Rabbi Yanai had a similar thought. He pointed out that the Torah truly needed to begin only with the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), marking the start of the Jewish calendar and the Exodus from Egypt. So, why all the creation stuff?
Well, Rabbi Yanai suggests it's because of the Israelites' incredible commitment. They proclaimed, "Everything that the Lord had said, we will perform and we will heed" (Exodus 24:7). Because of that profound statement of faith and obedience, God revealed the secrets of creation to them. Think of it as a reward for their willingness to listen and obey.
Rabbi Berekhya dives even deeper. He connects the verse "He told you His covenant [berito]" (Deuteronomy 4:13) to the Hebrew word for creation, [beriyato]. He suggests that when God told them His covenant, He was also telling them the story of Genesis – the very beginning of creation. That's pretty powerful, right? It's like the covenant is built on the foundation of creation itself.
And that same verse in Deuteronomy continues: "That He commanded you to perform, the ten precepts" (Deuteronomy 4:13). Rabbi Berekhya sees these "ten precepts" as referring to both the Ten Commandments and the vast expanse of the Talmud. Ten for the written law, and ten for the oral tradition and its interpretations! The Ten Commandments, therefore, must be understood both literally and through the lens of Talmudic analysis, unlocking ever deeper layers of meaning.
But then the text takes a fascinating turn. If God hadn't laid the groundwork in the Torah, would we ever have been able to access other profound mysteries? From where, the text asks, would Elihu ben Berekhel the Buzite (that's one of Job's friends) come to reveal the secrets [ḥadrei] of Behemoth and Leviathan? (Job 40:15, 25). And where would Ezekiel get the insight to reveal the secrets [ḥadrei] of the Divine Chariot (Ezekiel 1)?
These figures delved into aspects of creation far beyond the initial Genesis account. Some interpret this to mean that these profound secrets were only hinted at in the Torah. Had God not first detailed the creation of the world and hinted at further secrets, these later prophets and sages couldn't have expounded upon them and revealed them in greater detail. The Torah, then, isn't just a history book or a law book. It's a key—a foundational text unlocking deeper and deeper mysteries about the universe and our place in it.
And that’s where we end with the verse: “The king has brought me to his chambers [ḥadarav].” This hints at the intimate connection between God, the Torah, and those who seek deeper knowledge. The Torah is like the king's chamber, filled with secrets waiting to be discovered by those who are willing to enter and explore.