Creation (ver 2.0) - Eikev
וְאָמַרְתָּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה. (דברים ח, יז)
In Breishit the passuk says וַיִּבְרָא אֱ-לֹקִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱ-לֹקִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם (בראשית א, כז). What does it mean that HKB"H created us in His "image"? In last week's shiur we discussed how HKB"H is infinite, He has no "image".
There are many perushim on this, for example the Sifri (דברים יא, כב) –
מָה הַמָּקוֹם נִקְרָא רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אַף אַתָּה הָוֵי רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן... מָה הקב"ה נִקְרָא צַדִּיק אַף אַתָּה הָוֵי צַדִּיק. הקב"ה נִקְרָא חָסִיד אַף אַתָּה הָוֵי חָסִיד... וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה מג) כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו, יְצַרְתִּיו אַף עֲשִׂיתִיו.
HKB"H has many (infinite) attributes and when He created us, we were created in such a way that ALL these attributes of HKB"H are embedded in us, we simply have to "activate" them and not repress them. Just like HKB"H is merciful, so too do we have to activate the part of us that is merciful. Just as HKB"H is beneficent, so too do we have to activate and manifest the part of us that is beneficent, etc. etc. One of HKB"H's attributes is that He is vengeful אֵ-ל נְקָמוֹת ה' (תהילים צד, א). How is it possible to be both merciful and vengeful? It depends on context – we have to study the context in which HKB"H is merciful and in a similar context also be merciful, similarly with vengeance.
One of HKB"H's many (infinite) attributes is that He is creative. The first word in the Torah reflects this attribute - בְּרֵאשִׁית, which is fact a composite of two words, as it says in the Zohar HaKadosh מִכָּאן וְלַהָלְאָה, בְּרֵאשִׁית בר"א שי"ת, מִקְּצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד קְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם, שִׁית סִטְרִין דְמִתְפָּשְׁטִן מֵרָזָא עִלָּאָה (זהר בראשית א, א). The word בְּרֵאשִׁית is in fact two words בָּרָא שִׁית, literally translated as "created six" (שִׁית is six in Aramaic). The Torah commences with this attribute of HKB"H, which tells us perhaps that if you want to "prioritize" the different attributes, or "rate" them according to importance, this attribute is pretty high up there.
What does the number six have to do with anything, HKB"H "created six"? On a simple level it means that HKB"H created the world in six days, but on a deeper level, it means that HKB"H created the world using a "blueprint" of the number six, which is repeated in numerous physical and Torah concepts. The Sulam's perush (ibid.) on the Zohar says this refers to the fact that HKB"H created our world a three-dimensional world, comprising six directions – front, back, left, right, up and down (the six faces of a 3-D cube). The Sulam adds another example of a Kabbalistic concept within the Ten Sefirot called the זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין, which refers to the six sefirot חֶסֶד, גְּבוּרָה, תִּפְאֶרֶת, נֶצַח, הוֹד, יְסוֹד, (or abbreviated חג"ת נה"י) which you can read more about in the shiur on Mishpatim 2024. Sefer Meir Panim (פרק יג, עמ' קלב) alludes to the hint in this first passuk of the Torah to the twelve Lechem HaPanim which were stacked on the Shulchan in two arrays of six loaves, etc. etc.
If the first and foremost attribute of HKB"H is the attribute of creativity, it follows that if HKB"H created us in His "image", then humans also have embedded within them this attribute of creativity and it sits right up there as perhaps the foremost attribute of human beings. Following the language of the Sifri above – "just like HKB"H is creative, so too do we have to activate the part of us that is creative", this is not an attribute in our makeup that we want to repress!
The first word in the Torah is "created", and the first word HKB"H uttered to Adam HaRishon was וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱ-לֹקִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ (בראשית א, כח), "procreate". The first thing HKB"H said to Adam HaRishon was "The reason I created you is so that you can create (new life) like Me."
If this is the case, which it clearly appears to be, I would like to revisit the catastrophic episode that occurred with Adam and Chava in Gan Eden on the sixth day, as detailed in sefer Meir Panim (פרק טו).
In a previous shiur we explained how so much could take place in the space of one day in Gan Eden and that one day in HKB"H's eyes, is equivalent to one thousand years for us כִּי אֶלֶף שָׁנִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ כְּיוֹם אֶתְמוֹל כִּי יַעֲבֹר (תהילים צ, ד) and following that reasoning, one hour for HKB"H is like 42 years for us.
HKB"H placed Adam HaRishon in Gan Eden, not to have a vacation, but with a specific purpose וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן לְעׇבְדָהּ וּלְשׇׁמְרָהּ (בראשית ב, טו) – to "work" (Avodah) and to "observe" (Shemira). First thing on the to-do list – to work. What kind of work? What was Adam HaRishon's Avodah, service of HKB"H? to follow HKB"H's commandments given in the Torah. What was the first commandment? פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, procreate! Use HKB"H's attribute of creativity within you to also create (new life).
One would think that Adam HaRishon's first act after he was created would be to fulfil HKB"H's commandment and it was. Adam HaRishon asked HKB"H, "How does one procreate? What are the halachot? What is the מְצִיאוּת?" HKB"H said "I already told you, וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכׇל חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל הָאָרֶץ - learn from my other creations" (וּרְדוּ in gematria is עַל פִּי ה' and צָנוּעַ).
And that's exactly what Adam HaRishon did - he examined each creature and its behavior (and at the same time he gave each one a unique name that reflected its essence - בראשית ב, יט-כ). Adam HaRishon finally came to an inescapable conclusion. "I cannot fulfil HKB"H's commandment, because unlike all the creatures I do not have a mate! To procreate, you need a distinct male and a female" (at that stage Adam HaRishon was one, singular hermaphrodite organism [בראשית רבה, פרשה ח', פסקה א]).
HKB"H already knew that and planned for that. Two psukkim before, HKB"H says לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂה לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ (שם, יח), He wanted Adam HaRishon to arrive at the conclusion himself, which he did. HKB"H then proceeded to separate Adam HaRishon into two distinct organisms, Adam and Chava. HKB"H then gives Adam and Chava further instructions on how to fulfil the first commandment in the Torah עַל כֵּן יַעֲזׇב אִישׁ אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אִמּוֹ וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד (שם, כד).
The stage is all set, וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, nothing now stands in the way of Adam and Chava fulfilling the first mitzva in the Torah. You might think that Adam HaRishon would now immediately fulfil HKB"H's commandment, as it says זְרִיזִין מַקְדִּימִין לְמִצְוֹת (סוטה כח, ב).
Alas this was not the case, the passuk above continues וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ ... וְלֹא יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ (שם, כה). What does it mean יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ? Meir Panim (ibid.) says the gematria of יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ is רֵאשִׁית אוֹנִים. After ALL of the above, וְלֹא יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ - they did not fulfil the mitzva of רֵאשִׁית אוֹנִים.
How could this possibly be? זְרִיזִין מַקְדִּימִין לְמִצְוֹת, no?
We obtain an insight into this from Avraham Avinu (who HKB"H originally intended should be Adam HaRishon [בראשית רבה יד, ו], but changed His plans, because if Avraham would have sinned, like Adam HaRishon, there would have been no backup plan). When Avraham goes down to Egypt, we read וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִשָּׁה יְפַת מַרְאֶה אָתְּ (בראשית יב, יא).
How many years have Avraham and Sarah been married when Avraham says this? Avraham (25) married Sarah (15) and he went down to Egypt aged 75. They have been married 50 years - it is their golden wedding anniversary! - and only now Avraham notices that Sarah is beautiful? The Midrash (בראשית רבה מז, ו) says that Avraham Avinu was of such great stature, that this yetzer did not exist in him. Only when they approached Egypt, עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ did this suddenly become amplified.
It is reminiscent of a Mishna (תענית ד, ח) that davka on Tu Be'Av and Yom Kippur, while fasting, the unmarried maidens would go down to the vineyards to dance and look for shidduchim with the bochrim. Dancing and shidduchim on Yom Kippur? Yes, because davka, on this holy day, the yetzer is subdued.
