Parshas Beraishis: Teshuva Precedes Creation
Rabbi Yitzchak Lubchansky
It is not a coincidence that we begin reading Parshas Bereshis on Simchas Torah and that Shabbos Bereshis is the Shabbos that leads us into the winter months. What is the lesson from the Yomim Noraim that is reinforced in this week’s Sedra?
The Kozhnitzer Maggid in Avodas Yisroel (Avos 5:8) addresses those people who wait until the last minute to think about Teshuva in the month of Elul. He exhorts us to constantly be involved in the process of introspection and correcting our ways. After the uplifting season of Elul and Tishrei with the Shofar, Selichos, the Yomim Noraim and finally with Sukkos and Shmini Atzeres, the time of Teshuva out of love instead of awe, how can we take the inspiration to live a life of Teshuva with us?
The Pri Ha’aretz in Parshas Re’eh points out a fascinating concept. Chazal tell us that the Malachim were opposed to the creation of man on the grounds that he would eventually go against the will of the Ribono Shel Olam. Nevertheless, the Gemara tells us (Pesachim 54a) that Teshuva is one of the things that preceded Creation. Although it is difficult for us to understand, the framework for the process of repentance was already in place before man was created, and only through this was man able to be created. The world was created on the grounds that man will sin and be able to return to Hashem and He will accept us back. The Revid Hazahav, a talmid of the Ropshitzer Rov writes in a number of places that the idea that man will sin and do Teshuva is the only way that the 13 attributes of Hashem that we recited throughout the Selichos period can manifest in this world. If there is no sin, we cannot say that Hashem bears iniquity and cleanses us.
According to the version of the Gemara Kiddushin 49b found in the Rif, if someone betroths a woman on the condition that he is completely righteous, his betrothal is valid because he may have had a thought of Teshuva. Although there is a time and place for the full Teshuva process, a brief moment of introspection and recognition of our misdeeds, says the Pri Ha’aretz, is enough to tap into the power of Teshuva to reconnect with the Ribono Shel Olam to the point that regarding this most serious matter in Halacha his actions are considered valid.
As we depart from Elul and Tishrei when hopefully we were fully immersed in Teshuva, we tend to put it aside as the Avodas Yisroel lamented. We read about the creation of man in Parshas Bereshis to remind us that the only way the Ribono Shel Olam could have created us was by establishing the concept of Teshuva beforehand.
