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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The Midrash relates that the Torah begins
with the letter <i><span style='font-style:italic'>bet</span></i>, rather than
with the letter <i><span style='font-style:italic'>alef</span></i>, because <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>bet</span></i> connotes <i><span style='font-style:
italic'>beracha</span></i>, blessing, while <i><span style='font-style:italic'>alef</span></i>
connotes <i><span style='font-style:italic'>arirah</span></i>, curse. The
HaKodosh, Baruch Hu, said, "I will begin with a <i><span style='font-style:
italic'>bet</span></i>, with an expression of blessing. May it be that
the creation will be able to endure." Another Kabbalistic Midrash
says that the Torah begins with the letter </span></font><i><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-style:italic'>Bet</span></font></i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> because it looks like a
box open only towards the front, teaching us to not ask about what comes
before, or beyond, or beneath this creation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Alternatively: The <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>bet</span></i> refers to the <u>two</u> [divisions of
the] Torah, the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, to teach you that the world
was created in the merit of the Torah and those who study it.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The gematria of <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>bereishit</span></i> (913) is equal to that of <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>batorah yatzar</span></i>, "He formed [it] with
the Torah." It was for the sake of the Torah, which is called <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>the beginning</span></i> (Mishlei 8:22), that the
world was created.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Alternatively: The gematria of <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>bereishit</span></i> (913) is equal to that of <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>yisrael bachar baamim</span></i>, "He chose
Yisrael among the nations" and to that of <i><span style='font-style:italic'>taryag
yatzar</span></i>, "He formed 613," indicating that He created the
world for the sake of Yisrael, that they be enabled to observe the 613
Mitzvot. It is because of those who observe the Torah that the world
stands. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>In the first verse of Bereishit there are
seven words, corresponding to the seven days of the week, the seven years of
the a shemittah cycle, the seven shemittah cycles of a yovel cycle, the seven
heavens, the seven lands, the seven seas , the seven servants.
Corresponding to these, King David said, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>"Seven
times a day I have praised you"</span></i> (Tehillim 119:164)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>And because of this correspondence, the
Sages ordained that the refrain in the Kaddish — <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Y’hei shmei rabba m’vorach l’olam
ul’almei almaya. May His great Name be blessed forever and ever </span></i>—
contains seven words, and be recited seven times each day. Moreover, in
this first verse of the Torah there are twenty-eight letters, as there are in
the refrain "May His great Name..." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>As a parallel, King Shlomo composed seven
verses - beginning with <i><span style='font-style:italic'>"a time to be
born"</span></i> and ending with <i><span style='font-style:italic'>"a
time for peace"</span></i> (Kohelet 3:2-8) - that speak of twenty-eight
"times" [which correspond to the twenty-eight different time periods
each week]. For there are four "times" in each full day-night
period: From dawn to noon is one time; from noon to dusk is a second time; from
dusk to midnight is a third time; and from midnight to dawn is a fourth time.
And so in seven days there are twenty-eight time periods. (I’m also
reminded of many medicines that one is supposed to take four times a day).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Remarkably also, seven words and
twenty-eight letters are also contained in the verse <i><span style='font-style:
italic'>"G-d spoke all these statements, saying" </span></i>(Shemot
20:1), which introduces the Ten Commandments. This [correspondence of
letters and words between the refrain of the Kaddish and the verse that
introduce Creation and the Ten Commandments] alludes to our Sages' statement,
"Whoever answers with all of his strength (<i><span style='font-style:
italic'>koach</span></i>)...<i><span style='font-style:italic'>Amen.
Y’hei shmei rabba m’vorach l’olam ul’almei
almaya. May His great Name be blessed forever and ever</span></i>...
becomes a partner with the Holy One, Blessed be He, in the work of
Creation." -Baal HaTurim<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> Richard Wolberg<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;line-height:115%'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;line-height:115%'><font size=3
face="Lucida Sans"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Lucida Sans"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Lucida Sans"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Lucida Sans"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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