There are many other reasons why Adam and Chava did not procreate in Gan Eden (we know this for a fact because only after they were expelled, does the passuk say וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ [בראשית ד, ה]). That Adam didn't possess a yetzer hara and therefore did not serve HKB"H besimcha (the yetzer hara, the ס"מ, is the angel in charge of הָרָקִיעַ הַחֲמִישִׁי – מָעוֹן, which is the "storehouse" in Heaven for simcha, as we say in birkat hamazon at weddings and sheva brachot - שֶׁהַשִּׂמְחָה בִּמְעוֹנוֹ), etc.
Regardless of the reason, the end result is that Adam HaRishon did not rush to perform HKB"H's first commandment to him. 42 years went by (1 hour in HKB"H's time is 42 years in human time), and still no פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, no creation.
HKB"H created/designed Adam and Chava differently. Females are more biologically invested in successful reproduction than males, it is a scientifically proven fact and not only in the human species. It was much more genetically urgent for Chava to fulfil this commandment than for Adam.
Chava observed that time was moving on and nothing was happening, so she tried to facilitate things and speed them up. HKB"H had told Adam – if you want to learn how to procreate, learn from My other creatures וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וכו'. Chava also learned by the same process. The gematria of רְדוּ is יַיִן יַיִן יַיִן (three times יַיִן) and also the gematria of חֶסֶד הַגֶּפֶן and מַה טֹּבוּ דֹדַיִךְ מִיַּיִן (שיר השירים ד, י).
Chava reasoned, "If Adam is not fulfilling פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ because he lacks simcha, then I will fix it, I'll give him simcha, וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ (תהילים דש, טו) by giving him wine to drink", הָא תַּנִּינָן סָחֲטָה עֲנָבִים וִיהַבְתְּ לֵיהּ (זהר חלק א, לו א). However, this backfired. Instead of spurring Adam on, it put him to sleep (בראשית רבה יט ג).
When we are remiss in observing HKB"H's commandments, the result is that HKB"H gives us nisyonot. When did HKB"H give Avraham Avinu the nisayon of the Akeida? After the yetzer hara complained that Avraham threw a big party for Yitzchak, but did not offer any Korban Toda to HKB"H (סנהדרין פט, ע"ב). When Adam and Chava לֹא יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ, didn't perform the mitzva of פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ as commanded, immediately the next chapter begins וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם, HKB"H gives Adam and Chava a nisayon.
The Torah teaches us that HKB"H is always מַקְדִּים תְּרוּפָה לַמַּכָּה, He creates the solution before He creates the problem. Before HKB"H even creates Chava, He says to Adam וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכׇלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת (בראשית ב, יז). "This is going to come up in the not-too-distant future, so I am already telling you now – don't eat from that tree, the עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע!" (Have you ever noticed that this passuk# is יז, and the passuk from our parsha כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה is also יז? Coincidence?).
Adam later relays this info to Chava, but misguidedly adds a chumra of his own – he doesn't say to Chava "Don't eat from it", he says to her "Don't touch it!" Chazal say this was בַּל תֹּסֶף, adding something that HKB"H didn't command him, and it ultimately resulted in the sin of the עֵץ הַדַּעַת, because the נָחָשׁ duped Chava using that addendum. "Don't touch the tree??? Look I will touch it and nothing will happen to me [the נָחָשׁ touches the tree and nothing happens to him]. Now you [Chava] try … you will see nothing will happen to you either" [
If you read the detailed description in sefer Meir Panim of exactly what the sin of the עֵץ הַדַּעַת entailed, according to the shita of R' Yehuda that it was a wheat tree, that Chava used the wheat from the tree and made a chametz bread out of it, your first impression is "WOW! How creative is that!" Without anyone teaching her, Chava, on her own, developed a multistage process of bread preparation – harvesting, threshing, winnowing, sorting, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, etc. (ברכות נח, ע"א). Now that is what I call creativity (I know because I am a baker, and I first learned baking from books and other people).
But wasn't that exactly what HKB"H had planned for humans, that they would be creative, like Him? The first word in the Torah, the first command to man – be creative! Wasn't Chava doing precisely what HKB"H wanted her to do? Yes, HKB"H told Adam to not eat from the tree, but he didn't tell Chava that, Adam told her "Don't touch!" Chava seemingly wasn't doing anything wrong.
