Parshas Bereishis
1. It has been discussed several times1 that although the principal purpose of Rashi's commentary on the Torah is to explain the plain meaning of Scripture, as Rashi himself emphasizes in many places*1, nevertheless Rashi's commentary also includes and alludes to "ענינים מופלאים" ("wondrous matters") of the other parts of the Torah, as explained in the Shelah2, including also "רזין דאורייתא" ("the secrets of the Torah"), as in the well-known saying of Admur3 that "Rashi's commentary on the Chumash is the wine of Torah."
And it is understood that since this is said regarding his commentary on the Torah as a whole, all the more so does it apply to the first passage4 of Rashi's commentary on the Torah. In general, we find that at the beginning of many matters their essential content is emphasized5. It is also understood that the "wine of Torah" (and the lesson) contained in this passage (since it is the beginning of the commentary on the entire Written Torah) is not in a particular matter only, but in a general matter that pertains to the Torah and its mitzvos as a whole.
2. Rashi begins his commentary on the Torah6: "אמר ר' יצחק לא הי' צריך להתחיל את התורה אלא מהחודש הזה לכם שהיא מצוה ראשונה שנצטוו בה ישראל ומה טעם פתח בבראשית, משום כח מעשיו הגיד לעמו לתת להם נחלת גוים" ("Rabbi Yitzchak said: It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from 'This month shall be for you,' which is the first mitzvah that Israel was commanded. And what is the reason it opened with Bereishis? Because 'He declared to His people the power of His works, to give them the inheritance of the nations'"*6 — "so that if the nations of the world say to Israel, 'You are robbers, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations,' they will say to them, 'The entire earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whomever was proper in His eyes. By His will He gave it to them, and by His will He took it from them and gave it to us.'")
And the lesson (the "wine of Torah"7) in this is simply understood:
A person need not be impressed by anything that opposes the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos. Therefore, when the nations of the world come to the Jewish people with the claim that they need not fulfill the commands of the Torah, since these are (in their opinion) contrary to reason and fairness, etc. (like their claim regarding the conquest of Eretz Yisrael — which was also a command of the Holy One, blessed be He), the Jewish people should not be impressed by this at all. On the contrary, they should strengthen themselves in the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos8, and answer them that this is the "will" of the Holy One, blessed be He, and through fulfilling Torah and mitzvos they fulfill His will, etc. Consequently, it makes no difference that the mind of flesh and blood does not grasp it, etc.
However, this is a general lesson from the overall content of the commentary; and it is understood that in the particular details of Rashi's comment too (and especially in the first passage) there are lessons (and in our case — general ones).
Now, a principal and fundamental detail in this comment of Rashi is the verse he cites, "כח מעשיו הגיד לעמו לתת להם נחלת גוים" ("He declared to His people the power of His works, to give them the inheritance of the nations"), for it is the very foundation for refuting their claim — and it is clear that this detail comes to teach a general lesson in the service of G‑d.
This requires explanation:
a) What is the lesson?
b) What is the precision in the word "power (of His works)…"? The intent here is to explain that the knowledge that these are the "works" of the Holy One, blessed be He — that He created the world, etc. — necessitates that it is within His hand and authority "to give them the inheritance of the nations." What then does the "power" in the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, come to teach us?
c) The most usual expression in such cases is "amar" ("said") (as is used several times in our parsha too, and as in the continuation of this very passage, "they will say to them"), "diber" ("spoke"), or "siper" ("told") — not "higid" ("declared").
3. This will be understood by first explaining the matter of Eretz Yisrael in spiritual terms. The quality of Eretz Yisrael is as it says9: "ארץ אשר גו' עיני ה' אלקיך בה מראשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה" ("A land… the eyes of the L‑rd your G‑d are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year") — that is, the Supernal Providence is upon it in an open manner (more than upon all other lands10). This means that even in the physicality of Eretz Yisrael and its matters, the light of His G‑dliness is "felt" more openly. Furthermore: since "the eyes of the L‑rd your G‑d are upon it," there cannot be in it — of itself (were it not for human choice) — evil and the opposite of holiness, for the Holy One, blessed be He, is "טהור עינים מראות רע" ("of eyes too pure to behold evil")11.
