בְּרֵאשִׁית‎

BeReishit

Genesis

CHAPTER 1

With Commentaries

“And ELOHIM created man in His image, in the image of ELOHIM He created him; male and female He created them.”

Torah Home

Tanakh Home

Ch. 2 ►

Speaking the Name of God

The Four-Letter personal Name of God, which is spelled [ י-ה-ו-ה/Y-H-V-H ], indicates that God is timeless and infinite, for the letters of His Name are those of the words הָיָה ,הוֶה ,יִהְיֶה,

הָיָה

He was: The letter combination reflects “hayah/הָיָה”.

הוֶה

He is: The combination is related to “hoveh/הוֶה”.

יִהְיֶה

He will be: The combination is also linked to “yihyeh/יִהְיֶה”.

When in prayer, or when a blessing is recited, or when a Torah verse is read, the Four-Letter Name should be pronounced as if it were spelled (Yodh, He, Vav, He, or say, אדני/Adonai, (which means, Lord, or My Lord). God’s personal Name identifies Him as the Master of All. At other times, it should be pronounced השם; HaShem, which means "The Name."
There are many reasons given in Judaism as to why the name of God should not be spoken out loud. From His Name being too Holy to be spoken, or to the Name being the same as the essence of God, regardless of the reason, His Name should be treated with the utmost respect. Rabbinic Judaism teaches that the name is forbidden to all except the High Priest of Israel, who should only speak it in the Holy of Holies of the Temple in Jerusalem on Yom Kippur. He then pronounces the Name "just as it is written." since there is no temple until Mashiach comes, Jewish people don't say God’s name.
Rabbi Tovia Singer gives another reason or explanation, and it is the one I like the best. He explains it like this. When you refer to your father or mother, you do not say his or her name. You usually say my mom or dad, but you would never say, for example, “Oh yes, Mike the other day.” No, you would not, and you do not say his or her name unless someone asks you for his or her name. Rabbi Tovia Singer goes on to explain that children do not use their parent's names, not even when they argue. He further explains, imagine that your sister always has arguments with your dad, and you are used to such arguments, but one time they go at it screaming at each other, and suddenly, your sister says, “Look, Mike!” To that, I am sure that the room would go silent in disbelief. To do that would mean that the daughter had had enough, and using her father’s name would be like something broke in the relationship. If she meant it, that would be like the daughter divorcing herself from the father-daughter relationship. She has gone too far, and this would be an emotional scar too deep to heal from. This reminds me of the verse from Malachi that says, and God is speaking;

Malachi 1:6

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? Says YHVH of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’.

Elohim is another Name/describer to refer to God, and today, this Name/describer is only used to refer to the God of Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), the Creator. In biblical times, this Name/describer was used to refer to more than just God our Creator. It was also used for other false gods and powerful men, kings, or men of power. So, a few times as you read the Bible, you will encounter this name/describer, and it will not mean God our Creator, but it could be any person or people of power, an angel, even. An interesting fact about the personal name of God, Y-H-V-H, is that you can find it in the Hebrew Bible over 6,828 times, and the Name/describer Elohim appears more than 2,000 times.

Elohim translates to English as “gods” in the plural form, but is commonly said as God in the singular. Before someone gets too excited, let me explain something. First, you must know what this Name/descriptor of our God means. Let us break down the plurality in this Name/Descriptor, Elohim.

Elohim means “Powers” because that is what El in Elohim means. El translates to Power or Strength and is also used to say God (in singular). In ancient times, the early people of the world could not comprehend the powers of nature, and as an example, they worshiped the sun as a god, they had a god of rain, a god for the rivers, a god of fertility, a god of the ocean, a god for death, and so on. Whenever they encounter a power or need a power to justify the unknown, they call it el/power, which once again was the word for god or power, making the two words synonyms. Now, back to our Creator Y-H-V-H God. He is the real power behind every power ever created. He created all the powers of Heaven and Earth. He created the sun, moon, stars, and earth with all their wonders. He gives life and takes it away. Y-H-V-H God is the Power behind all creation. That means that since He created all powers, He is all the Powers in the universe in one single entity. He is all the Powers of this world and the power of the heavens and beyond. He is everything. ONE single being behind all the POWERS. This is why Elohim means Gods/Powers in plural, even though we refer to the ONE single God, our Creator Elohim/Gods/Powers.

