English translation — בראשית א

That which the Torah begins with the letter Beis - ,

Bereishis bara etc.,

and not with the letter Alef,

which is the first letter of the alphabet - there are on this several explanations,

<b>And among them:</b>

<span>A.</span>

a)

In the Yerushalmi¹

it stands,

that because Alef is language

(acronym)

arirah and Beis is language

(acronym)

blessing,

therefore the Torah does not begin with an Alef,

but with a Beis.

b)

In the Midrash²

he says that the image of the letter Beis,

which is closed on three sides and is open on the fourth

(north)

side³,

is similar to the world,

which was created in a manner that its three directions are closed and fenced and the "north direction" remained open⁴

: If someone will come and say "He is God",

they will answer him - on the contrary,

the north direction remained,

which needs to have a rectification,

let him rectify and complete it]

c)

In Kabbalah⁶

it is discussed,

that the Torah that we learn here in this world,

is as the Torah has already been drawn down into the worlds of BY"A - from Atzilus

the explanation of "and upon Your Torah - that You have taught us"⁷

: "and upon Your Torah",

<b>Your </b>Torah,

means the Torah as it is in Atzilus; "that You have taught us" - the Torah as it is in the world of Beriah]

; and therefore⁸

the Torah begins with a Beis,

to hint,

that the Torah that we learn is already the <b>second </b>level

(in Torah)

; Alef,

the <b>first⁹</b>

level

(in Torah),

is

(Torah of)

Atzilus.

2.

Seemingly, an explanation is required in each of the three above-mentioned reasons:

a)

In the first answer it is not understood — as the Ibn Ezra¹⁰

<span><span> asks: we find indeed many words that begin with a beis and they have in them the content of opposite of blessing</span></span>

b)

In the second answer: That which the Torah had to begin with an alef is indeed because so it is according to the order of the Torah — since alef is the first letter of the alphabet

this itself is a proof that it is also the first in level etc.

— now since from the perspective of the order of the Torah it had to begin with an alef,

it is thus difficult to say,

that the Torah changes its order and it begins with a beis in order that it should be “fitted” to the world

(which is analogous to the letter beis — closed on three sides etc.)

: The world was created through and for the sake of the Torah,

as our Rabbis of blessed memory said,

“He looked into the Torah and created the world,”

“In the beginning, for the sake of the Torah which is called beginning,”

and not the opposite, heaven forbid,

In the third answer: We say

“And He gave to us His Torah” — the Almighty gave us His Torah; i.e.,

i.e.,

that the same Torah

(and with the same order)

as it is with the Almighty — His Torah,

He gave over to us down here

And consequently,

just as the Torah is with us,

so too does the Torah of Atzilus begin with “In the beginning He created etc.” — with a beis

but even higher,

wherever a category of letters applies

there the Torah begins with a beis],

there remains again the question: Why does the Torah of Atzilus begin

with a beis?

c)

3.

But a wonder in this matter: from all the above-mentioned explanations it emerges,

that the Torah <b>must </b><span>begin specifically with a beis and not with an alef - but the Gemara relates</span>²⁰

that when the elders translated the Torah for Ptolemy the king,

"Hashem placed in the heart of each one" that they all intended in their translation in the same manner,

and they translated the verse "In the beginning God created etc." exactly as if it had stood "God created in the beginning".

<span><span>Since from above they were given the knowledge to translate as if it had stood "God created in the beginning" - with an alef at the beginning - from this is a proof,</span></span>

that there is a very strong reasoning,

that the Torah should begin with an alef²¹

and all the explanations otherwise - would not have been accepted by Ptolemy the king and they would have had to come to <b>a miracle </b>that He placed in the heart of all of them etc.

And further - this very thing is indeed a very great wonder: there are in the Torah of truth so many reasons for the beginning of the Torah not with an aleph and not one of them can be accepted by King Ptolemy?