From this it is understood that the level of "Eretz Yisrael" in spiritual terms, in a person's service of his Creator, indicates and alludes to the perfection of service in fulfilling Torah and mitzvos — drawing down the revelation of G‑dliness and negating evil, etc. This is also alluded to in the name "Eretz Yisrael": our Sages said12, "Why is it called eretz? Because it desired (ratzsah) to do the will of its Maker"; and "Yisrael" too indicates the Torah (and mitzvos), as is known13 that "Yisrael" is the acronym of "יש ששים רבוא אותיות לתורה" ("there are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah") (in which — and through the combinations of these letters — all the mitzvos are explained).
However, just as in the plain sense of matters Eretz Yisrael was in the portion of Shem and afterwards the Canaanites conquered it14, and in order to restore it and transform it (the Land of Canaan) into Eretz Yisrael there first had to be the conquest of the land from the seven nations, so too it is understood in spiritual terms: in addition to the general level of "Eretz Yisrael" in spiritual service, there is also the matter of "conquering the land" spiritually.
The matter is as follows: in addition to the general service of fulfilling Torah and mitzvos themselves (which is "Eretz Yisrael" spiritually), every person is commanded "כל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים" ("All your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven")15 and "בכל דרכיך דעהו" ("Know Him in all your ways")16 — that is, to serve G‑d not only by praying, learning Torah and fulfilling His mitzvos, but also in all his ways and deeds that he does throughout the twenty-four hours of the day, even those he does for the needs of his body and for their physical benefit. And this service must be on the loftiest level17, to the point that all his physical matters are nullified and united with G‑dliness; their existence has been transformed into holiness, and the "physicality" in them is not felt by him at all — and not only because of the abundance of the light of holiness shining in him, since he is entirely given over and devoted to G‑dliness in the manner of "know Him," attachment and connection18, but because the physical thing itself has become for him a matter of holiness.
[The "conquest" must also be expressed in that he is not satisfied with serving G‑d while occupied with physical matters, but from time to time he also "robs" from the times set aside and fixed for eating, drinking, sleeping, etc., and conquers them for learning Torah and fulfilling mitzvos.]
And this is the matter of "conquering Eretz Yisrael" in spiritual service: he conquers earthly matters from the nations (and conduct) of the world and makes them "Eretz Yisrael"; even the physical existence of the world (in which there is no mitzvah) he "conquers" and transforms into holiness19.
Accordingly, the saying of our Rebbeim20 — in their reply to several people who asked about going up to Eretz Yisrael: "מאַך דאָ ארץ ישראל" ("Make Eretz Yisrael here") — is all the sweeter. It can be said that their intent was not only that they should "make" the level of Eretz Yisrael spiritually — the doing and fulfilling of Torah and mitzvos — but also the spiritual service of conquering Eretz Yisrael (as is precise in the wording "make Eretz Yisrael here," i.e., making the existence of "here" into Eretz Yisrael — "conquest") even of the earthliness of outside the Land itself. That is, even his occupation with permitted matters and his physical needs should be in a manner of doing "the will of the Omnipresent (Makom)" — the revelation of His light and will in physical matters (whose entire existence is "place" in the plain sense).
4. However, we find that on the way of the Jewish people to conquer Eretz Yisrael there was the sin of the spies. Their claim was that it was impossible to conquer Eretz Yisrael, "כי חזק הוא ממנו" ("for it is stronger than us")21; and our Sages said22 (that the spies said), "As it were, even the Master of the house cannot remove His vessels from there" — that even the Holy One, blessed be He, so to speak, cannot conquer it.
Seemingly this is not understood: how did a change from one extreme to the other occur in the spiritual state of the spies, who at first "were upright"23 and afterwards denied G‑d's ability? Also: they themselves said, at the very time of their failing, that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the "Master of the house"; if so, how did they not believe that He is able to conquer Eretz Yisrael?