If you examine what punishment Chava got for the sin of the עֵץ הַדַּעַת, you begin to understand. Yes, practically and in the end, Chava was preparing a bread, but that was not her original intention, she did not intend to make a bread, she intended to make something else entirely.
The Torah describes exactly how HKB"H created Adam HaRishon - וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת כׇּל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה. וַיִּיצֶר ה' אֱ-לֹקִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה (בראשית ב, ו-ז). HKB"H took dust from the earth, dust mixed with water and made it into a "dough" which He inflated with נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים.
What was troubling Chava? It wasn't that she was bored not having any children, that she decided to attend a baking class given by the נָחָשׁ, Chava was not attempting to bake bread at all. Chava was trying to make children!!!! The נָחָשׁ revealed to her how HKB"H first created Adam HaRishon and said to her – "You can do exactly the same thing! Take the fruit from the עֵץ הַדַּעַת, grind it into dust (flour), mix it with water into a "dough" and I [the נָחָשׁ] will inflate it with "life". You don't need Adam at all (he is sloppy about this anyway), you don't need HKB"H – you can make children all on your own".
Obviously one person (male or female) cannot make children on their own. Even two people, a man and a woman, cannot make children on their own either. To make children, you need three partners שְׁלֹשָׁה שׁוּתָּפִין הֵן בָּאָדָם, הקב"ה וְאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ (קידושין ל, ע"ב). (Try telling this to the WOKE people, they think they can re-engineer the human organism on their own to do whatever they like). The result of Chava's "creativity" did not result in creation of new human life, it resulted in a sour smelling chametz loaf of bread, a Frankenstein style experiment gone wrong. "This is not a child" said Chava to נָחָשׁ, "Eat from it and you will have a child", lied the נָחָשׁ. Chava ate from this and we know how the story ended. How was Chava punished for this? אֶל הָאִשָּׁה אָמַר הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ בְּעֶצֶב תֵּלְדִי בָנִים (בראשית ג, טז), a punishment to fit the crime.
It wasn't really Chava's fault – Adam misled her, the נָחָשׁ lied to her. Until now Chava wasn't really culpable, she was שׁוֹגֶגֶת. What happened next changed things for her from שׁוֹגֵג to מֵזִיד. It was not difficult to realize she had made an error, eating from the forbidden tree had an immediate physical effect on her. Her כָּתְנוֹת אוֹר were stripped from her and she felt herself become mortal. In a panic, Chava now realized she would die as HKB"H promised. "If I die and Adam continues to live, HKB"H will create another wife for him". Out of jealousy Chava decided to coerce Adam into also eating from this forbidden "science" experiment (פרקי דרבי אליעזר, יג).
It was this second act that sealed her fate. She was given an additional punishment וְאֶל אִישֵׁךְ תְּשׁוּקָתֵךְ וְהוּא יִמְשׇׁל בָּךְ, "You made your husband sin, so you will now be subservient to him", instead of enjoying equal status.
As he was groggily awakening from a drunken stupor, Chava fed Adam a piece of this forbidden "bread" and he also became mortal. But surely Adam was also שׁוֹגֵג? If an attractive blonde feeds you a chocolate éclair while you are in a semi-conscious state, that can hardly be construed as complicity? What happened next changed things for Adam from שׁוֹגֵג to מֵזִיד.
When HKB"H asked him why he had eaten it, did Adam say "Sorry HKB"H, the whole thing is my fault. It is my fault we have not fulfilled פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, not hers. I told Chava not to touch the tree. If I had told her what you told me about the tree, none of this would have happened!"?? Not exactly. Adam did not accept any responsibility in the affair - his tardiness in performing פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, telling Chava incorrect info, eating something without making a bracha on it (even if he was semi-conscious). Instead, Adam blamed it all on Chava and incredibly on HKB"H Himself הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה עִמָּדִי הִוא נָתְנָה לִּי מִן הָעֵץ וָאֹכֵל (שם ג, יב). That is what sealed his fate, not eating the bread Chava gave him. HKB"H said "Until now I have been the hand feeding you Adam. Not only did you agree to take food from the attractive blonde, who incidentally I gave you as a gift, but now you have the audacity to blame it on Chava and Me? What ingratitude! Your punishment will be that My hand will no longer spoon feed you, you will have to sweat to eat!" A crime to fit the punishment.