The explanation in this: on the verse²²,

"For what was the land lost etc. because they forsook My Torah" say Chazal²³

(So what does "they forsook My Torah" mean -)

"that they did not recite a blessing over the Torah first."

Explains the Bach²⁴

(and alluded to in Rabbeinu Yonah²⁵)

that although they learned much Torah,

they however lacked the intention "to strengthen oneself and to cleave to the holiness and spirituality of the Torah and to draw down the Shechinah etc."; and this is the explanation of "the land was lost" - "that is, it was destroyed and remained material without the holiness of the Shechinah passing over it."

4.

4.

5.

In Torah there are two matters²⁶

(a)

The study of Torah with understanding and comprehension;

(b)

The attachment and unification with the <b>Giver </b>of the Torah²⁷

which is the holiness of the Torah and its essence which is above intellect;

And the order in this is,

that <b>first,</b>

before studying Torah,

there must be the surrender and attachment to the essence of Torah which is above intellect,

as the language of the Gemara: bless in the Torah <b>first,</b>

and <b>afterwards </b>the study of Torah with understanding and comprehension²⁸.

And this is also the explanation in plain sense why the Torah begins with a beis and not with an alef: Alef signifies that which comes first,

and beis — to the second

: That which a Jew reads and learns in Torah is already the beis of Torah,

the second matter that exists in Torah; the first thing — the alef of Torah

— is its “connection” to the Giver of the Torah, above understanding and comprehension

higher than the form of letters,

which must be even before the “beis

(reishis)

” of Torah,

as a preparation for the study of Torah.

because in every level of Torah there exist two aspects: a)

the Torah as it was revealed according to the vessels and letters of that world.

b)

the Giver of the Torah, above letters].

5.

As already said many times³²

all commentaries have on the same word

(or subject)

a connection with each other.

Thus one can also say in our case,

that the three above-brought reasons and explanations

(above s.1)

are all derived from one general point - from the explanation <b>the simple </b>above

(p.4),

that the alef of <span><span>Torah is the attachment and self-absorption with the level that is higher than comprehension,</span></span>

and the <b>study </b><span>of Torah with understanding and comprehension is the beis of Torah; and this point and general explanation expresses itself<span> in three particular matters in Torah and its effect</span></span>

(which are hinted at in the three explanations above)

(a)

Regarding Torah itself - the explanation of Kabbalah that alef of Torah is Torah of Atzilus,

and beis - Torah of Beriah;

(b)

The action in the <b>man</b><span> who studies Torah - through the fact that he hears that understanding and comprehension in Torah is only the beis in Torah,</span>

is his study in a manner of

(beis - language)

<b>blessing,</b>

<span><span>and not,</span></span>

G-d forbid,

in a manner of

(alef,

which then it is language)

cursing.

The action of Torah in the <b>creation</b><span> - at the time that the study of Torah is proper,</span>

that there is beforehand the alef in Torah,

one rectifies the northern wind that does not circulate

(which is hinted in the letter beis).

6.

The explanation in this: The meaning of "bless Him in the Torah first" is indeed not that one should fulfill [the intent] with the intention of devekut of the soul in G‑dliness,

but this is also an introduction that must bring to the study of Torah,

as the precise language of Chazal "bless Him in the Torah first"

h.

That after "bless Him in the Torah" must then be the study of Torah with understanding and comprehension]

- and from this it is understood,

that this expresses itself:

in the Torah itself that he studies,

(b)

in the person studying,

and

(c)

(c)

in the effect of Torah in the world:

(a)

(a)

When one studies Torah without the devotion to the Giver of the Torah,

then,

the Torah that one studies is in the aspect of "separated"

Heaven forbid from G‑dliness,

so that from it can come forth a suckling for the external forces etc.

- and this is hinted at in that the initials of Bereishit indicate the Torah that is in Beriah,

where in the world of Beriah is the beginning of the matter of separation,

and as it is written

"and from there it is separated etc."