The explanation (in spiritual service) can be said to be as follows. The content of their claim was: how is it possible to conquer Eretz Yisrael — that is, as above, to serve G‑d also by "conquering" physical matters and transforming them into actual holiness, to the point that physical matters have no existence of their own — when the Holy One, blessed be He, is the One Who created the body and all physical matters, and He Himself commanded in His Torah24 "ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם" ("Take great care of your souls"); and it is also a law (in the Rambam25) that "keeping the body healthy and whole is among the ways of (the service of26) G‑d"; and (the well-known27 teaching of the Baal Shem Tov on the verse28) "כי תראה חמור שנאך וגו' עזוב תעזוב עמו" ("If you see the donkey of your enemy… you shall surely help along with him") — that one must "help," assisting the body and not breaking it; and also (the well-known statement of the Maggid of Mezritch29) "a small hole in the body becomes a large hole in the soul"; and (our Sages said30) "אין סומכין על הנס" ("one does not rely on a miracle") — that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, established nature and the physicality of the world as having existence and occupying place. If so, physical matters, etc., are the "vessels" of the Holy One, blessed be He, and occupation with them is also G‑d's will. How then will the G‑dly soul, although it is truly a part of G‑d Above31, be able to conquer them, to nullify their "existence" so that there be in them nothing but holiness — this is contrary to the nature which the Holy One, blessed be He, imprinted.
In addition: since the Holy One, blessed be He, created the nature of the world in such a way that they have "a place" of their own, seemingly the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, regarding the physicality of the world is in its "physicality." If so, how is it possible to draw spirituality and holiness there — seemingly they are not "vessels" for this.
That is: although the Holy One, blessed be He, is omnipotent, He has, as it were, limited Himself, so that although He is the "Master of the house" He cannot remove His "vessels" — along the lines of the saying of our Sages that the Holy One, blessed be He, swore, etc., and therefore, as it were, there is no ability to change32. Therefore the spies claimed that the Jewish people should remain in the desert and there serve G‑d through fulfilling Torah and mitzvos (but not the service of "conquering Eretz Yisrael").
And in this claim of theirs (to remain in the desert) their intent described above is also alluded to:
The desert, in its plain sense, is not a place of human settlement33, is not fit for sowing34, and has no water35, etc. — and spiritually it is a time and state in which a person is not (that is, according to nature) occupied with physical matters,36 with the settlement of the world.37
And this is the claim of the spies: the service of G‑d pertains only to the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos, and this must be "in the desert" — when he is free from his occupation with the necessary needs of his body;
but in the land of the nations, that is, when he is compelled to occupy himself with physical matters — since they are the "vessels" of the Holy One, blessed be He, it is impossible to conquer them under the dominion of holiness and to nullify the physical entirely.
But in truth they made a great error in this. For the ultimate purpose of the creation of physical matters, and the ultimate purpose of G‑d's command to occupy oneself with them, as above, is in order to draw holiness into them — for "the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have for Himself a dwelling in the lower realms"38; and the entire "place" that physical matters occupy is only so that through this G‑d's will be fulfilled, to make of the "lower realms" (physical matters) a dwelling for Him. As our Sages said39, all the matters of the world were created "for the sake of the Torah, which is called 'reishis' (first), and for the sake of Israel, who are called 'reishis.'" Consequently it is understood that (from the standpoint of the ultimate intent) they are "vessels" for the light of holiness. Therefore the Jewish people are not only able, but also obligated, to conquer the land of the nations and make it entirely Eretz Yisrael, as above; for specifically through this they fulfill the will of the Omnipresent to make of the "lower realms" — than which there is nothing lower — a dwelling for Him (more than through service in matters that are holy from the outset).
5. Now, along the lines of the claim of the spies — and "evolving" from it — is also the claim of the nations of the world (in Rashi's comment):
When a person learns, prays and fulfills mitzvos, and is not occupied with the settlement of the world, the nations may agree that at that time he must feel the G‑dly light and holiness. But when he is occupied with the settlement of the world, they claim, then the service of G‑d does not apply; and consequently, at those times one must conduct oneself in a manner "befitting" the perception of physical matters as they are in themselves. Therefore "the nations of the world say to Israel, 'You are robbers, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations'" — for into physical matters (the land of the seven nations) one should not mix holiness in the service of G‑d, since they too have a definition and nature of their own, established in them by the will of the Holy One, blessed be He — "by His will He gave it to them."
Moreover, they have the right of precedence40 over matters of Torah and mitzvos, as is evident from the order of matters in the Torah: it begins with "Bereishis…," the creation of the world and its matters, and only afterwards (after the length of more than an entire Chumash) comes the first command regarding the mitzvos — "This month shall be for you…"
But their entire claim is an error and a falsehood, for the ultimate intent and will in physical matters is only, as above, to make of them and within them "a dwelling for Him in the lower realms."
