Midrasj Tanchoema — Midrasj

Midrasj Tanchoema

Midrasj Tanchoema — Midrasj op Beth HaMidrash: de Hebreeuwse tekst met Nederlandse vertaling, met Rasji en de grote commentatoren. Gratis, online.

‎בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ה' בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ (משלי ג, יט). וּכְשֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ נִתְיָעֵץ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבָרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לִי עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָה (משלי ח, יד). וְהַתּוֹרָה בַּמֶּה הָיְתָה כְתוּבָה? עַל גַּבֵּי אֵשׁ לְבָנָה בְּאֵשׁ שְׁחוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: קְוֻצּוֹתָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים שְׁחוֹרוֹת כָּעוֹרֵב (שה״‎ש ה, יא). מַהוּ קְוֻצּוֹתָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים? עַל כָּל קוֹץ וָקוֹץ. תִּלֵּי תִלִּים שֶׁל הֲלָכוֹת. כֵּיצַד? כָּתוּב בָּהּ, וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי (ויקרא כב, לב), אִם אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה חֵי״‎ת הֵ״‎א, אַתָּה מַחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם. כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ (תהלים קנ, ו), אִם אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה הֵ״‎א חֵי״‎ת, אַתָּה מַחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם.With in the first word of the Torah can be translated as “with,” “in,”, “by means of,” etc. the beginning (Gen. 1:1). This is what Scripture means when it says: The Lord with wisdom p. 129. founded the earth (Prov. 3:19). That is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to create this world, He consulted the Torah before embarking upon the work of creation, as it is said: Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine (ibid. 8:14). How was the Torah written? It was written with letters of black fire on a surface of white fire, as is said: His locks are curled and black as a raven (Song 5:11). What is meant by His locks are curled? (“curls”) is read as tille tillim (“heaps upon heaps”). Each letter in the Torah has numerous strokes upon it which, according to tradition, represent heaps upon heaps of laws. Cf. Leviticus Rabbah 19:2, Song of Songs Rabbah 5:11–12. It means that each crowned stroke on the letters of the Torah contains heaps and heaps of law. For example, it is written in the Torah: Profane not My Holy Name (Lev. 22:2); but if you should change the het in the word yehallelu (“profane”) into a heh, the word would read “praise,” and you would thereby destroy the world. Conversely, where it is written Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord (Ps. 150:6), if you should alter the heh in the word tehallel (“praise”) into a het, the word would read “profane,” and you would thereby destroy the world.

וְכֵן שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד (דברים ו, ד), אִם אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה דָּלֶ״‎ת רֵי״‎שׁ, אַתָּה מַחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל אַחֵר (שמות לד, יד). כִּחֲשׁוּ בַּה' (ירמיה ה, יב), אִם אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה בֵּי״‎ת כָּ״‎ף, תַּחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם.Similarly, in the verse Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4), if you should change the dalet in the word ehad (“one”) into a resh, the word would then read aher (“another”), and you would thereby destroy the world, since it is said: For thou shalt not bow to another god (Exod. 34:14). Likewise, in the verse They have lied against the Lord (Jer. 5:12), if you should change the preposition bet (“against”) into the preposition kaf (“like”), you would thereby destroy the world.

אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּה' (ש״‎א ב, ב), אִם אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה כָּ״‎ף בֵּי״‎ת, תַּחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם.Again, in the verse There is none holy as the Lord (I Sam. 2:2), if you alter the preposition kaf (“as”) to read bet (“in”), you would thereby destroy the world.

וְאִם אוֹת אַחַת כָּךְ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַתֵּבָה כֻלָּהּ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: קְוֻצּוֹתָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים. לְפִיכָךְ דָּוִד מְקַלֵּס וְאוֹמֵר: רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד (תהלים קיט, צו). וְאוֹמֵר: אֲרֻכָּה מֵאֶרֶץ מִדָּה וְגוֹ' (איוב יא, ט).If a slight change in a single letter can produce such drastic consequences, how much more so the alteration of a complete word. Such, then, is the meaning of His locks are curled. Accordingly David praised God by saying: Thy commandment is exceedingly broad (Ps. 119:96); and elsewhere in Scripture it says: The measure thereof is longer than the earth (Job 11:9).

וְהִיא הָיְתָה אוֹמֶנֶת לְכָל מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן (משלי ח, ל). אַל תִּקְרֵי אָמוֹן, אֶלָּא אוֹמֵן. וּבָהּ נָטָה שָׁמַיִם וְיָסַד אָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה וְגוֹ' (ירמיה לג, כה). וּבָהּ חָתַם יָם אוֹקְיָנוֹס שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא וְיִשְׁטֹף אֶת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הַאוֹתִי לֹא תִירָאוּ נְאֻם ה' אִם מִפָּנַי לֹא תָחִילוּ וְגוֹ' (ירמיה ה, כב). וּבָהּ כָּבַשׁ אֶת הַתְּהוֹם שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיף אֶת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּחֻקּוֹ חוּג עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם (משלי ח, כז). וּבָהּ בָּרָא חַמָּה וּלְבָנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כֹּה אָמַר ה' נֹתֵן שֶׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר יוֹמָם חֻקֹּת יָרֵחַ וְכוֹכָבִים לְאוֹר לָיְלָה רֹגַע הַיָּם וַיֶּהֱמוּ גַלָּיו ה' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ (ירמיה לא, לד). הָא לָמַדְתָּ, שֶׁהָעוֹלָם לֹא נִתְיַסֵּד אֶלָּא עַל הַתּוֹרָה,The Torah served as an artisan in all the work of creation, as it is said: Then I was with Him, as a nursling (amon) (Prov. 8:30). However, you do not read the word as amon (“nursling”), but as uman (“artisan”), since it was with the assistance of the Torah that God stretched out the heavens and established the earth, as it is said: If My covenant be not with day and night, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth (Jer. 33:25). With it, He bound up the sea lest it should go forth and overflow the world, as it is said: Fear ye not Me? saith the Lord; nor will ye not tremble at My presence who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea (ibid. 5:22). With it, also, He locked up the deep so that it might not inundate the world, as is written: When He set a circle on the face of the deep (Prov. 8:27). Similarly, He fashioned with it the sun and the moon, as is said: The Lord giveth the sun to light the day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars to light the night. Who stirreth up the sea, that the waves thereof roar, the Lord of hosts is His name (Jer. 31:35). Hence, you learn that the world was founded upon the Torah.

Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit