Parasha
Beresheet
Genesis 1:1-6:8
By:
Dani'el Rendelman
There
is an old saying, “You can’t
see the forest for the trees.” Of course the meaning of this statement is clear,
that a person can get so
wrapped up with details
or issues or trees that
they miss the bigger picture
or forest.
It’s easy to get
distracted and sweat the
small stuff. Sadly though, this is the case with the first
Torah reading portion from
the book of Genesis or Beresheet
in the Hebrew.
In
Parsha Beresheet there are
so many exciting and important
events, that it is simple
to loose focus and forget
or simply overlook the most
significant happening. Perhaps the most notable event in the first six
chapters of the first book
of the Bible is not creation. Nor is it the temptation, the fall, the banishment
or first murder.
Perhaps the first
human crisis in the Scriptures
is so simple and so plain
that it is overlooked for
the more doctrinal deep
issues.
Perhaps man’s first
problem is still a major
problem because it has been
overlooked for thousands
of years.
What
is it?It
is before the fall that
Yahweh fixes man’s first
and primary dilemma. Let’s follow the parasha: six times in the first
chapter Yahweh creates something
and then the scriptures
declare, “it was good” or
“tov.”
But, in Beresheet
2:18 the first problem, the first predicament
in the entire Bible is revealed.
The “it was tov”
statements now change.
And the first “it
was not tov” statement is
made.
Up to this point
everything in creation was
perfect, that is until Yahweh
Himself said, “It is not
tov that the man should
be alone; I will make him
a help mate for him” Beresheet
2:18.Yahweh
had created the heavens
and the earth and had formed
man from the ground. Yahweh had then brought to man every living animal
to find a suitable companion.
In the greatness
and glory of creation though,
something was wrong. It was not good for man to be alone.
Alone?
How could man be
alone?
Well the emet, the truth
is:
v Adam had a perfect relationship with the
creator
v Adam had all of his spiritual needs met
v Adam lived in a perfect world
v Adam had an exalted position
v Adam possessed all that he needed
v Adam had all of his physical needs met
Yes,
though Adam had all of this
he was still alone.
Adam found himself
alone even though he had
an unhindered relationship
with Yahweh.
And this statement
wasn’t his own, and it isn’t
commentary.
The scriptures say,
“Yahweh Elohim said, ‘It
is not tov that the man
should be alone; I will
make him a help mate for
him,’” Beresheet 2:18.Adam’s
physical and spiritual needs
were fully met, yet Adam’s
need for human relationships
was void – not tov.
This first human
crisis left Adam with the
need of other people.
This need Yahweh
could not meet nor fulfill
directly – yet Yahweh did
it indirectly – by providing
for Adam a suitable helper. In the same way that Yahweh does not supernaturally
zap man with nutrients everyday,
Yahweh has provided a way
for man to receive the vitamins
and minerals he needs through
solid food and liquids.
Adam
was created with relational
needs and Yahweh has provided
for Adam’s needs by creating
other people, namely Chava.
It
was John Donne who wrote
that, “no man is an island,”
and it is true. A person cannot correctly say that all that they
need is Yahweh, just as
a person cannot fairly say
that all that they need
is other people.
Yahweh created Adam
(man) with the need for
both spiritual and human
relationships. Wait
just a minute, I thought…For
thousands of years various
faiths have promoted a “just
believe and you’ll be ok”
theology.
Believers have excused
their independence by quoting,
“I can do all things through
Messiah who gives me strength.”
And churches have
taught that “as long as
you have g/d then you are
not alone” and “it’s you
and me g/d.”
Yet, this message
is not Biblical.
The “all you need
is g/d” message is laden
with guilt and produces
people who are scared to
admit loneliness or even
sickness because of what
might occur. Too many people quote Philippians 4:13 and forget the 14th verse – the
most important sentence
of the paragraph.
Just read:“I can do everything through Messiah who
gives me strength.
Yet it was good of
you to share in my troubles,”
Philippians 4:13,14.
Was Rabbi Sha’ul really
expressing total dependence
on Yahweh?
Did Sha’ul say all
that he needed was his faith
in the Messiah? No, Rabbi
Sha’ul emphatically states
that the believers he was
writing to shared in his
troubles!
He can do all things
through the Messiah who
gives him strength and the
fellow, like-minded believers
who share in his life experiences!
The point of all of this is that we need
each other.
The first crisis
in the Bible points man
towards the first and greatest
command in the Bible – the
Shema.
“The most important
one,” answered Yahshua,
“is this: ‘Hear, O Israel,
Yahweh our Elohim, Yahweh
is one.
Love the Yahweh your
Elohim with all your heart
and with all your soul and
with all your mind and with
all your strength.’
The second is this:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no commandment
greater than these,” Mark
12:29. There
is simply not two commandments
here, there is only one
– love Yahweh and love man.
As important as loving
or having a relationship
with Yahweh is loving and
having a relationship with
your neighbor or near one.
Yahshua said, “By this
all men will know that you
are my disciples, if you
love one another.”
It is not man’s understanding
of the esoteric side of
the first parsha that proves
we are the students of Yahshua
– it is our love of each
other.
People are alone
and will continue to be
alone unless a group, a
remnant, of Bible believers
will acknowledge that man
was created with relational
needs.
Man needs family. Ivor Powell once said, “True religion not only
reaches the heart of Yahweh,
it also reaches out the
needs of men and women.”
It is time
It is time that the Shema
becomes Israel acts out and not just sings. It is time for the first crisis in the first
parasha to be addressed
by the first commandment. The issue is loneliness. Before Yahweh dealt with Adam’s sin, Yahweh dealt
with Adam’s loneliness and
perhaps Israel must learn to do the same. The scripture declares that when Adam’s relational
needs were met that, “they
were both naked and not
ashamed.” For your brother’s need of love to be met, possibly
it will take being “naked”
or bare and open through
sharing true feelings and
love.
There should be no
shame when a relational
bond is made between two
believers in the right context. It is time that the relational needs of every
human being on the face
of the earth be recognized
and met. The needs of every person include: respect, encouragement,
appreciation, attention,
comfort, security, acceptance,
unity, support, affection,
approval, and quality time. It is time to restore Shema love to our marriages,
our homes, our ministries,
and our work places. Truly relevant ministries teach more than just
rule keeping – they transform
people through establishing
relationships and sharing
the word of truth. Adam was alone. Are you? Who
do you know that needs some
encouragement, comfort,
or respect? Who can you reach out to in Shema love? When you read this week’s Torah parasha don’t
loose sight of the first
crisis.
Marvel at creation.
Study the fall. Be amazed by the grace of Yahweh in forgiving
sin.
But don, don’t overlook
the first human problem
– loneliness.
Please don’t miss
the forest for the trees.