There is another reason to call Y-H-V-H/HaShem Elohim/Gods/Powers, and also why an angel is called Elohim sometimes. See if HaShem sends an angel, a spirit, or a man to do something for Him, then he will be called Elohim. Why? Because the angel, spirit, or man comes to do HaShem’s will for him. That angel, spirit, or man is acting or standing for the place or instead of HaShem, and HaShem gives this angel, spirit, or man some of His power to do whatever they have been called to do. I hope that you know that HaShem is sometimes named Lord of Hosts. This is because anyone who is with Him is part of His Hosts. HaShem and all the angels, spirits, and men that are with Him are Elohim or Powers. So EL is a single Power, and Elohim is many Powers.

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew

Torah Home

Tanakh Home

Ch. 2 ►

Day 1: Heaven, Earth, Light, and Darkness

In beginning, ELOHIM/God created the heavens and the earth.

1 בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ׃

א

Every “i” will have the sound “ee” like in the word bee.

הַשָּׁמַיִם/HaShamayim

This word means "The Heavens" in the plural; there is no singular form of the word Heaven in Hebrew. The word "HaShamayim" is made of the word Shamayim/heavens and the prefix Ha, which means “the”. In the Hebrew language, the prefixes and suffixes are not separated from the word but put together with the word, making it look like one word instead of one, two, or three.

Adonai HaShem, our God, created everything at once, all combined. All the substances needed for creation were created simultaneously, and the heavens and earth occupied the same space. All the materials required to create the heavens and the earth were present; nothing was missing. It was all there, but it was all mixed like recipe ingredients. We will see this in the next verse.

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים/In beginning, Elohim created…

This phrase is commonly rendered: In the beginning, Elohim/God created….. But my translation paints another, slightly different view. To begin with, the word “the” is not there. So, it does not say In the beginning, it just says, In begging. Kind of like saying, “to begin with”. What this first verse is saying is that Elohim/God began by first creating the heavens and the earth in their totality, but unfinished, and I will explain this later. This at first confused me. It made me think that this first verse was a summary of the whole chapter. Like saying that the first chapter was the beginning of all creation and that there was nothing before, but as we will see, this is not so. There was something before, and we will get to that here soon.

And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the abyss. And ELOHIM’s/GOD’s spirit hovered over the face of the waters.

2 וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם׃

ב

תֹהוּ/Tohu

Tohu means formless/confusion/unreality/emptiness/nothingness/empty space/place of chaos.

In verse two, the Torah described the state of the earth when it was formed, where it say, in verse one, In begining, ELOHIM/GOD created…. saying that it had no form, was full of confusion, was nonexistent, and so far, it was nothing, empty of anything, and a place of chaos. All these words that תֹהוּ/Tohu means describe its beginning.

וָבֹהוּ/VaVohu

The meaning of this word is emptiness, void, waste
This word appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible. One is here, translated as void; the other is in Issaih 34:11, translated as emptiness; and the last is Jeremiah 4:23, a direct quote of this chapter, Genesis 1:2 translated as void once again. So basically, it should be said that it is only mentioned twice because of the direct quote to this verse.

תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ/Tohu VaVohu

This phrase appears only two times in the Hebrew Bible, once originally in this verse and again in Jeremiah. It is a direct quote from this verse. So, it only appears once. I found a website called Jerusalem Prayer Team. In this website, it has an interesting explanation. Quoting from the site:

“to-hu va-vo-hu” could be associated with a group of words named onomatopoeia. These words mimic the sounds in nature with which these words are associated.

It goes on to explain that this means that it is like the word Hizz. Hizz is the actual sound of the hizzing sound the word describes. So, what does Tohu Va-Vohu sound like to you? To me, it sounds like boiling water or boiling lava. Additionally, the website also says something that is unrelated to the topic at hand, but I like it, so I will once again quote the website.

Today, “to-hu va-vo-hu” is a flowery and somewhat humorous expression, used to characterize a messy area, such as a house or a room or something very disorganized.

So, as you can see, this second verse continues on the last. After HaShem God created the heavens and the earth, in verse one, this is the state in which they were, without form, empty of life, and all in chaos.

חֹשֶׁךְ - Darkness

While in this state of chaos and voidness, the heavens and the earth were in darkness, but this is not to say that darkness was not created, as Isaiah said.

Isaiah 45:7

“He Who forms the light and creates darkness.”

“And darkness was upon the face of the abyss.”

