Torah Parsha Bereshit – Jewish Teachings - Can You Hear HaShem Speaking?

0:00 A man visits an old Jewish social club. Every few minutes somebody shouts out a number. One man shouts twenty-seven. Everybody claps laughing. Another man shouts forty-three. Absolute hysterics. He asked the man next to him, What on earth is going on? The man explained, We've all been coming here for fifty years. We've heard the same joke so many times that we've given them numbers. Instead of telling the whole joke, you just call out the number. He thinks this is brilliant. So a few minutes later he stands up and he shouts seventeen Nothing.

0:42 Complete silence. He sits down mortified. What happened? Isn't seventeen funny? The old man shrugged. Some people just don't know how to tell a joke.

0:57 The trouble with something you've heard a thousand times is that eventually you stop really listening. As we start the Torah again, we're so familiar with the stories in Saifa Bareshi that I think perhaps we miss obvious but important questions. If you'd never read Parsha Bareship before, and I asked you how do you think Hashem created the world, what do you think you'd say? I think some people might say he built it like a craftsman, or he shaped it like a sculptor. Others might say it was like a magician, poof, and the world appeared.

1:36 I'm not sure that the most obvious answer is that Hashem spoke. Yet many times the Torah states, for Yomet Elohim, Hashem said, So why is speech the mechanism by which the world is created? And why are there ten statements? Why not nine or eleven? And why is ten a recurring number? After all, there are lots of tens in Judaism. So I want to explore speech as the mechanism for creation and the significance of the number ten, specifically looking at the link between the ten statements of creation, the ten tests of Avraham, and the Aserat Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments.

2:22 The Rambam in More Navukim in the Guide for the Perplexed explains that when it says the Yome elokim, it's not literal. What speech actually means in this context is will. So for example, when Hashem says, let there be light, it means that Hashem Hashem willed light to exist, and Hashem's will was sufficient for it to exist. Hashem did not literally create through speech, speech is the Torah's way of explaining it to us. The Torah uses this mechanism because from a human perspective, will is not enough.

3:02 For example, wanting a house does not create a house. I have to either build it or command someone else to build it. With Hashem, there's no gap between Ratson and the result. Hashem's will is sufficient. The Torah uses the language of command to make it more understandable to us. Hashem said, let there be light, and there was light, is easier than Hashem willed light to exist, and it did. The Rambam to prove that it was Hashem's will explains that a command only works if there's someone or something receiving the command.

3:43 And of course, at the beginning of creation, there was nothing to whom Hashem could possibly be speaking. When Hashem says, let there be light, he's not talking to anybody, it's only himself. And therefore the Rambam says we're talking of will. The Ramban explains this idea further. Because he says that bringing something into reality is what the Torah calls speech. And we can understand this. You can have an idea, a thought, a perspective, but it's concealed and internal. But when you speak and articulate it, then it becomes actual, then it exists outside of me.

4:29 So speech is the interface between what is inward and what becomes outward and actualized. For example, you can have feelings for another person and love them. But if you don't tell them, then it's internal. No one knows. But the moment you say to another human being, I love you, you've actualized it. They can now encounter it. It's bringing something into actuality that's called speech. And so the Torah positions creation as speech because, of course, Hashem perceives, conceives the idea of light.

5:08 And then when he says, let there be light, what the Torah is telling us is he actualizes it. And now the light exists. The idea of speech becomes even more interesting when we consider the building blocks of creation as explained in Seif Yetsira. Seifir Yatsirah is a safra of Jewish mysticism traditionally attributed to Avraham Avina. Sefihy Yetsira explains that Hashem created the world through 32 wondrous paths of wisdom. What are they? So they're the Tensefirot and the 22 foundational letters of the Aleph Bet.

5:51 The Tensafirot are the underlying spiritual architecture of creation. They describe the fundamental structure through which Hashem brings the universe into existence. So reality and existence itself, space and time, mind and matter, these are all from the Tensafirot. The twenty two letters are the building blocks through which the extraordinary variety of creation emerges. Think about language. We have twenty-two Hebrew letters, but through different combinations, we can produce virtually unlimited words, sentences, paragraphs, ideas and meanings.

