[Avodah] Bereshis "From A to Z"

[Cantor Wolberg]

The  word “Bereshis — In the beginning” (in addition to having both aleph and tav, the first and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet), can be rearranged to comprise the letters ‘yarei Shabbos,’  “awe of Shabbos”. Thus in the very first word of the Torah is already planted the seed of Shabbos which is a commemoration of creation (zikaron l'ma'aseh v'reishis). One of the most significant and major themes of Shabbos is recognizing God as Creator: B'reishis—"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth".
 

Shabbos has also been closely related to the idea of teshuva (repentance, the mitzva of correcting past mistakes). The same three letters of ‘Shabbos’ are also those of ‘tashev’, the root of teshuva. Shabbos is the celebration of the remembrance of Creation, a return to the perfect state, a return to the Source. Teshuva is a return to the pure state, the state which existed before sin caused its damage. And through Teshuva (repentance—cleaning up our act), one can make Shabbos and a new "beginning."



Another very interesting observation:  All the days of Creation are referred to as  "A second day," (Yom Sheni); A third day, (Yom Shelishi) and so on, except for the sixth day, which is called "Yom HA'Shishi" — THE sixth day." Rashi comments that this alludes to the fact that the Torah would be given on the sixth day (of the month of Sivan) many centuries later. 

 

I would say that HAshishi, THE sixth day is used to distinguish the most important creation of all – THE man.



May our Bereishis always contain 'yarei Shabbos,’  “awe of Shabbos” and "teshuva", a return to the pure state that we had at the Beginning.




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