You Will, But When Already?

October 1, 2018 at 1:44 AM , ,

“…And it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day…” – Bereishit 1:31

וירא אלהים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום הששי   – בראשית א, לא

At the conclusion of its account of the first day of creation, the Torah sums up the day saying, “It was evening and it was morning, one day.” On the second day it concludes, “It was evening and it was morning, a second day.” On the third day, “…a third day,” and so on. On the sixth day of Creation, however, the Torah concludes saying, “It was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.” Based on the Talmud (Shabbos 88a), Rashi explains that the Torah hints thereby to another well-known and important “sixth day”—the 6th day of the month of Sivan, the day the Jewish people accepted the Torah, 2448 years after Creation. This teach us, says the Talmud, that “G-d stipulated with all of creation” that its existence was contingent on the Jewish people accepting the Torah, which would eventually take place on the 6th of Sivan.

Why does the Torah allude to this important “stipulation” by highlighting the date the Jewish people accepted the Torah, the 6th of Sivan, and not with a more general allusion to the giving of the Torah?

the-creation-of-the-world

In doing so, the Torah seeks to demonstrate the unparalleled greatness and significance before G-d of the actual deeds and accomplishments of a Jew in this world.

Unlike the creation that waited in abeyance, “uncertain” if the Jewish people would accept the Torah, before G-d, there were no doubts. G-d knows the future just as He knows the present and the past, and the Jewish people’s future acceptance of the Torah was already an established fact. Yet despite His advance knowledge, G-d still “marked” the significance of “the sixth” day of Sivan (hinted in “the sixth day” of Creation), demonstrating the importance of this future date. Because despite G-d’s knowledge thatthe Jewish people would accept the Torah, (and the significance of their future acceptance of the Torah before Him even before the fact,) nothing can compare to the moment in earthly time when the Jewish people actually accepted the Torah.

Though the future is as real to G-d as the present and the past, He still “looks forward” to the moment that a Jew in this world will act, and realize his potential.

 

—Toras Menachem, Sefer Hamaamarim Melukat, vol. 2, pp. 145-146

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