Rabbi Yitzchak did. He started with a verse from Psalms: “The beginning of Your word is truth…” (Psalms 119:160). And then he dove right into Genesis, the beginning itself.
Rabbi Yitzchak pointed out that from the very first words of creation – "In the beginning, God created" – we see this truth in action. But what truth, exactly? Well, as the verse from Jeremiah (10:10) reminds us, "But My Lord God is truth." And what does that mean? The Midrash, in its beautiful way, is about to unpack it.
It's about the fundamental echad, the oneness of God.
Think about it. "All Your righteous laws are eternal" (Psalms 119:160), Rabbi Yitzchak continues. Every decree, every judgment, accepted faithfully. Nobody can claim that two powers, two authorities, were behind creation. That's a pretty strong statement!
The text itself subtly reinforces this idea. In Hebrew, the word for God, Elohim, is technically plural. But notice how the Torah consistently uses singular verbs with it? "God spoke [vaydaber]" – not "God spoke [vaydaberu]" in the plural. "God said [vayomer]" – not "God said [vayomeru]". And "God created [bara]" – not "God created [bare'u]".
It's a linguistic dance, isn't it? A subtle yet powerful way to underscore that even though Elohim looks plural, the actions are singular. The point, as Bereshit Rabbah so elegantly illustrates, is that God is one. Indivisible. Unique.
So, what does this all mean for us? Maybe it's a reminder that even in a world that often feels fragmented, divided, and chaotic, there's a foundational unity, a single source. Maybe it’s an invitation to look for the connections, the common threads, the shared truths that bind us all together. And maybe, just maybe, it all starts with those very first words.