BEREISHIS : A STUDY OF TEXT, TRADITION & THEOLOGY
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(`:g) dax ziy`xa
oerny x"` . . . 'ebe ipzxv mcwe xeg` (hlw mildz) gzt opgei iax ,epzenck epnlva mc` dyrp midl` xn`ie
gexe" yiwl yix xn`c yiwl oa y"xc dizrc `ed ,oey`xd mei dyrnl mcwe oexg`d mei dyrnl xeg` yiwl oa
dkf m` ,'d gex eilr dgpe (`i diryi) xn` z`c dn jid giynd jln ly egex ef "mind ipt lr ztgxn midl`
jncw df leyly ,jncw yezi ,jncw aeaf el mixne` e`l m`e zxyd ik`lnl zncw dz` el mixne` mc`
(h-f:g) oixcdpq `ztqez
`xap dnl xg` xac :edyrna enr did szey oixne` oipind edi `ly dpexg`a `xap dnle dpexg`a `xap mc`
xac :cin devnl qpkiy ick xg` xac ziy`xa dyrna jncw yezi el 'ne` eilr ezrc gefz `ly dpexg`a
jk xg`e dcerq oiwzde dkpige oixihlt dpay jlnl dnec xacd dnl lyn elyen cin dcerql qpkiy ick xg`
`xay `ed jexa miklnd ikln jln df dzia 'pa 'yp 'nkg dzia dzpa miyp zenkg 'e` `ed oke migxe`d onif
zexdpe mini eli` dpii dbfn dgah dgah ziy`xa ini zray eli` dray dicenr davg dnkga draya enler
df al xqge dpd xeqi izt in zxw inexn itb 'r `xwze dizexrp dgly jk xg`e mlerd ikxev x`ye zexacne
:dege mc`
(g wxt) mildz
:epcwtz ik mc` oae epxkfz ik yep` dn (d) :dzppek xy` miakeke g© xï
¥ jizŸrav` iyrn Lin¤ Ẅ d ¤̀ x ¤̀ ik (c)
:eilbx zgz dz̈y
© lk jici iyrna Edli
¥ Wn
¦ z© (f) :Edxh
¥ r© z§ xcde ceake midl`n hrn Edxq
¥ g© z©
§ e (e)
(`l wxt) ozp iaxc zea`
d ziy`xa) 'ebe mc` zeclez xtq df xn`py ziy`xa dyrn lk cbpk lewy cg` mc`y oipn xne` dingp iax
diiyre d`ixa o`k s` diiyre d`ixa oldl dn ('c 'a) m`xada ux`de minyd zeclez dl` xne` `ed oldle (`
('c xn`nl dncwd) zerce zepen` 'qa b"qx
oipr o`k yiy itl ,`id dn mda dxhna mikeap zeidl mikixv ep` oi` ,miaexn mi`exad z` mi`ex ep` xy`k
.mc`d `ed dxhnd ik ep`vn df oipra epxwg xy`ke ,mi`xapd lkn dxhn `ed yin eci lr epl xxazi irah
mday ohwd on ligzpe ,edenkmicakp mpi` xy` mixacd rvn`a cakp xac lk dyer diedde rahdy ,`ede
megde ytpd `edy iptn edfga rvenn `ed mc`d al jke . . . milrd lk jeza rvenn d`eazd xbxbd ik xn`pe
mb , mixac daxda bdep df oexwr epi`x xy`ke .ea ziyrp dii`xd ik ,oird rvn`a d`exd gkd jke .irahd
zxhn `edy xacdy epl xxazp ,dizegex lkn dze` mitiwn milblbde miny de rvn`a ux`d z` ep`vn
'rd) mixacn izla zendad ep`vne ,mizn minde xtrd ik ep`vne diwlg lk k"g` epxwg .ux`a `ed d`ixad
eprci ,mc`d `l` xzep `le ,(lkyde drc oeibd ilra mpi`y 'elk "mibed izla" mbxzl oekp xzei :gt`w 'x
miiq xy`ke ,mdipinl mi`xapd lk hxit dxezd zligza s`e . . . wtq izla zpeeknd dxhnd `edy xexa
.ekezl eilra qipkn k"g`e zepelg ea rxewe zervn ea yxete oenx` dpeay ink ,mc` dyrp xn` mze`
(c wxt) l`xyi zx`tz 'qa l"xdn
`ede oezgzd ze`ivnd `ed '`d .ze`ivnd lk millek miwlg 'al wlgp dfd mler ze`ivna opeazz xy`ke
ynyde . . . eizgz xceqn rahd mlerde mler jln ynyd ik ,eze` llek ynyde ynyd zgz xceqn ellka
wlg `edy cala mc`d `ed ipyd wlgd .'` wlg edf . . . . . . dzrepzae dkldna rahd mler xcq zxiny `id
didi ji`e ,lkd `xap mc`d liaya ixdy ,mi`vnpd x`y mr llkp epi`e r"pta `edy ze`ivnd lk cbp 'a
mc`d zeklne ,eizgz oezp lkd ixdy jln `ed mc`d k"b ,jln `ed ynydy enke . . . eipec` mr card llkp
. . . eynyle mc`d cearl `xap lkd ik mipezgzd lk l` zenily jilen `edy `id
(b"it b"g) mikeapd dxena m"anx
lkl zilkzd zyixc 'elk ,ziaeig ef dl`y ik aeygl xyt` ixd . . . mlerd yecga epzhye epztwyd itl
dyrpy dn lke ,'d z` ceariy ick cala mc`d oin ze`ivn `id ze`ivnd ik aeygl xyt` oke .efd ze`ivnd
`ede yeayd on da yiy dn x`azi . . . ie`xy itk dixg` miwgzn xy`k ef dtwyde . . . ellba `l` dyrp `l
dn `gde ,zcner dl`yd ixd 'd z` cearl p"ynk mc`d zilkze ,mc`d llba lkd did m` elit` . . .