6:36 A finite number of letters can generate the most extraordinary diversity. So Sefiitsira presents creation in a similar way. Hashem is one, yet through the tensafirot and the combinations of the 22 letters, an extraordinarily diverse universe comes into existence. That's why speech is such a powerful model for creation. Behind the extraordinary multiplicity of the universe lies one creator, one speaker. But with the tensifiron and all these combinations of letters, we can understand this incredible variety.

7:18 The Safiy at Siri uses the metaphor of a flame bound to a coal. The flame may appear independent. You think of a barbecue, and when you open it up, the flames are dancing and they can almost seem out of control, like they have a life of their own. But of course, they can't exist without the coals. They can't exist without the source. And neither can creation exist independently of Hashem. So we understand this idea of speech, this idea of taking something that's conceived and then actualizing it into the world.

7:56 We understand this idea of speech in context of the letters of the Allah Bek being these building blocks that create so much variety. But what about the number 10? So the Sefi at Sir explains that the ten sefirot are the underlying architecture of creation. The Mishnah in Pirkeavot in chapter 5 tells us that the world was created with the Asara Ma Marot, ten utterances. In order to emphasize just how fundamental this idea of ten is, the Mishnah then goes on to give us many more tens, which are obviously all significant.

8:40 So it tells us there were ten generations between Adam and Noah. There were ten generations between Noah and Avraham. There were ten tests of Avraham. There were ten miracles in Egypt, ten plagues, ten miracles at the sea. Ten times B'N'ai Ishuael tested Hashem in the Midbah. Ten miracles took place in the Beithamid Dash. And ten things were created on Air of Shabbos, just before the first Shabbas after Hashem created the world. The Vilna Gon, the Gra, amongst others, specifically brings down that the ten utterances correspond to the Ten Sefirot.

9:20 The Vilna Gon then goes on to say that the Aserat Hadibra, the Ten Commandments, are also linked to the Asara Ma'amarot, the ten utterances of creation. And so we now have the link between the tensirot, the way Hashem manifests through the universe, the ten utterances that are said at creation, and the asserat adhibrot itself. But why the number ten? So if you think the tense, the way Hashem manifests in the universe, the totality of how Hashem manifests in the universe. And the Maharal in Derechaim, he writes a commentary on Pirke Avot on this very chapter, explains that the number 10 signifies every possible category and aspect.

10:11 Within the number 10, everything is contained. There is no lacking with the number 10. So now we understand why was the world created with 10 utterances? Because the world lacks nothing. That doesn't mean the world is perfect, because Hashem created a world where we can perfect it. But when we say it lacks nothing, it's because Hashem has given us everything in this world that we need in order to fulfill our purpose. The Asserat adhibrot, there's ten. Why? Because the Torah lacks nothing. The Torah is complete.

10:50 And so the foundation of the Torah, the ten commandments of which all the other mitzvot come from, is ten because it lacks nothing. There were ten generations between Adam and Noah, when Hashem destroyed the world. And then between Noah and Avraham, before Hashem chose Avraham as his representative on earth, because Hashem had to give the world every possibility to be complete before destroying it. And the number ten signifies that completeness. That is why there were ten generations. Similarly, whether it's the plagues in Egypt, the miracles at the sea, the miracles in the Hamiddash, the number 10 suggests that all these phenomena contained everything.

11:37 They lack nothing. That's the number ten. So now we can begin to understand the significance of the ten tests of Avraham Avinu. Hashem created the world through ten utterances, and ten represents completeness. So Hashem created a complete world, not in a world in which everything had already achieved its purpose, but a world containing everything necessary for that purpose to be fulfilled. The Mishnah Empire Kyavot tells us there were ten generations between Adam and Noah, and another ten generations between Noah and Avraham.

