Lead Tidbit

The famous first Rashi of the Torah asks Rabbi Yitzchak's question as to why the Torah started with B'reishit rather than beginning with the first mitzva commanded to the people of Israel, viz. Kiddush HaChodesh, the establishment of the Jewish Calendar. The question alone focuses attention on the specialness of the mitzva of Kiddush HaChodesh, even though it "lost out" to Breishit for the starting honors. Without negating any of the answers found in our commentaries, let us suggest an idea for you, dear TT readers, to mull over.

Creation of the world is for everyone. All people who have ever lived, who now live, and who will ever live are connected to B'reishit, the account of the Creation of the World. From the moment G-d spoke to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt and told them to tell the people of Israel to sanctify each Rosh Chodesh and to form a calendar based on their soon-to-be Exodus from Egypt, the Torah addresses the Jewish People, with the rest of the world, at best, observers and bystanders. (Of course, this actually happened much earlier in the Torah, but to the Avot, not yet to a people. And not to a people who will be receiving a code of law. Start the Torah with Kiddush HaChodesh and the world (and we) would perceive the Torah as a Jewish book. But start the Torah with Creation and THEN narrow the focus on the Jewish People, and it becomes a testimony to the place and role of the Jewish People WITHIN the world.

Beginning with Creation does not only answer the charges of the world that we are LISTIM, thieves, it also answers (for those who are honest enough to listen) the question of our longevity, our prominence - way beyond proportion to our size - in many fields of endeavor, our uniqueness among the nations of the world throughout history.

We should not be arrogant because of this, nor should we deny it to ourselves out of misplaced embarrassment or fear. It is an honor and a serious responsibility because of the role it gives us in the world.