This is not going to make much sense until verse six. In which the rakia/expense was created. This rakia/expense was created under water, and the abyss that this verse is talking about is there, under water, which means that the abyss is in the depths of these waters. The same waters in which Elohim’s/God’s spirit was hovering over. The spirit was on top of the waters, and the darkness was in the depths of these waters. It makes sense. Does it not? Same as it is in the ocean, the deeper you go, the darker it gets.

רוּחַ - ruakh

What is a ruakh? The word רוּחַ/ruakh means wind/breath/spirit. Ruakh is each of them and all of them. A ruakh is another creation of Hashem. We know wind, and we know what breath is, and they are both interchangeable. But is a spirit interchangeable with wind and breath? We know the wind; we can feel and see it by the things it moves around us, but it can not be seen. Similarly, our breath cannot be seen unless it is cold outside, but we can not see it under normal circumstances. Spirits, in the same manner, also can not be seen; they are like wind or breath but differ. Ruakh, in the meaning of a spirit, is a living thing with thoughts and purpose. How do I know this?

1 Kings 22:21-22

Then a Ruakh/wind/breath/spirit came forward and stood before HaShem/YHVH, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And HaShem/YHVH said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’

This spirit went to the prophets of this king and put false visions and prophecies to make this king’s life miserable. This spirit was not seen or felt, but it was perceived as the prophets’ visions and thoughts. So the prophets believed these false prophecies as real ones when they weren’t. You will see me refer to this passage many times in my studies, as it is a perfect example of what a Ruakh, meaning a spirit, is, and that is a Non-corporeal being capable of thought and reasoning of its own. HaShem, our God, uses these spirits for all sorts of jobs, as well as angels and men. We will find out as we study how spirits, angels, and men do most things in this world for our God, HaShem. However, as we see in this passage (1 Kings 22:21-22), the spirit did not act on its own but by God’s will. Only after God said he could do it did the spirit go out and do his job. You will find out in our studies that spirits and angels will not do anything that HaShem will not let them do, unless you hold no love for HaShem our God. Then the spirits can do as they please with you. Not that this is what HaShem, our God, wants, but because you chose not to have Him as your God, so you do not have HaShem, God, to protect you from any harm, including a spirit.

This subject, which may open questions for you, is the subject or question of spirit possession, now known as demons. The word demon did not come into existence until the year 825 CE. First used in Greek writings. In the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), this word does not exist and has no meaning, and had no meaning until the Greeks invented it. Spirits are Non-corporeal wind spirits that do God’s will to help or hinder people by invoking feelings and putting thoughts into their minds. Spirit’s power does not limit itself to just this. They hold other powers, as we will see. An example of spirit possession is in

1 Samuel 16:13

“And the Ruakh/wind/breath/spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.”

God sent a spirit into King Saul to provoke anger in him, by entering him and making him feel anger.

Now, let’s go back to our verse. A spirit of Elohim/God went out and hovered over the waters, for what purpose, though? To answer this question, you have to go back to the beginning of this verse, where it says, “And the earth was תֹהוּ/Tohu/formless and בהוּ/Vohu/void.” Now, you have to remember that Tohu also means a place of chaos. These waters were chaotic like a storm. So, the spirit was calming the waters to make way for the following days of Creation. You may ask how I know that the spirits of HaShem (God) have this power.

Bereshit/Genesis 8:1

“And ELOHIM (God) remembered Noakh and all the animals and all the cattle that were with him in the ark, and ELOHIM (God) made a Ruakh/Spirit/Wind/Breath pass upon the earth, and the waters subsided.”

As the Ruakh/wind/breath/spirit of God calmed and evaded the water in the Great Flood in Noah’s time, in this same manner did this spirit calm these chaotic waters of Creation. One thing that you will read in my studies repeatedly is that you have to remember everything you have read and that you can not skip or read random verses out of context, because if you do or do not remember what you have read. You will not understand anything about Scripture or God. If you want an example, it is like trying to solve an algebra problem without knowing how to add, subtract, divide, or multiply.

And ELOHIM said, “Be light,” and light was.