12:16 The first ten generations were given the opportunity to fulfill the purpose of creation. Instead, humanity descended into corruption and violence until Hashem brought the marble. The world was effectively given a new beginning with Noah and his family, but the next ten generations failed as well. Rather than recognizing Hashem, humanity rebelled against him, symbolized by the Tower of Babel. Twenty generations have passed since creation, and humanity had still failed to fulfill the purpose for which the world was created.

12:55 Then along comes Avraham Avenu, who recognizes Hashem. But recognizing Hashem intellectually is not enough. The question is whether Avraham will live according to that recognition. And that after all is Emuna. Emuna faith is not an intellectual belief in Hashem. Emuna is acting on that belief. Keeping Shabbas is Emuna. Keeping Kashrus is Emuna. Going to Shaol and fasting on Yom Kippur is Emuna. And so we have Avraham of Vinu who intellectually believes in Hashem. But then he faces ten tests. Because the ten tests enables Avraham to take that intellectual recognition and actualize it in his behavior.

13:52 And why ten? Because just as Hashem created a complete world through ten utterances, Avraham demonstrates through ten tests what it means for a human being to dedicate himself completely to Hashem. Ten is the totality with nothing lacking. Avraham's faith in Hashem, his complete dedication, had nothing lacking at all. That is why we have ten tests. And the significance of Avraham Avenu in his tests is this. Hashem created a world with purpose. Avraham was the first human being to live a life of purpose.

14:33 To demonstrate that a human being could live the way Avraham, the way Hashem wanted us to live. As Hashem created the world, it was Avraham through Tentests who justified that world. Avraham Avinu was the first person to bring creation to its purpose. This is why Avraham is so fundamental to the story of creation. He doesn't simply recognize that Hashem exists, he lives his entire life in response to that recognition. And of course, after Abraham, we have Yitzhak and we have Yaakov and the Shevatin.

15:14 And eventually we get to an entire nation at Hassini.

15:22 We understand that the ten utterances of creation were linked to the Asserat-A-Dibrot given at Hassinai. The Vilna Gon brings that down, others do as well. But there's a midrash in Pasikta Rabbati which actually tells us which of the Asarat Addibrat are linked to which ones of the statements of creation. For example, I am Hashem your God who took you out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, the first of the Asarat Adibra, is linked to let there be light, because Hashem shall be for you an everlasting light.

16:00 Hashem is the light of the world. Honor your mother and father in the Asarat Adibra. Corresponds to let there be luminaries in the firmament of heaven to separate between the day and night. Because Hashem created for us two lights, our father and our mother, which correspond to the sun and the moon. You shall not commit adultery. Corresponds to Hashem saying, Let the earth bring forth living creatures, each according to its own kind, its own min. Because Hashem is saying, Let each and every one cling to his own partner according to their kind.

16:43 Every single one of us has another person in this world, the other half of our Nashama, that we can be a complete person with, bring something else into the world according to its kind. So ten represents everything when nothing is lacking. We understand therefore why the Asarat Adibrot is ten, because there's nothing lacking in the Torah. We now understand, and we've even demonstrated there's a link between the Asara Mamarot, the ten utterances of creation, and the Asarat Adibrot, the Ten Commandments.

17:20 But why? What we haven't answered is why should the ten statements said at Hasini, why should they be compared? A link to the ten utterances of creation? Why should Sinai have the same architecture as creation? So let's look at the timeline. Hashem creates the world. We have ten generations from Adam to Noah. It's a corrupt world, and Hashem brings a marble, a giant mikveh, and starts again with Noah and his family. We have ten more generations. We have the Tower of Babel, and Hashem picks Avraham and makes a covenant with him, and it goes to Yitzhak and it goes to Yaakov.

18:05 And eventually, 2448 years after creation, Klali Ishrael stand at Hasinai and are given the Torah. Except that's not quite how it happened. Because the Zohar tells us something that is fundamentally important. The Zohar explains that when Hashem wanted to create the world, he looked into the Torah and he created the world. In other words, Torah was the blueprint. Torah was the plans. Creation was the building. And it makes sense. If you build something, you don't just start putting bricks and building a house, it's going to be a mess.