Not so when the study of Torah is with the introduction of "Bless Him in the Torah first,"

then is the

(learned)

Torah united completely with the Giver of the Torah,

in the manner that Atzilus is the world of unity,

"G-dliness in simplicity and existence in renewal"&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;.

(b)

Chazal&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;

say "If he merits, it becomes for him an elixir of life; if he does not merit, it becomes for him an elixir of death" — and this is the matter of the letter beis meaning blessing

(and the letter alef meaning curse)

: When the study of Torah of the person is in a manner of "he merits" — in a pure manner,

that first he hears the holiness of the Torah&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;

— this is for him the &lt;b&gt;alef &lt;/b&gt;of Torah,

then there is the beis — &lt;b&gt;blessing,&lt;/b&gt;

&lt;span&gt;"it becomes for him an elixir of life"; but when "he does not merit" — that the understanding and comprehension of Torah is for him the "alef" of Torah and it lacks the aspect of "he merits" and the holiness of the Torah&lt;/span&gt;

(the true alef of the Torah)

— then it becomes, may it not happen,

alef meaning curse,

"it becomes for him an elixir of death".

(c)

So that Torah should be revealed in the world,

That one should hear that there is a Master of this building,

It is when one hears and feels in the Torah that one learns the <b>Giver </b><span><span>of the Torah - and that</span><span><span> is the matter of the form of the letter Beis which is similar to the world which is closed on three sides and the northern side is not enclosed: At the time of understanding and comprehension of Torah, the Beis of Torah is with him - because with him it is heard that the Alef of Torah is the Giver of the Torah - then</span></span><span> that</span><span><span> rectifies and completes in the world the matter that the northern side is not enclosed</span></span></span>

(which is hinted at in the letter Beis).

7.

According to the above, one will also understand the reason why the elders translated the Torah for King Ptolemy in a manner that the Torah begins with an Alef - because all the above,

That learning with understanding and comprehension is the Beis of Torah,

Applies only to Jews and not to the nations of the world:

The law³⁹

is,

that "a gentile who engages in Torah is liable to death",

that a non-Jew may not study Torah for the sake of <b>the study of Torah itself;</b> he may only study Torah insofar as it is relevant for him to know how to fulfill the "seven commandments of theirs"³⁹.

Since the study of Torah among the nations of the world is in order to know the deed that they should do,

it is understood,

that they have a connection only to the matter of understanding and comprehension that is in the Torah,

but not to the essence of the Torah which is above comprehension,

which comes through "Blessed are You... who has chosen us... and given us Your Torah" first, which pertains only to Jews

And therefore,

When the elders translated the Torah for King Ptolemy — when they rendered the Torah in a way that it has relevance to the children of Noah — it came out as if it would have stood "God created in the beginning",

that it begins with an aleph — because among the nations of the world, understanding and comprehension

(not a second thing,

but)

the first thing.

8.

The portion of Bereishit one begins to read on Simchat Torah — is also the matter connected with what is explained above:

On Simchat Torah one dances with the Torah,

that specifically through the dances with the feet one takes the "essence" of the Torah⁴⁰

; and as it stands in the Zohar⁴¹

that "and it is the custom of Israel to make joy with her and it is called Simchat Torah and they crown the Sefer Torah with its crown" - d.

h.

The joy of Simchat Torah is connected with that which "they crown the Sefer Torah <b>with its crown</b>",

that crown is above the head,

it is the matter of the drawing down of the Infinite One into Torah,

the connection of Torah

(and Jews)

with the Giver of the Torah -

And through this,

through the preparation of joy and the drawing down,

one can then,

on the day of Simchat Torah itself,

with the reading and study of Bereishit - which begins with a beit,

that one hears that the entire study in Torah is the <b>second</b> matter of Torah; the beginning of Torah - is the surrender to the Giver of the Torah.

(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Bereishis 5725)