3 וַיּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר׃

ג

Vayomer | ELOHIM | YeHi | Or | VayeHi-Or

I know that this translation sounds different from the usual, “‘Let there be light’ and there was light,” that we are used to reading from other Bible translations. However, this is what I see when I read it. When HaShem, our God, said the words, “Be light”, and that is it, light came into existence, and light has existed ever since. We will see later that when Adam/man was created, only when the breath of HaShem/God entered Adam through his nostrils was he said to be alive, so it is the same here. By the breath of HaShem/GOD, or by His voice, was the light created, and so will all things be created in the six days of Creation. Everything will be created only by the breath of HaShem, our God and Creator. All things created by ELOHIM/GOD/ADONAI/HASHEM come from Him, by His breath that gave life to all in existence. Except with Adam, with Adam/man/us, it was a little more personal. HaShem came close to him, while Adam had no life, only a body, and breathed into his nostrils, HaShem’s own personal breath, and Adam was said to be a living being after that—no words, just breath, almost like a kiss.

יְהִי/Yehi

This word means to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, or fall out. When God voiced the word Yehi, the light came into existence, and ever since then, light has been a permanent creation that has never departed; ever since then, it has always been.

And ELOHIM saw the light, for it was good/pleasant, and ELOHIM separated the light from the darkness.

4 וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ׃

ד

“ELOHIM/GOD saw that the light was tov/good.”

What does the word טוֹב/Tov/good mean in the Hebrew language? It means to be good, pleasant, agreeably pleasant, agreeable (to the senses), excellent (of its kind), good, rich, valuable in estimation, glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature), kind, benign, and/or right (ethical). This, to some, can be minor, but is it? HaShem used this word to call all His creation Tov/good. To use this word for evil or malignant purposes is not a Tov thing to do. As an example, to see a person you do not particularly like go through rough times and say “Tov/good,” being glad that it happens to them is evil. Your heart is not aligned with God. You should not spend time and energy on such emotions. Emotions are very important, and as we continue, we will see how important they are. Knowing where they come from and knowing how to listen to them and how to act on them is a teaching of Scripture that we must learn. So, after Elohim/God saw the light that He had just created, He saw that it was a good or pleasant thing, so much so that He kept the light separate from the darkness, not saying that the darkness is a bad thing. Still, HaShem saw that the light was tov/good/pleasant on its own and wanted to keep them apart from each other.

And ELOHIM, He called out to light, “Day”, and to darkness called out, “Night”. And to be evening, and to be morning, ONE DAY.

5 וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים׀ לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד׃

ה

This verse is a bit confusing, I know, and I translated it a bit differently than most. Let me explain: first, in Hebrew, there is a punctuation mark (that stick-looking thing after Elohim) that indicates a punctuation sequence or a separation in the verse, keeping sections of the verse separate from each other. The first section says, “And ELOHIM, they/He called”. The word “called” does not mean that HaShem named something, but that He called someone or something to do a specific action or for them or it to do an action, whether to get a response or to follow with instructions. What it means is that HaShem said: “Light, become day” or “Light, you will be day, and to the night He said, ‘Darkness, become night’ or ‘Darkness, you will be night”. And it has been so since the beginning, light became day, and darkness became the night.

“And to be evening, and to be morning, ONE DAY.”

Most commentators have a different interpretation from mine when it comes to this part of the verse. Most say that HaShem, God, was alone on this first day, and this is why it is written “ONE DAY” and not first day. They say that this indicates that HaShem was alone up to this point. However, if you remember, there was a ruakh/spirit/wind of Elohim in verse two, and also, throughout this chapter, you will see that the name or describer word “Elohim” has been used. This means that HaShem was not alone but had His angels and spirits with Him to help with creation. HaShem, angels, and spirits all work together, and later in Scripture, even men will work with HaShem, the angels, and the spirits. One example is Moses. When HaShem sent Moses to the Pharaoh, HaShem called Moses Elohim/Gods/Powers because HaShem sent him and gave Moses Power to free Israel from Egypt.

Exodus 7:1

“And YHVH/HaShem/God/The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like Elohim/God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land.”

Here, HaShem is explaining how it works. Anyone sent by HaShem is called Elohim/God. Any prophet sent by HaShem is an Elohim, just as any angel or spirit is called Elohim when working for HaShem, our God. So, no, I do not think that HaShem was alone at this point of Creation. HaShem had His angels and spirits.
So, what do I think this means by “ONE DAY”? To me, it is obvious. What did HaShem do? He created light and put light and day together, and He put darkness and night together, and then it is written, “And to be evening, and to be morning, ONE DAY.” Get it? When light and day go by together, and then darkness and night go by together, it is ONE DAY. See, the separation? From morning to evening is day with light, and from evening to morning is darkness with night, and all together is ONE DAY. Simple as that, or at least I think it is simple.
It also means that everything up to this point happened in only ONE DAY.