18:51 You have plans, you have a vision, and then you know what you're building. Torah was the blueprint. Torah was the plans. Torah was the vision. And so we get this profound understanding. It's not that the Asarat Hadibrot reflect the Asarat Amarat, the ten utterances of creation. It's the other way around. The Asarat Hadibrot came first. They're the blueprint. And of course, the ten utterances of creation reflect the Aserat Hadibroth because the Aserat Hadibrat are the foundations. They are the plans.

19:31 Torah doesn't impose a religious structure on the world. Torah tells you what the world actually is. And the Svat Emmet expands this further. Torah is the explanation of creation. Hashem creates a world, but what does it mean? And of course, if we look at the world, we understand that. Because why are we here? What are we supposed to do? What is the point? Why do we struggle? We don't understand it. Much of the secular world and the atheist world still doesn't understand it. But Torah gives the world meaning.

20:08 Torah explains the world to us. And of course, therefore, the ten utterances of creation built into them are the Asserat al-Dibra because they were the plans. And we see how Torah gives the world meaning. So let me give an example. Hashem creates time. How do we understand time? How do we relate to time? Well, we have seven days in a week. How do we know that? From Torah. We count months of the year. We're given the commandment of Rosh Hodesh. How do we know that? From Torah. And we have a day off every week.

20:46 At the weekend, as it were. How do we know that? Because Hashem gave us Shabbat. It's Torah that explains time to us and explains how to live within the construct of time. And what's amazing is people can say they don't believe. And there's a secular world and a non-Jewish world. But everybody has seven days in a week. And everybody counts months. And everybody acknowledges that we all need at least a day off a week. We need some sort of weekend. And all of that idea comes from Torah. It's Torah that explains and gives us meaning in the world into this abstract thing called time.

21:25 And Hashem creates humanity. But how do we understand about the sanctity of humanity? I think it's universally understood, although unfortunately often rub roughshot over in the world, that human beings have sanctity. But it's the Torah that gave us that idea. The idea that a human being is made but Selem El Okim in the image of Hashem. And therefore they have sanctity. And the whole idea of human rights or anything else comes from that basic idea that Torah gave the world. Because Torah gives the world.

22:00 World meaning. Otherwise, how do we understand what a human being is? And creation gave us relationships. Hashem says it's not good for man to be alone. And he creates khava as a mate for Adam. But how do we know how relationships work? How do we know the boundaries and constructs of relationship? Because the Torah tells us a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. The whole idea of a man and woman being together, the whole idea of marriage, the whole idea of family where you leave your father and mother and then start your own family with a wife.

22:43 The whole construct comes from Torah. Because how do we make sense of this world as just random human beings? And Torah gives the boundaries and the understanding of relationships. Widely adopted not just by the religious world but the entire world. It's Torah that gives the world meaning. That is why there is a link between the utterances of creation and the asserat hadibrot. Because Barashit tells me what exists, Sinai tells me what it means. The Asara Ma'amarot, the ten utterances create reality, but the Asarat Hadibrot gives reality its purpose.

23:27 If we understand all that, there's one other thing we need to understand. Why is it that the Asara Ma'amarat are called utterances, but the Asarat Hadibrot are statements? Why does Hashem create the world with Ma'amarot, with utterances, but give the Ten Commandments with Dibor, with speech? What's the difference? You would have thought if they're linked and they're so fundamental, you'd have used the same word. Both of them would have been Dibur. How does this work? So the Shem Mishmu, quoting his father, the Avanetsa, explains.

24:09 I can say Ruvin spoke with Shimon. However, I can't say Ruvin said with Shimon. Then I have to say Ruvin said to Shimon. What's the Shem Mishmo trying to tell us? He's trying to tell us that the Asara Ma'amarot, the ten utterances, didn't need to create a relationship between a speaker and a listener. Hashem just creates the world. There's no connection between Hashem's speaking and human beings or anything else. Hashem chose to create the world himself. It needed no one else to listen. And in fact, not only did the creation not create relationships, but in many ways, creation hides Hashem.