df oi`y xn`z m`e . . . `xay dn lk edcari m` zenly siqen epi` dlrzi `ede ,caer ezeida zilkzd
miizqiy `ed igxkde ,ef zenlya epze`ivn zilkz dne dnvr dl`yd aiigzz . . . epzenlyl `l` ezenlyl
oi`y . . . izrcl dpekpd dtwydd jkitle . . . oekp edfe ,eznkg xfb jky e` 'd dvx jky zilkzd ozna xacd
xac llba `le mnvrl dxhn mi`vnpd lk x`y mb eidi `l` ,mc`d ze`ivn llba mdy mi`vnpd lka xeaql
dxez[a] opeazz xy`ke . . . mievn miakekde elld milblbd eidiy dvx jk ievn mc`d oin dvxy myke . . . xg`
dxhnl m`zda eze`ivn dzidye e`ivnd `edy mlerd ihxtn hxte hxt lk[y] `ede . . . df oipr jl x`azi
dfd xnegd on deedzpy dn lka cakpde mlyd `ed mc`d ik rcze . . . "aeh ik miwl` `xie" exn` oiprd edfe
c`n c`n lc didi . . . milblbd ze`ivnl eze`ivn deeyp m`ye xzei `l
('e ,'c wxt '` xry) miigd ytp
znypa mc`dy . . . mlk zenlerde zegekd lk ezipaza llek `edy ycewd mrn mc`d al cxgi z`f lr mb
gk i"r `ed eizerepze sebd zebdpd ihxt lky enky .xtqn oi` zenler ieaixl dig ytp dyrp `ed ekezay miig
l"pk eci lr mibdpzn mlky ,xeriy oi`l mipezgze mipeilr zenler ly ytpde gkd `ed mc`d ok ,eaxway ytp
d`ixa ,ziy`xa dyrnl xeg` mc`d z` `xa zenlerd lk `xay xg` y"zi `ed ik xac ly exwr la` . . .
eay eizegk ihxt xtqna ea ellkp . . . zenlerd lka mi`vnpd zegkd lke . . . zepgnd lk sq`n gk d`ltp
Rabbi Natan Zvi Finkel (Or ha-Tzafon, I, p. 270)
All conduct of life, whether material life or moral life, whether the life of the community or that of the
individual, is based on the measure of man's recognition of his own worth. A person of low self-esteem treats
himself lightly and treats life itself lightly, to the point that he is liable at times to expose himself to dangers,
without any regard, even for the most trivial of matters. Not so a person who enjoys high self-esteem...
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (Halakhic Man, pp. 66-70)
It is in this light that we can understand the deep contradiction pervading the spiritual self-evaluation of homo
religiosus. On the one hand, he senses his own lowliness and insignificance, his own frailty and weakness; he
knows that even a "gnat preceded him, a snail preceded him." ... On the other hand, he is aware of his
greatness and loftiness, how his spiritbreaks through all barriers and ascends to the very heights ... Is he not
the crown of creation to whom God granted dominion over all the work of His hands?... However, halakhic
man has found the third verse - the Halakha...Indeed, the Halakha set man at the very center of the world,
and the Day of Atonement attests to this... Indeed, I am the one creature in this world who reflects the image
of Divine Presence. Do I not study the Torah, the cherished plaything [see Tehillim 119:77] of the Holy One,
blessed be He?... In the blinking of an eye the lowliest of creatures turns into the noblest of creatures, whom
the Holy One, blessed be He, elected at the very inception and recognized as worthy of standing before Him.
Standing before God! What self-esteem is present here!