Rashi (approximately 1040 - approximately 1105) commentary: The first day is now complete. Scripture uses the cardinal number אֶחָד/Ekhad/ONE, one day, instead of the ordinal number ראשון, first day, to indicate that on this day, Adonai HaShem/יְהֹוָה was One [because this phrase can be rendered the day of the One and Only]. HaShem God was alone on this day of creation, for the angels were not created until the second day.

Day 2: Separation of the Waters, by the Expanse

And He said, ELOHIM: “Be an expanse amid the waters, and be a separation/division/distinction between waters to waters.”

6 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וִיהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם׃

ה

I should have said it before, but I write waters, in plural, because this is how it is written in Hebrew. There is a plurality to it, but English is water in the singular. But because this is Scripture, I opted to leave it as plural. I am not sure if this has any meaning, but I feel like I should leave it as it is.

HaShem created a rakia, an expanse, or a gap, on the depth of the abyss of water, HaShem made a space of nothing to separate the water or split the water into two parts. The word used for the separation is מַבְדִּיל/mavdil, which also means division or distinction. If you take into account that this word also implies distinction, it tells us that both of these waters will be unique in their design. I say design because with the water that ended up underneath, that is where HaShem created, where we live, the earth. We will see this as we continue. It is said that with the waters above, there is heaven was made, but Scripture does not say.

And ELOHIM, He made the rakia/expanse/firmament/sky/heavens, and He separated/divided/made a distinction between the waters which were from underneath to (the) expanse, and between the waters which (were) from above, to (the) expanse. And so, it came to be.

7 וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָרָקִיעַ וַיַּבְדֵּל בֵּין הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מִתַּחַת לָרָקִיעַ וּבֵין הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מֵעַל לָרָקִיעַ וַיְהִי־כֵן׃

ז

רָקִיעַ/Rakia

Rakia is an expanse, the firmament, the sky, or the heavens, but when I say the heavens, I do not mean where the angels live, I mean the space between the ground and to its limits. That space in which birds fly and where the clouds are, the space in which HaShem put the sun, the moon, and the stars. We will read this in this chapter.

Now, by HaShem creating the rakia/expanse, He made a separation of the water into two. Making it be water below and water above the rakia/expanse. The way it is written, it makes me think as all of this being fluids of different viscosities. The waters below bleeds up into the expanse to a certain point and the waters above, also bleed down into the expanse below it.

What most people do not know, including me, is that air and water are both considered fluids, meaning they can flow and conform to the shape of their container. They share this property due to the way their constituent particles (molecules for water, atoms/molecules for air) are arranged and interact. While air is a gas and water is a liquid, they both exhibit fluid dynamics and can be described using similar equations and principles. While air is much less dense than water, both have a defined density and pressure that vary with altitude and depth, respectively. The pressure difference within these fluids is what allows for phenomena like buoyancy and lift to occur. In the same manner as the video above we have the waters above, which is denser then the Rakia and the waters below which are denser then the Rakia, together but never mixing.

And ELOHIM, He called out to the Rakia, “Skies/Heavens”. And to be evening, and to be morning, the second day.

8 וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָרָקִיעַ שָׁמָיִם וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם שֵׁנִי׃

ח

רָקִיעַ/Rakia (continue)

I have been thinking on this verse for most of the day, and it would seem that HaShem called to action or ordered the rakia/expanse to be more than just space that separates the waters above and the waters below, or for it to be what we now know as sky. By HaShem speaking towards the Rakia, said: “Rakia, skies”, or in other words, He said: “Rakia be the skies,” and the Rakia became the sky. The place where the birds fly, where the currents of winds flow, where the clouds ride, and is filled with the layers of gases in our air, primarily nitrogen and oxygen. HaShem, in other words, by speaking, created the sky out of the Rakia. He made the atmosphere that we now call the sky out of the Rakia/the expanse.

You will find this verse interesting from the time of the Great Flood. The Flood happened 1,656 years after this story of Creation.

BeReshit/Genesis 7:11

“In the six hundredth year of Noakh’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the abyss burst fully open, and the windows of the heavens opened.”

