The Torah begins with the word Beraishis – “In the beginning”, and then goes on to describe each of the seven days of creation.
Our Sages expound on the word Beraishis. Not only does this word mean “in the beginning of the world,” it is also to be read, “because of the beginning.” Because of the Torah and the Jewish people – who are both referred to as “Raishis – the first and foremost.”
We have to ponder, for what purpose did G-d create the world? What did He need from it?
G-d created the world so that mankind would recognize G-d as the Creator and serve Him.
This isn’t so simple. The only instruction Adam and Chava were given was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and already on the first day of creation they failed to listen.
By the third generation, Enosh introduced idolatry into society. By the tenth generation, the time of Noach, G-d saw that the world needed to be destroyed by a flood.
Then came Avraham. Avraham concluded on his own that there was an Almighty, and he introduced and spread the Monotheistic belief wherever he went and to whomever he came into contact with.
Avraham, with his ‘spiritual lenses’ began the process of implementing G-d’s purpose for creation – to inspire people to follow G-d’s wishes which are rooted in the Torah. Through Avraham’s son Yitzchok, his grandson Yaacov, and his great-grandchildren, the 12 tribes, the process of inculcating Torah and G-dly values took root.
Yaacov had a son Levi, who had a son Kehos, who had a son Amram the father of Moshe.
When Moshe was 80 years old he was given the task of leading the Jews out of Egypt. Fifty day after the Jews left Egypt, G-d appeared at Mount Sinai and gave His nation, the Jewish people, the Torah.
At that point, G-d’s ultimate purpose for creating the world came to fruition. The two “Beginnings”, the Torah, and the Jewish nation were in place. We, the Jewish people, when we uphold the Torah, are sustaining and satisfying G-d’s objective in creating the world.
The Saintly Chofetz Chaim o.b.m. points out something interesting regarding the structure of the verses that describe the creation of the luminaries on the fourth day of creation.
G-d said, “Let there be luminaries in the Heavens to separate between the day and night; and they shall serve as signs, and for the festivals; and for days and years. And they shall serve as luminaries in the Heavens to shine on the earth.”
Asks the Chofetz Chaim, “Since the main purpose of the luminaries are to shine on the earth, shouldn’t the Torah have stated it first? Why does the Torah first speak about what seems to be their secondary function of being signs for festivals, days and years?”
The Chofetz Chaim explains with the concept that we discussed earlier. The reason the Torah first listed that the purpose of the luminaries was to separate between day and night; as signs; and for festivals and for days and years, is because their main purpose in creation was for things related to fulfilling the Torah; that they provide illumination and warmth is secondary.
This is because our entire structure of Jewish life and fulfilling the commandments is based on the processes of the sun, moon and constellations. A few examples: How early one can make a blessing on Tzitzis/Talit depends upon the light of day. The Mitzvah of reciting the Shema each morning is up until the third Halachic hour of the day. The Mitzvah of reciting the morning prayers is up until the fourth Halachic hour of the day.
Reciting the Mincha prayer depends on Halachic midday. Maariv can begin at sundown and can be recited until the appearance of the morning star.
The days of the week are counted in order to identify the seventh day as our Shabbos, which commences at sundown and concludes the next day with nightfall.
Figuring out the months of the year is based on the appearance of the moon; through this we determine the days the festivals are to be observed.
Counting the years determines the seventh sabbatical Shemitta year, and when the Yovel, the 50th jubilee year, is observed in the land of Israel.
There are daytime regulated Mitzvos such as sounding the Shofar, shaking a lulav, and performing a Bris.
There are nighttime regulated Mitzvos such as the Passover Seder along with its associated Mitzvos.
A boy, at the sunset of his thirteenth Hebrew birthday becomes a Bar Mitzvah and a girl at sunset of her twelfth Hebrew birthday becomes a Bat Mitzvah. At this time they officially become responsible to observe the Mitzvos like an adult. The list goes on.
From the word Berashis, the Torah is telling us from the get go, that the purpose of creation was for us to utilize our gift of time in this magnificent world to strive to serve our Creator in the best way possible, which is by following G-d’s Holy Torah that He bestowed on us!
