darkness in our world than ever before: the darkness of cruelty, of inhumane actions on the part of both individuals and collectives, the darkness of violence and hatred. Thus, this year we are particularly in need of studying themes of light and darkness in order to continually bring ourselves out of darkness into light.

איכה ד׳:י״ד

(יד) נָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ {ס}

Lamentations 4:14

(14) They wandered blindly through the streets, Defiled with blood, So that no one was able To touch their garments.

This week's Haftarah - Isaiah 42:5-43:10 - can guide us in this endeavor: themes of darkness and light pervade these verses. In fact, it is in these verses that the expression "light to the nations" appears, as well as themes of being brought out of darkness into light. We also see themes of blindness/ vision and darkness / blindness being equivalent to being imprisoned. Consider these two verses from this week's Haftarah:

ישעיהו מ״ב:ו׳-ז׳

(ו) אֲנִ֧י יהוה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצׇּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃ (ז) לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

Isaiah 42:6-7

(6)I GOD, in My grace, have summoned you,

And I have grasped you by the hand.

I created you, and appointed you

A covenant people, a light of nations—

(7) Opening eyes deprived of light,

Rescuing prisoners from confinement,

From the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (JPS translation)

I suggest another translation:
I, God, have called to you in my justice, and I have taken your hand in my strength. I created you, and I granted you to be a covenanted people, a light unto the nations.
It is I, God, who opens eyes of the blind, brings forth those who are imprisoned from their place of bondage, brings forth from their house of confinement those who sit in darkness.

In many versions of Birkat ha'Shachar (morning blessings), it's notable as we consider these verses that the blessing for "opening the eyes of the blind" and "freeing the prisoner" are consecutive or very close to one another:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם פּוֹקֵֽחַ עִוְרִים:
Blessed are You, Hashem our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who gives sight to the blind.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים:
Blessed are You, Hashem our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who releases the captive.

A question with increasing urgency, that presses upon me, and upon you daily, is this: how to do this? How to open our eyes into consciousness? How can we - individually and collectively - bring ourselves forth from of the moral and humanitarian darkness we are in? A darkness where some lives are valued more than others; where some peoples' humanity is placed higher than that of others. How can we release ourselves from the dark captivity of hatred, injustice, indifference to others' misfortune?

Let us consider: what is darkness?

metaphorically: misery; death, ignorance, sadness, wickedness.

darkness as misery:

ישעיהו ט׳:א׳

(א) הָעָם֙ הַהֹלְכִ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ רָא֖וּ א֣וֹר גָּד֑וֹל יֹֽשְׁבֵי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ צַלְמָ֔וֶת א֖וֹר נָגַ֥הּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Isaiah 9:1

(1)The people that walked in darkness Have seen a brilliant light;On those who dwelt in a land of gloomLight has dawned.

איוב ט״ו:כ״ב

(כב) לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ין שׁ֭וּב מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ (וצפו)[וְצָפ֖וּי] ה֣וּא אֱלֵי־חָֽרֶב׃

Job 15:22

(22) He is never sure he will come back from the dark; A sword stares him in the face.

darkness as death:

קהלת י״א:ז׳-ח׳

(ז) וּמָת֖וֹק הָא֑וֹר וְט֥וֹב לַֽעֵינַ֖יִם לִרְא֥וֹת אֶת־הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (ח) כִּ֣י אִם־שָׁנִ֥ים הַרְבֵּ֛ה יִחְיֶ֥ה הָאָדָ֖ם בְּכֻלָּ֣ם יִשְׂמָ֑ח וְיִזְכֹּר֙ אֶת־יְמֵ֣י הַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ כִּֽי־הַרְבֵּ֥ה יִהְי֖וּ כׇּל־שֶׁבָּ֥א הָֽבֶל׃

Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

(7) How sweet is the light, what a delight for the eyes to behold the sun! (8) Even if a man lives many years, let him enjoy himself in all of them, remembering how many the days of darkness are going to be. The only future is nothingness!

darkness as sadness:

קהלת ה׳:ט״ז

(טז) גַּ֥ם כׇּל־יָמָ֖יו בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יֹאכֵ֑ל וְכָעַ֥ס הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְחׇלְי֥וֹ וָקָֽצֶף׃

Ecclesiastes 5:16

(16) Besides, all his days he eats in darkness, with much vexation and grief and anger.

darkness as wickedness:

משלי ב׳:י״ג

(יג) הַ֭עֹ֣זְבִים אׇרְח֣וֹת יֹ֑שֶׁר לָ֝לֶ֗כֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

Proverbs 2:13

(13) Who leave the paths of rectitude To follow the ways of darkness,

darkness as ignorance:

איוב ל״ז:י״ט

(יט) ה֭וֹדִיעֵנוּ מַה־נֹּ֣אמַר ל֑וֹ לֹֽא־נַ֝עֲרֹ֗ךְ מִפְּנֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

Job 37:19

(19) Inform us, then, what we may say to Him; We cannot argue because [we are in] darkness. (JPS translation)

"Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order [our speech] by reason of darkness." (King James - from Blue Letter Bible.)

"Teach us how to express ourselves in the context of our relationship with God - with Torah. We cannot make sense of /bring a thinking mind capable of discernment and discrimination when we are in a state of ignorant darkness." (my translation)

The verb that I am translating as "making sense of" or "bringing a thinking mind [to]" -נַ֝עֲרֹ֗ךְ - is translated in the JPS as "argue" and as "order [our speech]" in the King James; the latter is closer to my understanding. This verbal root - √ערך - also includes meanings of "to put in order", "to compare". Thus I suggest that being in a state of darkness is being in a state in which we are not able to compare, to discern, to be conscious.

When we are in darkness - in a state of unconsciousness, of not knowing - of course we cannot clearly express ourselves, sometimes we cannot even speak; when we are in a state of ignorant darkness, we cannot "argue" with God - or with anyone, for that matter.

In his Guide for the Perplexed (Part 3 13:8), Maimonides refers in this manner to the Torah:

the book which leads all who want to be led to the truth, and is therefore called Torah (Law or Instruction)

ספר המורה דרך לכל המבקש הוראת דרך אל האמת, ולכן נקרא " תורה"

Surely those who study Torah desire to be led to the truth.

At this critical time in history, when there is so much darkness all around us, may our study of Torah lead us out of moral darkness into an illuminated state of mind in which we can clearly order our thoughts and our intentions, so that we can participate in the project of bringing forth light from the darkness.

בראשית א׳:א׳-ג׳

Genesis 1:1-3

May we be instructed by the verses from this week's Haftarah, with which I started this commentary:

ישעיהו מ״ב:ה׳-ז׳

(ה) כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל ׀ יהוה בּוֹרֵ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֤ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ׃ (ו) אֲנִ֧י יהוה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצׇּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃ (ז) לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

Isaiah 42:5-7

(5)Thus said the ETERNAL God, Who created the heavens and stretched them out,Who spread out the earth and what it brings forth,Who gave breath to the people upon itAnd life to those who walk thereon:(6)I GOD, in My grace, have summoned you, And I have grasped you by the hand.I created you, and appointed youA covenant people, a light of nations— (7)Opening eyes deprived of light,Rescuing prisoners from confinement,From the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

תהילים י״ח:כ״ט

(כט) כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה תָּאִ֣יר נֵרִ֑י יהוה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י יַגִּ֥יהַּ חׇשְׁכִּֽי׃

Psalms 18:29

(29) It is You who light my lamp; the LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.