We're diving into the very beginning, folks. The second passage of Bereshit Rabbah, the great rabbinic commentary on Genesis. It all starts with that famous line: "The earth was emptiness and disorder, and darkness was upon the face of the depths, and the spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water" (Genesis 1:2).
But what does "emptiness and disorder" really mean?
The Hebrew there is tohu vavohu. It's a phrase that just rolls off the tongue, isn't it? Tohu vavohu. But it's more than just a pretty sound. It's a description of… nothingness struggling to become something. Imagine a world without form, without structure, just… potential. Raw, unshaped potential.
Rabbi Berekhya offers a fascinating take. He starts with a proverb: "Even a boy is recognized through his deeds" (Proverbs 20:11). What’s he getting at?
Rabbi Berekhya explains that even when a plant is young, before it blossoms, it shows signs of what it will become. It might even sprout thorns early. Little, tiny thorns that foreshadow the plant's nature. It's a clever analogy, isn't it? The tohu vavohu isn't just a blank slate. It already contains the seeds of what's to come, both good and… thorny.
This idea is echoed later by the prophet Jeremiah, who says, "I have seen the land, and behold, it is emptiness and disorder" (Jeremiah 4:23). It's a powerful image, isn't it? The prophet sees the tohu vavohu not just at the beginning of creation, but as a potential state of being, a consequence of… well, of things gone wrong.
So, what does it all mean for us?
Maybe it's a reminder that even in the earliest stages, our actions have consequences. That the seeds we sow, even small and seemingly insignificant ones, can blossom into something beautiful or something… prickly. Maybe it's a call to pay attention to the potential within ourselves, within our world, and to nurture the good while carefully tending to the thorns.
Because even in the beginning, everything mattered. And maybe, just maybe, it still does.