(no subject)
Here I am, blogging again. I'm definitely avoiding responsible things.
In that vein, here is my vocalization and translation of Genesis 1:1 and the very first Rashi in the Torah. I have a translation of most of Rashi on the first pasuq, but LJ ate much of the post and I don't feel like retyping much.
בראשית א:א
בְּרֵאשִית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
In the beginning of... God created the heavens and the land.
[Rashi's is famous for his modest choice of opening by quoting a midrash from Yalqut Shim`oni, rather than beginning with his own opinion(s).]
[בְּרֶאשִית] אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶש הַזֶּה לָכֶם שֶהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשוֹנָה שֶנִצְטַוּוּ בָהּ יִשׂרָאֵל
Rabbi Isaac said 'It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from 'This month is for you...' since that was the first mitzvoh that was commanded on Israel.
וּמַה טַעַם פָּתַח בִּבְרֶאשִית
And what is the reason it opens with 'In the beginning of...'?
[Now it is clear why Rashi opened with the quote. According to Rabbi Isaac, we don't have to begin the Torah until Israel starts receiving law as a nation. Therefore, it is necessary to ask why we started here.]
מִשוּם: כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָכֶם נַחֲלַת גוֹיִם
Because 'Strength of His deeds in for his people, to give to you an inheritance of nations.'
[Psalms 111:6.]
שֶאִם יֹאמְרוּ אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם לֹיִשְׂרָאֵל: לִסְטִים אַתֶּם שֶכְּבַשְתֶּם אַרְצוֹת שִבְעָה גוֹיִם, הֵם אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם: כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶל הַקָּדוֹש בָּרוּךְ הוּא היִא. הוּא בְרָאָהּ, וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶר יָשַר בְּעֵינָיו. בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָּהּ לָנוּ
That if the nations of the world will say to Israel: 'You are thieves, that you conquered the lands of the seven nations (of Canaan)' they will say to them 'All the land belongs to the Holy One, Blessed Be He. He created it, and gives it to those who are upright in his eyes. In His will he gave it to them, and in His will he took it from them and gave it to us.'
[Translation done. Man, that took a long time to type. I think in the future I may not bother with vocalizing everything on LJ.]
[Now, what has always bothered me about this midrash, or at least this use of it, is that while it's true that Israel does not accept any law as a nation until 'This month...' the Torah mentions at least one mitzvoh before that, circumcision being a prime example (the other being the mitzvoh of doing Exactly What God Tells You Even If Your Wife Is So Traumatized That She Dies Promptly At The Beginning Of The Next Parsha). So, we should start from at least that point. Indeed, the Seven Laws of the Children of Noah precede circumcision. While these are not specifically directed at Jews (there being no Jews at that time) they certainly apply to Jews, and in that sense merit mention. And once one is starting with Noah, what the heck -- might as well throw in the beginning of it all, no?]
In that vein, here is my vocalization and translation of Genesis 1:1 and the very first Rashi in the Torah. I have a translation of most of Rashi on the first pasuq, but LJ ate much of the post and I don't feel like retyping much.
בראשית א:א
בְּרֵאשִית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
In the beginning of... God created the heavens and the land.
[Rashi's is famous for his modest choice of opening by quoting a midrash from Yalqut Shim`oni, rather than beginning with his own opinion(s).]
[בְּרֶאשִית] אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶש הַזֶּה לָכֶם שֶהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשוֹנָה שֶנִצְטַוּוּ בָהּ יִשׂרָאֵל
Rabbi Isaac said 'It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from 'This month is for you...' since that was the first mitzvoh that was commanded on Israel.
וּמַה טַעַם פָּתַח בִּבְרֶאשִית
And what is the reason it opens with 'In the beginning of...'?
[Now it is clear why Rashi opened with the quote. According to Rabbi Isaac, we don't have to begin the Torah until Israel starts receiving law as a nation. Therefore, it is necessary to ask why we started here.]
מִשוּם: כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָכֶם נַחֲלַת גוֹיִם
Because 'Strength of His deeds in for his people, to give to you an inheritance of nations.'
[Psalms 111:6.]
שֶאִם יֹאמְרוּ אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם לֹיִשְׂרָאֵל: לִסְטִים אַתֶּם שֶכְּבַשְתֶּם אַרְצוֹת שִבְעָה גוֹיִם, הֵם אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם: כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶל הַקָּדוֹש בָּרוּךְ הוּא היִא. הוּא בְרָאָהּ, וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶר יָשַר בְּעֵינָיו. בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָּהּ לָנוּ
That if the nations of the world will say to Israel: 'You are thieves, that you conquered the lands of the seven nations (of Canaan)' they will say to them 'All the land belongs to the Holy One, Blessed Be He. He created it, and gives it to those who are upright in his eyes. In His will he gave it to them, and in His will he took it from them and gave it to us.'
[Translation done. Man, that took a long time to type. I think in the future I may not bother with vocalizing everything on LJ.]
[Now, what has always bothered me about this midrash, or at least this use of it, is that while it's true that Israel does not accept any law as a nation until 'This month...' the Torah mentions at least one mitzvoh before that, circumcision being a prime example (the other being the mitzvoh of doing Exactly What God Tells You Even If Your Wife Is So Traumatized That She Dies Promptly At The Beginning Of The Next Parsha). So, we should start from at least that point. Indeed, the Seven Laws of the Children of Noah precede circumcision. While these are not specifically directed at Jews (there being no Jews at that time) they certainly apply to Jews, and in that sense merit mention. And once one is starting with Noah, what the heck -- might as well throw in the beginning of it all, no?]