24:57 Because if you think about it, there's the oneness of Hashem and nothing else. And then Hashem creates the heaven and the earth, and the land and the sea, and the sun and the moon, and plants and trees and animals, and we have money and commerce and politics and sex and failure. And after all that, I can see the world, but I can't even sense the speaker's presence. Hashem, if you like, is hidden behind all the complexity of everything we see. And so we say it's utterances because it required no relationship.

25:32 It required nobody else to listen. In fact, what creation does is hide Hashem to a large extent. But Hasini, Hashem speaks to us, he reveals himself to the whole of Klal Yishrael. This is our marriage to Hashem. Right? The whole point is to bring us close to Hashem. So with Barashit, Hashem is speaking the world into existence. But Hassinai, Hashem is speaking Khlal Yishrael into a relationship with him. And so creation is ma'amarot, it's utterances, because no one needed to listen. But the Iserat Had Dibrot is Dibor.

26:15 Hashem is speaking directly to Khl Ishrael because it's creating a relationship with us. Torah is our way of understanding Hashem. Torah is our way of relating to Hashem. Torah is our way of being able to serve Hashem. Torah creates a relationship with Hashem. And so he speaks to us.

26:40 We have to realize Hashem never stops speaking. Of course, we don't have to be talking about literal speech. As we learnt from the Ramban, we can say divine speech isn't like human speech. We're talking about divine creative power, which Hashem brings the world into existence and continually sustains it. But the Alta Rebbe, Ravshnur Zaman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad, he quotes the Baal Shem Tov and he says the following.

27:14 And then there was light and then that's it. Hashem continually creates. Let there be light, let there be light, let there be light. Hashem's energy, his will, his life force, his words sustain the world all the time. If he were to stop for one moment the world would return to nothingness. Hashem is constantly speaking. He's constantly creating. We can understand this because when we create, we create something from something. So for example, we might make a chair, but we'll take a wood from the tree.

27:51 Hashem created the tree. The tree already exists. We'll take the wood from the tree, and then we create the chair. And we're creating something that exists from something else that already existed. And so once we've made the chair, we don't need to do anything. The chair's there, it will last for weeks, months, years, decades, maybe hundreds of years, or even beyond that. There's nothing we need to do. But when Hashem created the world, Hashem created something from nothing. And therefore, if Hashem stops creating, the world would just return to nothingness.

28:28 And therefore, Hashem is constantly creating.

28:40 Every second of every day. There are periods in our lives when we can't hear Hashem. We see the world. We see everything around us. But we might be struggling with money. Struggling with a relationship. Struggling at work. We see October the 7th. We see war. We see anti-Semitism. We find it hard for it to all make sense. The danger is that we see all this, but we stop hearing the speaker. Because there's no silent world. There never has been. Behind everything that exists at this very second is the Yom'a Elohim.

29:23 Hashem is still speaking. Hashem is still willing the world into existence. I may not understand what he's saying. I may desperately wish he was saying something different. I may not understand why a particular sentence had to be written into my life. Hearing sometimes means recognizing his presence, even when we cannot understand his ways. But I'm not living in a world from which Hashem has walked away. Because if he walked away from it for one instance, there would be no world. Hashem gave us Torah.

29:58 Not so that we could escape this world, but so that we could learn how to hear him inside it. Our family, our relationships, our job, our money, our successes, our failures all exist inside creation. Inside the Asara Ma'amarot, the ten utterances of creation. But Hashem gave us the Asarat Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments, so that we could take a world in which Hashem seems hidden and have a relationship with him. Creation is not a monologue, it's a conversation. Hashem spoke the world into existence.

30:34 A Hassina he spoke to us, and he's never stopped speaking. The question is not whether Hashem is still speaking, the question is whether we are listening.