Perashat Bereshit is the first perasha which speaks about the very beginning of the world. The way Hashem created the world undoubtably has an impact on the world even until today. The parasha tells us of the seven days of creation and what Hashem created on each day. The passuk following the seventh day says:
"These are the products of the heaven and the earth when they were created." The Gra points out that the first letters of the words תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ spell out the word תהו, chaos, and the letters of the word בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם can be rearranged to spell אברהם. This is to teach us that the world was total chaos until אברהם, the first of the Avot who set the stage for the future of Am yisrael and in whose zechut we pray to Hashem in the Amida every day.
The word "בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם" is written with a small letter He. The Gemara is doresh: Instead of reading it as "בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם" we should read it as "ב(אות) ה בראם," so that the passuk is now telling us that the world was created with the letter He. What does that mean and why the letter ה? Rashi brings down the Gemara which explains.
The Gemara in menachot (29b) says: Why was this world created with the letter He? Because this world is compared to a hall with three walls. If a person wants to leave, to go in an evil path (rashi), the bottom of the He is open for them to leave. Why is the left leg of the ה hanging (not connected to the roof)? So that if a person wants the do teshuva he can return through this opening.
It says in Devarin Rabba (2:12) the the gates of teshuva are always open and we see the same idea from this Gemara.
Just a few days after the ימים נוראים סכות and הושענה רבה we find ourselves facing a new year ahead and a fresh new start. We entered through the gates of teshuva, the the opening in the He, and look towards a renewed opportunity to serve Hashem with all of our heart. This year we hope to reach new heights and to focus more on our dedication to bore olam, each of us in our own unique way. This is a new beginning and we aim to take the first step in the right direction so that Hashem will help us in the steps that follow. We come the the bet knesset and thank Hashem for the opportunity he has given us to be surrounded in a makom kadosh by positive influences and growth.
Unfortunately today it is easy for growth to be obstructed. In our world today it is especially easy for people to become consumed by ideas and practices directly opposed to the holy Torah that am yisrael re-committed itself to just a few days ago. Today in our times the opening at bottom of the He seems wider than ever and the world around us is quickly falling through.
״אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם...״
"These are the products of the heaven and the earth when they were created." The Gra points out that the first letters of the words תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ spell out the word תהו, chaos, and the letters of the word בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם can be rearranged to spell אברהם. This is to teach us that the world was total chaos until אברהם, the first of the Avot who set the stage for the future of Am yisrael and in whose zechut we pray to Hashem in the Amida every day.
The word "בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם" is written with a small letter He. The Gemara is doresh: Instead of reading it as "בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם" we should read it as "ב(אות) ה בראם," so that the passuk is now telling us that the world was created with the letter He. What does that mean and why the letter ה? Rashi brings down the Gemara which explains.
The Gemara in menachot (29b) says: Why was this world created with the letter He? Because this world is compared to a hall with three walls. If a person wants to leave, to go in an evil path (rashi), the bottom of the He is open for them to leave. Why is the left leg of the ה hanging (not connected to the roof)? So that if a person wants the do teshuva he can return through this opening.
It says in Devarin Rabba (2:12) the the gates of teshuva are always open and we see the same idea from this Gemara.
Just a few days after the ימים נוראים סכות and הושענה רבה we find ourselves facing a new year ahead and a fresh new start. We entered through the gates of teshuva, the the opening in the He, and look towards a renewed opportunity to serve Hashem with all of our heart. This year we hope to reach new heights and to focus more on our dedication to bore olam, each of us in our own unique way. This is a new beginning and we aim to take the first step in the right direction so that Hashem will help us in the steps that follow. We come the the bet knesset and thank Hashem for the opportunity he has given us to be surrounded in a makom kadosh by positive influences and growth.
Unfortunately today it is easy for growth to be obstructed. In our world today it is especially easy for people to become consumed by ideas and practices directly opposed to the holy Torah that am yisrael re-committed itself to just a few days ago. Today in our times the opening at bottom of the He seems wider than ever and the world around us is quickly falling through.
The past two months or so have been a long journey. We began selihot right after Rosh Hodosh elul, preparing ourselves for the awesome days ahead. We crowned Hashem as king on Rosh Hashana and besought Him for forgiveness during the following days of repentance and on Yom Kippur. We lived with confidence, in our new homes on Sukkot, that Hashem has answered our tephilot. We encircled the bima seven times on Hoshana Raba and danced with elation holding the holy Torah on Simhat Torah as Hashem sealed our fate for the upcoming year, hopefully only with beracha. Now is the time to move forward with caution and make an extra effort to begin our year on the right foot.
I'd like to conclude with one last explanation of what it means that world was created with a small ה. Rabbenu Bahye explains (based on Bereshit Rabba 12:10) that the letter He is the only letter in the Aleph Bet that one can be pronounce even without moving ones lips. The letter He can be said with a mere breath and without any work. So too did Hashem create the world without any work, with a mere breath as the passuk in Tehillim says,
B'ezrat Hashem we should have a year filled with Beracha, health, wealth and happiness. Hashem should guide us in the right direction and heed to our eagerness to follow His word. And just as He created this world with a mere breath so too shall He bring the Mashiah כהרף עין, amen.
I'd like to conclude with one last explanation of what it means that world was created with a small ה. Rabbenu Bahye explains (based on Bereshit Rabba 12:10) that the letter He is the only letter in the Aleph Bet that one can be pronounce even without moving ones lips. The letter He can be said with a mere breath and without any work. So too did Hashem create the world without any work, with a mere breath as the passuk in Tehillim says,
(בדבר ה' שמים נעשו וברוח פיו כל צבא" (תהלים לג:ו"
B'ezrat Hashem we should have a year filled with Beracha, health, wealth and happiness. Hashem should guide us in the right direction and heed to our eagerness to follow His word. And just as He created this world with a mere breath so too shall He bring the Mashiah כהרף עין, amen.
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