BEREISHITH 2000

In the Torah portion BEREISHIS, we have two creation stories.  In the first creation story, we learn how G-d commands man to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and conquer it. In the second creation story, we learn how G-d relates to man, how G-d speaks to man and wants to have a relationship with him.  In the second creation story, the Yud Kay Vahv Kay name of G-d is first used.  

Rabbi Soloveitchik explains that in the first creation story, Adam was given a divine mandate, and in the second creation story, man was told that he has a divine nature.  His mandate is to be ambitious, to conquer the world, to populate it, to discover all its secrets.  In the second creation story, he is told about his divine nature, that he needs to relate especially to his spouse.

The rabbis teach that original man was hermaphrodite, androgynous, both male and female. Why was Adam lonely? He had the angels who would give him anything he wanted.  The angels would talk to him, but they did not need anything from him.  Adam was lonely because he could not give.  Therefore, G-d divided Adam in two so that he would be able to give to Eve, and eve would be able to give to him.  The essence of being human is the ability to give.

We also learn in this Torah portion that Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge that G-d had told them not to eat.  Eve really was not responsible totally, because G-d never spoke to her.  It was Adam who told Eve that she should not eat from the tree, but he told her more than that.  He told her that she should not ever touch the tree, because the moment she touched the tree, she would be punished.  However, when the snake pushed her against the tree, nothing happened, so she thought nothing would happen when she ate from the tree.  Adam, by not being truthful with his wife, really caused her to sin, and Eve, too, caused Adam to sin by bringing him the fruit, and telling him that she had already eaten from it.  He did not want to be alone anymore, so he ate from it, too.  They both were responsible, and they both had excuses.  They both displayed their faults.

It is interesting to note that they later forgave each other because, after all, that is the only way marriages can work. When you marry someone, you marry not only their virtues but also their faults.  Adam called his wife Chava, because she was the mother of all life.  It says that she conceived and gave birth to Cain and she said, "I have acquired a man with G-d." One of the interpretations is that now she accepted Adam, Eesh, as her man in spite of his faults, just as Adam had accepted her as the mother of all life, in spite of her faults.  

In marriage, it is not necessary that the couple agree on everything.  They can even agree to disagree.  In fact, on many subjects they will do just that. Adam and Eve initially had two children, Cain and Hevel.  Cain means acquirer in Hebrew. Cain thought that all that was required of him was to fulfill his divine mandate, not to fulfill his divine nature.  He had no time to relate to others.  His job was just to conquer the world. He was filled with ambition.  Hevel stood for spirituality.  His name means breath.  He loved to relate to everyone.  That's why he was also a Roeh Tzon.  Cain had no patience with Hevel.  He was getting in his way of conquering the world.  He knew he was his  brother.  Even after he killed him, he said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" but he felt that Hevel was getting in his way.  He was not letting him fulfill his divine mandate.

In fact, a close reading of the text would seem to imply that it was G-d Who really stirred up this jealousy between the brothers, because it says that Cain brought from the fruit of the ground an offering to G-d, and Hevel brought also from the firstborn of the sheep and the fat, and G-d turned to Hevel and his offering. Why did G-d prefer Hevel's offering? The rabbis explain because Hevel gave from his choicest products, while Cain did not.  This is not borne up, though, by the text.  

Other rabbis say, "And Cain brought from the fruit of the ground an offering to G-d."  It does not say he brought from the worst part of his fruit.  It says, "And Hevel brought also from the firstborn of the sheep and the fat." The firstborn could be either good or bad, the same for the fat, so why did G-d turn to Hevel's offering? Notice, though, the text says something else.  It says Hevel also brought himself.  In addition to his offering, he brought himself.  That made the difference.  He just did not bring an offering; he also brought himself. This is what the Kliwoker says.  That's why a very unusual word is used when it says, "And G-d turned to Hevel and to his sacrifice."  The word is Vayisha.  The normal word is Vayifen, as Rashi says. Why is this word used? The root of the word Vayisha is the same as Shoah, or time.  G-d turned to Hevel's sacrifice because Hevel knew how to give time to people.

The same is true in a marriage.  A husband and wife must give each other time.  Usually in a marriage, it is the man who is filled with ambition and wants to go out and conquer the world, while the wife stressed relationships.  Many times, a man has no time for relationships, and that is bad.  I am reminded of the story they tell about a man who, for the love of his wife, conquer the highest mountains and swam the deepest seas.  Of course, the marriage ended in divorce because he was never home. It is important that we fulfill not only our divine mandate, but also that we fulfill our divine nature.  It is important that we go out and learn Torah and conquer the world and make a good living, but it  is also important that the couple be there for each other, that the couple give each other time, otherwise we will not be fulfilling our divine nature, as G-d has commanded us in the second creation story.

I am reminded of the story of a student at a yeshiva in a kollel who was always asked by his wife to take out the garbage.  He always complained, "You make me lose time from studying Torah," and many times refused to do it.  One day, out of frustration, he told his Rosh Yeshiva that his wife was always asking him to take out the garbage and was stopping him from learning Torah and made him come late.  The Rosh Yeshiva did not say anything.  The next morning, right before this young man was ready to leave for the yeshiva, he heard a knock on the door.  There was the Rosh Yeshiva.  He looked at the Rosh Yeshiva and said, "Why are you here?"  The Rosh Yeshiva replied, "I have come to take out the garbage."

Yes, we must fulfill our divine mandate, but we also have to fulfill our divine nature.  Let us hope and pray that we will always realize this, that we will always make time for each other so that we will have good marriages and raise wonderful families and have a good community so the Mashiach will come quickly in our day.  Amen.