6. Accordingly, the precision of the wording "He declared to His people the power of His works…" is understood:
To remove the claim and complaints of the nations of the world, the knowledge of "His works…" alone is not sufficient; on the contrary, this is the very basis of their claim: since physical matters are the "works" of the Holy One, blessed be He, "you are robbers, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations." Rather the meaning is*40 that "the power — (the intent and purpose, which are the inner dimension and the power) — of His works He declared to His people." And it is precise in saying "higid" ("declared," and not "amar" and the like): the Holy One, blessed be He, "declared" and drew down41 and transmitted to His people the inner dimension — the "power" — within "His works," meaning that through the service of the Jewish people "His works" will be transformed into holiness ("to give them the inheritance of the nations"), as above.
7. Based on the above, the length of Rashi's question is also well understood: "It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from 'This month shall be for you,' which is the first mitzvah that Israel was commanded; and what is the reason it opened with Bereishis?" — which appears to be a redundancy; he should have said, "He began the Torah with Bereishis and not with 'This month shall be for you' because, etc."
Rather, Rashi's intent is to emphasize and elaborate that the world was made by the Holy One, blessed be He, with its naturalness, which seemingly pertains to the nations of the world (whereas the purpose and essence of everything is Torah and mitzvos — which pertain only to Israel — "the first mitzvah that Israel was commanded"), specifically in a manner that there should be a need for (service and) conquest and for nullifying the question of the world and the nations: "It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from 'This month shall be for you,' etc."
And he answers and nullifies the question: on the contrary, the Torah (which is the "power" and purpose of "His works") begins (and its main purpose is) to nullify the concealment that "His works" impose on the "power" within them. Therefore it began with this — to declare, draw down and reveal the "power" and purpose, "the power of His works…" — to draw G‑dliness into physical matters.
(From the sichah of Shabbos Parshas Bereishis, 5731)
Notes
1) See Likkutei Sichos vol. 5, p. 1, and elsewhere.
*1) See also in our parsha 3:8, 24; and see there, v. 22; 4:8; 6:3.
2) In his Maseches Shavuos (181a). And see in the section on the Oral Torah, "Principles of Rashi," regarding Rashi's commentary on the Gemara.
3) Hayom Yom, p. 24. And see at length Imrei Binah, Shaar HaKerias Shema, end of ch. 53 ff. (and elsewhere), that the "wine of Torah" is the secrets of the Torah. See there.
4) Especially since it is also a kind of introduction — for Rashi did not write an introduction to his commentary, as did the Ibn Ezra, the Ramban and others. Certainly Rashi too found several commentators on the Torah who preceded him, but not according to his method (only plain meanings, etc.), although he mentions only a few (the Midrashim, R. Moshe HaDarshan, and others).
5) This is also the inner reason for the matter of notarikon (initial-letter abbreviations), that notarikon is from the Torah (Shabbos 105a).
6) In Midrash Tanchuma (Buber edition), our parsha 11 (cited in Yalkut, Bo, §187), and at the end of that passage the beginning of Rashi's comment here is found ("land… inheritance of the nations"); Sefer HaLikkutim, Parshas Bo. And see Likkutei Sichos vol. 16, p. 104, note 41, and the gloss there.
*6) Tehillim 111:6.
7) The explanation of this according to the plain meaning (and several details of the "wine of Torah" in this comment of Rashi) is explained at length in Likkutei Sichos vol. 5, the first sichah on Sefer Bereishis; and see also the next note.
8) For according to the plain meaning too it can be said that Rashi's intent is that in addition (to the main point?) — that we should know what to answer the nations — there is in this an explanation for the Jewish people themselves (that they should not be concerned that the conquest of Eretz Yisrael involves robbery), as in the plain meaning of the verse: "He declared to His people the power of His works, to give them…" For if we say that the answer is (not for the Jewish people — "His people" — but) for the nations (and although it can be said that the meaning is that He declared it to His people so that they would know what to answer the nations (see Likkutei Sichos there, §6)), the main point is missing from the verse, and it should have said "He declared the power of His works to mankind" and the like. Rather, there are two matters in this: a) "He declared to His people the power of His works (as a preparation for their entry, in the future), to give them the inheritance of the nations," so that it should not be difficult in the eyes of His people how they were given the inheritance of others, as above; b) and also "that if the nations of the world say, etc.," we should know what to answer them. And note Rashi (Chayei Sarah 23:4): "And a Midrash Aggadah, etc."