What did we learn about the Rakia? That HaShem told it to become the Shamayim/heavens/skies. So, in the Great Flood time, God opened ways for the waters from below and the waters from above the Rakia to come into the Rakia or sky. So the waters of the Great Flood were not just rain but water coming in from outside this Rakia/sky, that separates the waters from below from the waters from above. There was water coming into the Rakia from outside it, both from above and below. Knowing all this makes anyone think of what the Rakia/sky is and how big it is.

“Second Day”

Unlike the first day, scripture does not use the cardinal number two, but uses the ordinal number second to number the day. Also, notice how HaShem did not say, “for it was Tov/good/pleasant,” on this second day in which He made the Rakia/skies/heavens. HaShem did not say the Rakia was Tov/good/pleasant, because He was not finished with it. HaShem will continue working on the Rakia on the third day of Creation. Not until then will He call it Tov/good/pleasant.

Day 3: Gathering of the Waters and Vegetation

And ELOHIM, He said, “Gather the waters from underneath the heavens/skies to/towards one standing place/a set place and you will see the dry land/ground”. And so, it came to be.

9 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה וַיְהִי־כֵן׃

ט

This is the third day, and this is the first time that HaShem sounds like He is given orders and not just saying, and things happen. These instructions were given to the angels and spirits, who were working with HaShem in the Creation process. We already read of a spirit calming the waters in verse two. Many people believe that HaShem was doing everything by Himself, when in reality HaShem is always being assisted by his hosts of angels and spirits. Later, men will be part of His Hosts and will also do HaShem’s will. HaShem is our King, and He commands, and His Hosts obey. HaShem wants all His Hosts, angels, spirits, and men to be a part of Creation with Him.

Now let us see which waters were gathered to one place. These were the waters under the Rakia that are now known to be the skies. Makes you wonder what HaShem, our EL/God, did with the waters above the Rakia.

I noticed that the word waters (מַּיִם /mayim) is also present in the word skies (שָּׁמַיִם/shamayim, [the mayim part is waters, plural]), both waters, but different, [as if to mean two different places]. God split the waters by the creation of the Rakia, and on the water below, HaShem, God made the Earth. The bottom water was turned into the earthly human realm, but what about the water above? If I examine the word Shamayim and split it into two, like a prefix and the main word, being water. It does not work, as the prefix שׁ/Sh means that, which, who, or whom. But this does not make sense, not only in terms of meaning but also because Shamayim is a complete word to which you can add a prefix or suffix. However, I searched for the word Sha in Hebrew, and it says that this word alone means nothing, but if used in conjunction with another word, it could mean quiet or calm. Well, that brings interesting images to my mind. Like a sky devoid of clouds on a sunny day. What does that sky look like to you? Blue and clear and calm. Even the color of the sky is called sky blue, reminiscent of the color of water and the sky. Sorry, my mind runs away from me sometimes. Welcome to my thoughts.

And ELOHIM, He called out to the dry land, “Earth/field”, and to the collection of waters called out, “Seas”. And ELOHIM, He saw/looked/inspected, for it was tov/good.

10 וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב׃

י

Once again, HaShem called out, but this time it was to the land that was brought out from the depths of the waters and told it that it would be the earth or the fields where vegetation grows and creatures roam. Also, he did the same to the waters; He said to them that they would be the seas.
HaShem, having made or set the earth and the seas in their place, and after inspecting it, after the angels and spirits had done this job, He said, “This is tov/good”.

And ELOHIM said to the land, “Upon the field, you will sprout/produce green herb, vegetation to scatter seed, fruit tree to make fruit to its kind with the seed within it”. And so, it came to be. And ELOHIM inspected/saw, for it was tov/good.

11 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע עֵץ פְּרִי עֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ־בוֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ וַיְהִי־כֵן׃

יא

Adonai HaShem made all plants and trees self-sustaining. God's intercession is unnecessary unless a change is needed for His plan. Plants were created with the ability to reproduce and spread throughout the land, therefore not needing constant assistance from God.

Rashi (1040-1105) Commentary: God commanded that the vegetation grow its seed within itself to be planted and spread elsewhere.

And the land, it sprouted green herb/vegetation yielding seed/to scatter seed of its kind, and trees to make fruit, whose seed is in it, of its kind. And ELOHIM, He saw/looked/inspected, for it was tov/good.

12 וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע לְמִינֵהוּ וְעֵץ עֹשֶׂה־פְּרִי אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ־בוֹ לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב׃

יב

The land started sprouting all vegetation, from all grasses, herbs, trees, and fruit trees. Everything needed for the Rakia, meaning the skies to produce oxygen. See, I told you that HaShem was not done with the Rakia, as He is still working on it, Him and His Hosts of angels and spirits.