This is not the creativity HKB"H intended for Chava, creativity in which He is not a participant. This is not the creativity HKB"H intended for Adam, creative thinking trying to weasel your way out of responsibility which you truly are accountable for. This kind of creativity is disconnected from HKB"H, it is a smelly Frankenstein experiment gone wrong, it is the breakdown of all norms of society. This is not for what HKB"H created the world.
Human creativity is a Divine attribute of HKB"H, given to us by HKB"H. HKB"H wants us to use this creativity to improve the world וּמִלְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ, to do Tikkun Olam, to use our creativity to create things that help mankind, that glorify HKB"H, to use our talents and skills to give glory to G-d. To manifest His attributes in the relevant context, work (Avodah) in the six days, rest/observe (Shemira) on the Seventh day, Shabbat. That will be the tikkun for what Adam and Chava mistakenly did at the beginning of time and will result in the Geulah.
Oy va'voy if we should repeat their error וְאָמַרְתָּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה.
"Seriously, let's leave G-d out of this. This is all ME!" Israel has never had a better president than me! Our beautiful B2 bombers (they are beautiful, aren't they?) No president before me would have done such a thing, I have brought the IRGC to their knees, they are begging me for a deal!"
Or,
"G-d, what did G-d have to do with it? My grandfather slaved with his bare hands from pre-dawn until late at night draining the swamps in the Galilee and as a result died at an early age of malaria. I joined the IDF straight out of school and eventually became the head of the Israel Air Force. We have the greatest military force in the Middle East. Nobody would be stupid enough to mess with us! Hamas? Who is Hamas, a bunch of street hooligans with AK-47's. What is that compared to the might of the Israel Air Force?"
Or, (pick your celebrity, politician, general …)
It is a stark warning in our parsha that is relevant throughout time, today as much as it was 5786 years ago.
It is not a surprise that this passuk is preceded, a few psukkim before by וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ (דברים ח, י) and is followed by וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה (שם יח).
If Adam would have made a bracha on Chava's bread, we would not be where we are today. If Chava would have remembered Who it is who gives us our creativity, we would not be where we are today. Creativity is an inseparable fabric of the human organism, not something to be repressed, but rather embraced and used for glorifying the One who gave it to us.
There is one more incredible gematria I want to share with you. The gematria of כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי is the same as יָדָיו רָב לוֹ, from the bracha Moshe Rabbeinu gave to the tribe of Yehuda וְזֹאת לִיהוּדָה וַיֹּאמַר שְׁמַע ה' קוֹל יְהוּדָה וְאֶל עַמּוֹ תְּבִיאֶנּוּ יָדָיו רָב לוֹ וְעֵזֶר מִצָּרָיו תִּהְיֶה (דברים לג, ז). There is only one tribe in Am Yisrael who is able to embrace כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי on the one hand, because his second hand is constantly clutching a sefer Torah. This is the blueprint of a king in Am Yisrael. Not sitting in yeshiva studying Torah full time (this is why the kings in Israel do not come from Yissachar) and certainly not claiming sole credit for themselves כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה, wielding the power and authority of a dictator. A king in Am Yisrael has to have Malchut in the one hand, the power to rule, to win battles, to build a Beit HaMikdash … and Torah in the second hand, proving for all to see that the Malchut is not an entity on its own chas vechalia, but is umbilically tied to HKB"H and the Torah.
Yehuda took responsibility for his mistake with another female, Tamar, instead of blaming everything on her. It was Yehuda that Yaakov sent ahead to Goshen to establish yeshivas of Torah study, before the 70 souls descended to Egypt. Only Yehuda has the required leadership qualities to be a king, the might of Malchut embedded with Torah, וְהוּא אַדְמוֹנִי עִם יְפֵה עֵינַיִם (שמואל א טז, יב), referring to David HaMelech who never made a major move without first consulting the Sanhedrin.
It is such a king we daven and hope for, Mashiach ben David לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה.
בבי"א.