9) Eikev 11:12.
10) See Rashi there; Taanis 10a, beginning, and Chiddushei Aggados there, s.v. "Eretz Yisrael." And see Likkutei Torah, Masei 89b; Derushim l'Shemini Atzeres 92c. And see Tanya, end of ch. 33; Iggeres HaKodesh §14; §25 (139b); Torah Or 13a; Siddur 149, end of side a.
11) Chavakuk 1:13, and see the commentators there.
12) Bereishis Rabbah 5:8.
13) Megaleh Amukos, ofen 186 (cited in Yalkut Reuveni, beginning of Bereishis; in Yalkut Chadash, entry "Torah," §178; and elsewhere). And see Zohar Chadash, Rus, on the verse "Now this was formerly the custom in Israel." And although the number of the Jewish people is more than six hundred thousand, it is known that this number is the number of the roots, and each root divides, etc. — Tanya ch. 37; see there.
14) Rashi, Lech Lecha 12:6.
15) Avos 2:2 [?].
16) Mishlei 3:6.
17) See at length below, p. 104 ff.
18) Tanya, ch. 16.
19) Just as according to the plain meaning, through the conquest of Eretz Yisrael the land becomes an entity of a different essence and definition (see at length Likkutei Sichos vol. 5, p. 8 ff.).
20) See also Likkutei Sichos vol. 2, p. 621.
21) Shelach 13:31.
22) Sotah 35a; Menachos 53b; Arachin 15a. And see Rashi on the verse.
23) Rashi there, verse 3.
24) Va'eschanan 4:15. And see the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Laws of Guarding the Body and Soul, and elsewhere.
25) Laws of Character Traits, beginning of ch. 4.
26) See Likkutei Sichos vol. 3, p. 806, note 9.
27) Hayom Yom, p. 23.
28) Mishpatim 23:5.
29) In a letter of his son, printed in HaTamim vol. 7, p. 28 [664].
30) See Pesachim 64b; Zohar I, 111b; 112b.
31) Tanya, beginning of ch. 2.
32) Bava Basra 74a. And only Rabbah bar bar Chanah could annul it.
33) Yirmiyahu 2:6.
34) Ibid. 2:2.
35) Eikev 8:15.
36) And although in the desert too they fulfilled several mitzvos physically, as is explicit in Scripture — and the prime example of all is the making of the Mishkan from physical materials — and as is known (see Likkutei Sichos vol. 3, pp. 757, 776, and elsewhere) the distinction between the Patriarchs' fulfillment of the mitzvos before the Giving of the Torah and the service that (began) after the Giving of the Torah — nevertheless the element of action in this was very slight, especially compared to the service when they came to an inhabited land. And see Tanya, ch. 37.
37) See Likkutei Torah (Shelach 36a–b; 38b–c) that in the desert the service was on the level of thought or speech, but not a descent into action.
38) Tanchuma, Nasso 16. And see there, Bechukosai 3; Bereishis Rabbah, end of ch. 3; Bamidbar Rabbah 13:6; Tanya, ch. 36. And see the maamarim that explain the sin of the spies, in several places.
39) Rashi on the verse. And see Bereishis Rabbah 1:4; Vayikra Rabbah 36:4.
40) This parallels the evil inclination's claim, "I came first — let me be fed first" (Zohar I, 179b; see Koheles Rabbah on the verse (4:13) "Better a poor and wise child…"; and see the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, end of §4, second edition).
*40) See Or Torah of the Maggid on the verse (72c); Likkutei Amarim [of the Maggid], end of §94.
41) As our Sages said, "that they draw a person's heart like aggadah" (Shabbos 87a; and similarly Chagigah 14a; Yoma 75a).
Key Lesson
A Jew's mission is not only to observe Torah and mitzvos in their own sphere, but to "conquer" the physical world — to serve G‑d in all his ways, even in eating, sleeping and business, and to "make Eretz Yisrael here." The physical world is not a domain apart from holiness; its inner "power" and purpose, which G‑d declared to His people, is to become a dwelling place for Him.