This week we begin our Torah reading with the first book of the Torah, the Book of Genesis. The Rabbis ask: Why did God commence the account of the creation of His world with the letter bet [ב] rather than with the alef [א], the first letter of the alphabet? He did so because the alef is the first letter of the word arur (“cursed”), while the bet is the first letter of the word barukh (“blessed”). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: “I will begin the account of the creation of the world with the letter that symbolizes a blessing.”
The Imre Noam (1819-1877) deepens this insight: The letter Alef, with its numerical value of one, signifies loneliness, isolation and egoism. (Many may remember the song by Harry Nilson, popularized by Three Dog Night – “One is the Loneliest Number”). The letter “bet” whose numerical value is “two”, is associated with pairing. It symbolizes connection, fellowship, and relationship. Egoism (anochiyut in Hebrew, itself beginning with the letter alef) is a curse upon the world — a world built on egoism could not endure. In contrast, love of humanity and concern for the others are blessings. In the act of Creation, God endowed the world with the capacity for responsibility, kindness, and compassion toward all creatures.
The opening letter of the Torah was not a random choice. It is a challenge to us, a challenge to build communities where no one is invisible, where everyone is recognized as being created in the image of God, and where all are treated with kindness, care and respect.
Shabbat Shalom
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