Torah Tidbits

23 May 2012 / 2 Sivan 5772
Issue 0879
Issue 879 - Parashat B'reishit 5770
October 18, 2009

Parsha Points to Ponder

Parsha Points to Ponder for B'reishit

By Rabbi Dov Lipman

1) At the end of each stage of creation the Torah records that G-D SAW IT AND IT WAS GOOD. What, then, is added by the statement at the end of creation that G-D SAW ALL THAT HE DID AND IT WAS VERY GOOD (1:31)?
2) Adam names his wife CHAVA right after the punishments for their sin are declared clearly establishing a connection between the sin and the name (3:20). What is that connection?
3) Why does the Torah report that specifically daughters were born to Mankind considering that sons were obviously born as well? (6:1)

Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi Dov Lipman, who teaches at Reishit Yerushalayim and Machon Maayan in Beit Shemesh and is the author of “DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers (and adults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith” (Feldheim) and “TIMEOUT: Sports Stories as a Game Plan for Spiritual Success” a recent release by Devora Publishing (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Answers - Ponder the questions first and then look here

1) The Meshech Chochma explains that all of the things which G-D created could not fulfill their ultimate functions until Man was created. So, they might have been GOOD after they were created but they were then elevated to VERY GOOD once G-D formed Adam and they could serve Man.
2) The Chatam Sofer answers based on the teaching of our Sages that had they not sinned the world would have reached perfection and there would not have been any further offspring. Thus, as a result of the sin, Chava became THE MOTHER OF ALL LIFE referring to the generations which would now be born as a result of the sin.
3) The Netziv teaches that these words answer a basic question - considering that men married more than one wife, why didn’t it reach a point where there were men who could not find women to marry. The Torah addresses this question by reporting that DAUGHTERS WERE BORN TO THEM, meaning that more girls were born than boys thereby preventing that problem.

Your Comments

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I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I found your article very interesting that is why I decided to leave a comment and say hi.

(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | http://www.essaywriter.co.uk/services/economics-es | September 21, 2010, 5:37 am

A very interesting read that is really worth pondering.  My officemate’s here at the chicago seo firm I work in is also reading this right now.

(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | October 28, 2010, 10:07 am

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