And it was evening and it was morning, the third day.

13 וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי׃

יג

VaiHi-Erev | VaiHi-Voker | Yom | SheLishishi

The third day of Creation. So far, HaShem has created for us the foundation, oceans, land, vegetation, and with vegetation, oxygen in the air or in the Rakia/skies.

Day 4: Constellations and Time as We Know It

And ELOHIM, He said, “Be lights inside the Rakia, the skies/heavens, to divide/separate between the day and between the night and (for them) to be distinguishable, and for appointed times and to (mark) days and years.

14 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים׃

יד

Was there day and night before these lights? Yes, but it was not distinguishable between the two; there was no way of noticing the difference between them. There was no separation between day and night, no way to tell time. There might not even have been days that lasted the same time between them; we do not know. However, after this, the lights that were set in the Rakia, the skies/heavens, allowed us to distinguish between day and night. These lights also made it easy to keep track of time and events, both for humankind and for HaShem. Prophecies are very important, and if we could not tell the days and years apart, how could we tell when HaShem says, “by the same time next year”? How could you let someone know how much time it would take you to get somewhere, or by what time you can complete a job? The calendars use these light cycles to tell the days, months, and years. If these lights had not been created for these purposes, we would have to depend on God to tell time. But HaShem wants us to be independent of Him. He wants us to stand on our own and make our own decisions. You know, free will.
One other thing of note is the part where it says, “inside the Rakia, the skies/heavens”. HaShem is letting us know that the Rakia and the sky/heaven are the same, just two different names. Why, because when HaShem created the Rakia, it lacked the properties of the sky; no oxygen and the other compounds found in the air. If the Rakia had stayed a Rakia, we, the animals and the plants, could not survive. Just as water freezes, we call it ice and not frozen water.
One more thing to note, these lights were set by HaShem inside the Rakia, the skies/the heavens. What does this mean? I will leave that up to you, as this is a very controversial topic, and I do not want to get into that rabbit hole.

Be for lights in the Rakia, the skies/heavens, for lights upon the land.” And so, it came to be.

15 וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהָאִיר עַל־הָאָרֶץ וַיְהִי־כֵן׃

טו

Once again, HaShem wants us to understand that the Rakia and the skies/heavens are the same thing. Also, He wants to tell us that these lights are set inside the Rakia, the skies/heavens, and they are to shine inside it and to shine down on us. Also, to move like clockwork so we can tell the passing of time. And this has been like this since HaShem created these lights; they have been constant and the same year after year, never changing, always following their pattern.

And ELOHIM, He fashioned/made the two great lights, the large light to dominate/rule the day, and the small light to dominate/rule the night, and the stars.

16 וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים אֶת־הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדֹל לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם וְאֶת־הַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטֹן לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה וְאֵת הַכּוֹכָבִים׃

טז

HaShem did not name the lights in the Rakia; men did. HaShem, our God, says He only created the large light and the small light, and also the stars. Meaning that they should not be treated as entities; they serve a purpose, and that is it. These lights are tools for us and nothing else. Apart from their purpose (written in Scripture), we should not care or wonder how they were made, only what they serve us to do. These lights were made for us and to serve us in their purpose. To differentiate day from night and to tell time, no more.

And ELOHIM, He set them inside the Rakia, the skies/the heavens, to shine/for lights upon the land.

17 וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם לְהָאִיר עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃

יז

When HaShem in the Torah repeats Himself, it means that this is an important message. It is not redundant. Many civilizations have worshipped these lights as gods, given them importance equal to HaShem, our God Himself. The very God that created these lights. They can not tell you your future or help you in any way or form. Only HaShem can, the very God that created these lights. HaShem created them for only three purposes: to distinguish between day and night, to give us light, and to mark the passage of time accurately.

And to dominate/rule in the day and in the night, and to distinguish/separate between light and between darkness. And ELOHIM, He saw/looked/inspected, for it was tov/good.

