15. Bereshit — Abarbanel on the Torah, Section 15

The Foundations of Creation: Interpreting the Language of Bereshit

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The Sages said that it arose in God’s thought to create the world with the attribute of Justice (midat ha-din), but He saw that the world could not endure through Justice alone, so He combined it with the attribute of Mercy (midat ha-chakhamim)¹. They also said that “the full name is mentioned only when the world is full”². Would that those sayings might also be understood according to their true meaning!³ This question is not limited to this specific portion, but applies to all sections of the account of Creation.

These are the questions I have posed concerning this first portion, and it is fitting to now interpret the verses of this parashah in such a way that all of these questions may be resolved. And because this parashah is the foundation and essence of the account of Creation, and it contains words that are shared in meaning or used metaphorically, I found it appropriate to first explain the key terms that require clarification, and concerning which there is a divergence of opinion among the commentators.

These are twelve terms: The first is ‘Bereishit’ (בְּרֵאשִׁית). The second is ‘bara’ (בָּרָא – created). The third is ‘Elohim’ (אֱלֹהִים). The fourth is ‘shamayim’ (שָׁמַיִם – heavens). The fifth is ‘eretz’ (אֶרֶץ – earth). The sixth is ‘tohu’ (תֹּהוּ – void). The seventh is ‘bohu’ (בֹּהוּ – desolation/emptiness). The eighth is ‘choshekh’ (חֹשֶׁךְ – darkness). The ninth is ‘pnei’ (פְּנֵי – face/surface). The tenth is ‘ruach’ (רוּחַ – spirit/wind). The eleventh is ‘merachefet’ (מְרַחֶפֶת – hovering). The twelth is ‘mayim’ (מַיִם – waters). And behold, I found it necessary to clarify these terms because I have not seen among the commentators a sufficient discussion of them that aligns with the understanding of my heart⁴.

Explanation of the Word “Bereshit” (בְּרֵאשִׁית)

Maimonides wrote in the aforementioned chapter (Guide for the Perplexed, Part II, Chapter 30) that the word “Bereshit” (In the beginning) does not denote temporal precedence, but rather refers to an initial state or foundation that exists alongside something that is not its beginning, and is in fact part of the thing itself. Therefore, according to him, the verse “Bereshit bara Elohim” should not be understood in terms of chronological priority, because the world was not created in time, since time itself was part of the created order, like motion and the celestial spheres, which are the carriers of time. Thus, he interprets the verse to mean: “At the beginning [of things], God created the upper and lower realms…” However, with all due respect, this explanation is incorrect.

Indeed, the word “reshit“ (beginning) can sometimes denote an internal beginning, a foundational part of something, as Maimonides suggests, but it can also certainly refer to chronological precedence, as in: “From the beginning of the year…” (Deuteronomy 11:12), “From the first of all the fruit of the land…” (Deuteronomy 26:2), “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning…” (Ecclesiastes 7:8), “Declaring the end from the beginning…” (Isaiah 46:10), “In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim…” (Jeremiah 26:1) and many others like these in Scripture, all of which clearly indicate temporal priority—whether it be of a year, a month, or a particular time. Furthermore, interpreting “Bereshit bara Elohim“ as referring to temporal precedence does not in any way contradict the doctrine of creation ex nihilo, as Maimonides feared. It is not incorrect to say that: “In the beginning of the newly created time, God created the heavens and the earth,” because this “beginning” was not part of time, but rather the beginning point of time itself.

Thus, the word “Bereshit” should be understood as a construct form, as Rashi says, but the noun it governs omitted. In other words, the verse should be read: “At the beginning [of time], God created the heavens and the earth⁵. This is similar to verses such as: “He saw a beginning for himself…” (Deuteronomy 33:21), “Declaring the end from the beginning…” (Isaiah 46:10), which also lack their dependent nouns (“beginning of what?”), but the meaning is understood. If it is customary in our language to omit the dependent noun when speaking of tangible, obvious things, how much more so when the subject is time itself, which is hard to conceptualize and has weak tangible existence. The Torah, then, would naturally omit mentioning time explicitly, since it is not a sensory object, except when attached to something more concrete, like “at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,” where the reign is a tangible phenomenon.

Therefore, “Bereshit” can be interpreted in either of two ways: either as referring to chronological precedence, meaning “at the beginning of time”, which itself is not part of time, but the initial moment of time; or, as denoting a cause or principle, as Maimonides claims, in the sense of being an internal part of the thing. Additionally, the letter “bet” (ב) in “Bereshit” can be interpreted in various ways: It might be a “bet” of instrumentality, as in “with a tool” (Exodus 31:4), like: “He appeared in a garment” (Job 38:14), “He formed it with a stylus” (Isaiah 8:1). And since wisdom is the tool by which the Creator acts, the Jerusalem Targum translates Bereshit as “With wisdom, [God] created…”.

Alternatively, it might also be a “bet” of time, as in: “when the Most High gave the nations their inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:8), or “when the wicked are cut off, you will see it” (Psalms 37:34). The meaning then would be: “Before anything else was created, God created the heavens and the earth”. That’s how Onkelos⁶ translates it: “In the beginning [lit. at first]” (בקדם). Another possibility might be a “bet” of substance, like: “in gold,” “in silver,” “in copper” (Exodus 25:3), implying that: “With their beginning and their material, God created the heavens and the earth.” That is to say, there was no pre-existent matter, as Plato claimed. Rather, God created the heavens and the earth together with their very substance, which came into being ex nihilo.

I have shown you, with your own eyes, the various interpretive possibilities that arise from the usages of this word (Bereshit), all of which are valid and sound for one who understands, and upright for those who seek knowledge in the plain meaning of the verse. Who could grant that we might know which direction the Rambam truly intended in his interpretation?

Additionally, the bet in “Bereshit” can also be understood as indicating purpose or motive, meaning “on account of” or “for the sake of”, just as in the verses: “And Israel worked for a wife” (Hosea 12:13) – ba’isha (for a wife), “Will You destroy for five?” (Genesis 18:28) – bachamishah (for five). In this spirit, the Sages (Chazal) interpreted Bereshit as: “For the sake of ‘Reshit’ [beginning],” that is: For the sake of Israel, who are called Reshit (first/foremost), for the sake of the terumah (the first portion of the harvest), for the sake of challah (the first portion of dough), for the sake of Moses our teacher, who is also referred to as Reshit.

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