Shabbat Bereisht 29 Tishrei 5764, 25 October 2003

Shabbat Shalom: Bereishit Genesis 1:1-6:8

By Shlomo Riskin  

Efrat, Israel - There is a seamless bond linking the Fall festivals to the story of the creation of the world and our exile from the Garden of Eden; indeed, the major message of the sacred, joyous days of the seventh month is the Jewish mission to re-create the world of alienation and return it to its former initial glory of Eden. 

The zenith of this holy day, holiday season is Sukkot - Shemini Atzeret, when we celebrate the entry of the newly freed, wandering Israelites into their homeland of Israel - as symbolized by the Psalms of Praise over the “four species” of fruit and vegetation especially indigenous to Israel - and we declare our fealty to the G-d of the universe who shall soon rain down on us His life-giving and redemption - bringing waters of re-birth and compassion. Indeed, the rain from heaven for which we praise the Almighty on Shemini Atzeret is a most dramatic symbol of Divine grace and compassion, the life-giving waters which will enable not only vegetation to flourish but also all of humanity to be reborn once all of the nations of the world accept the Divine demand that we not murder and the Divine design that we transform our swords into plough-shares and watch the lamb lie down with the lion. 

But the symbolism goes yet deeper. Sukkot, which signals our national redemption in its celebration of the fruits of the land of Israel, also symbolizes the rebirth of the world in its emphasis on water - both in terms of the willow plant (arava) which generally grows near rivers and which is separated from the other three species and singled out as an instrument of prayer especially because of its identification with water on Hoshannah Rabbah (the last day of the Sukkot Festival), as well as with regard to the special water libation unique to Sukkot. Many Temple sacrifices were accompanied by wine libations; only on Sukkot are there separate water libations. 

The Mishnah (Sukkah 4,9) teaches as follows: “How is the water libation prepared? A golden vessel which holds three logs (30 ounces) was filled with water from Siloah.” Now where precisely is this watering known as the Siloah? King David, the first ruler from the tribe of Judah who succeeded in uniting the twelve tribes and establishing Jerusalem as the Capital City, commanded his men at the end of his life to coronate his son Solomon at the shores of the Gihon River (Kings 1, 1:33-45 approximately 970 BCE). Targum, the accepted Aramaic translation of the Bible, renders Gihon as Siloah. Moreover, about one hundred fifty years later King Hezekiah commanded that a tunnel be dug from the Gihon spring which would extend from beneath the City of David (the original City of Jerusalem) and would join the Gihon to the pools of the Siloah. It was this original Gihon Spring (or wellspring) which made the ancient City of David attractive and habitable. The Gibon-Siloah exists to this very day - and one of the most exciting trips one can take is to climb down the tunnel of King Hezekiah from the ancient “City of David” and gaze upon the Gihon-Siloah. 

The Bible opens with the story of creation - which primordially came from water (“And the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters” - Genesis 1:2). And in its description of the Garden of Eden, the Torah tells us that “a river came out from Eden to water the garden, and from there it split into four tributaries... The name of the second river is the Gihon ( from a root which means to skip - it skips out from between the rocks - or to make a rushing sound) which surrounds the land of Ethiopia (Genesis 2:10-13). If the dream of recreating the world means to return to an uncorrupted era of Eden harmony, before the eating of the forbidden fruit, then the offering of a water libation from the Siloah - Gihon would certainly express this vision. 

The Mishnah continues to describe the Sukkot festivity of the Simchat Bet Hashoeva, when the drawing forth of the water libation is linked to “the well-springs of salvation,” and “the pious men of good deeds would dance and juggle torches of fire”(Sukkah 5, 1 and 4). The two elements of water and fire are reminiscent of the very first creation, Shamayim, the heavens, (“In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1), shamayim consisting of esh (fire) and mayim (water). The waters of salvation are obviously the waters of re-creation and perfecting the world. 

One more element must be added to our picture. Torah is compared to life-giving rain waters (“Listen, ye heavens, and I shall speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. My wise teaching shall drop like rain...” (Deuteronomy 32:1,2) And is Biblically referred to as “a fiery law,” esh dat (Deuteronomy 33:3). The prophet Amos compares Torah to water (in the time of re-creation, there will be a thirst not for water but for the word of G-d - Amos 8:11), and the Torah must be publicly read at least every three days because humanity cannot exist without water for three days. The Midrash describes the Torah as “black fire atop white fire” (Sifrei, on Deuteronomy 33:3). 

The Garden of Eden still contains the tree of life, and the Torah is described as “a tree of life for those who uphold it;” indeed, the menorah, the ultimate “light of Torah,” is a stylized tree, the tree of life. Our return to Eden can only be effectuated through the study, practice and dissemination of Torah - by Jews as well as Gentiles (at least the Seven Noahide laws of morality for Gentiles). The recreation of the world by water and fire can only take place by means of our Torah, compared to water and symbolized by fire. Is it any wonder that Shemini Atzeret, the highest point of redemption, is celebrated by Simchat Torah, our joyous dancing around the Torah Scrolls? May we merit the time when “the Knowledge of G-d will fill the world as the water covers the seas.” (Isaiah 11). 

Shabbat Shalom.

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