18 וְלִמְשֹׁל בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה וּלְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב׃

יח

These two lights are to be the center of attention during the day and night. That's why the word dominate is used. None of the other lights in the sky can compare to these two lights that HaShem made in the Rakia, the heavens. Without them, distinguishing between day and night and between light and darkness would be difficult for us.
The way this verse is written makes me believe there is more to it: "Day and night/light and darkness." Then HaShem saw this, and looked at it, and also inspected it and determined that yes, this is tov/good. You can say that at this point, the Rakia is done, now known as the skies/the heavens.

Rambam (1138–1204) commentary: This verse defines the functions of the two luminaries. Their dominion consists of causing a distinction between the darkness and the light. The great luminary, the sun, will dominate by day, and its light will be everywhere - even in places where its direct rays do not reach. The smaller luminary, the moon, will dominate by night, although it will do no more than relieve the darkness.

And it was evening and it was morning, the fourth day.

19 וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם רְבִיעִי׃

יט

VaiHi-Erev | VaiHi-Voker | Yom | ReVii

The way I read it, on this fourth day, time as we know it started. The way I read it, HaShem created the sun, the moon, and the stars all to shine down on us and said that it would be to tell the set times, the passing of days, weeks, months, and years. To me, this sounds exactly like the passing of time.
So, time started on this fourth day. At least the way we terrestrial beings could tell, because without a sun, a moon, and the constellations going around us to tell the passing of time, how could we tell if all the days seem the same? We would go from day to day without being able to predict when summer ends, and winter begins, until we reach it, or would there even be any seasons in a year? Would we even be able to crop? We, as earthly-bound people, without the movement of the constellations around us, how would we know that it is almost seeding time? How would we have grasped the concept of time passing, to begin with? I am not saying that time did not exist before the fourth day, but to us, it did not. Again, that would put all our dependence on God and our inability to stand on our own. Taking away our free will. God wants you to look up at the stars and see in them His greatness and the love He has for us in making a world in which we can work without Him. Does that mean that we should not depend on God? In a way, yes. We should cling to God because we love Him, not because we need Him. Yes, we need Him, but He also made it so we do not. Would you say that a husband can not survive without a wife or a wife without a husband? Of course, they can, but that would be too lonely, and there would be no love that only a life companion would offer. It would be a lonely existence without love.

Day 5: Sea Creatures, and Birds

And ELOHIM said, “The swarming waters, they will teem [be full] with living nefesh/life/souls/creatures, and birds, they will fly upon the land, upon the face of the Rakia, the skies/the heavens.”

20 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל־הָאָרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי רְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

כ

נֶפֶשׁ/nefesh

Nefesh means soul, self, life, creature, person, living being. It is the word used to convey a living creature, whether an animal or a person. If it is alive, it is called nefesh.

“The swarming waters, they will teem [be full] with living nefesh/life/souls/creatures.”

Would you say that the seas and the rivers are still? No, they are not. They swarm with living creatures, have currents, and move continuously. As we look at the waters and the rivers, they are constantly in motion, and we look upon them, and we can only imagine how much life there is in them. So much so that until this day, we still find new marine life that we have not discovered yet; we do not even know the depth of the sea. It has not been entirely explored in depth.

“And birds, they will fly upon the land, upon the face of the Rakia, the skies/the heavens.”

I know that your Bible, with one hundred percent certainty, words this verse differently, but I try to word my translations as close to the original as possible. This is why I almost always start the verses with the word “And”, because this is how it is written. I will only rephrase if necessary. I will not rephrase this part because it is full of imagery. Let us examine.

“And birds, they will fly upon the face of the earth”

This is telling us that birds will, and do, fly above the ground, some low, some high, but they will be above the ground.

“Upon the face of the Rakia”

When Scripture says “Upon the face”, it means that the subject is right in front of something or someone. So, in this case, we got the ground, then you have the birds flying, and then you have the start, or the face, of the rakia above the birds. Or it could also mean that the Rakia is so vast that the area where birds fly is just the start of the Rakia.

And ELOHIM, He created the big/great sea creatures/sea monsters/monsters/serpent/dragon and all nefesh/life that live [in the waters]. The moving things that the waters swarmed with, to their kind, and all winged birds to their kind. And ELOHIM, He saw/looked/inspected, for it was tov/good.

21 וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים וְאֵת כׇּל־נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם לְמִינֵהֶם וְאֵת כׇּל־עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב׃

כא

תַּנִּין/Tanin

This word is a specific type of creature, but its meaning confuses me. The words I put up on the verse are the ones that appear in scripture for the translation of this word. However, when I do research online, crocodiles and dinosaurs also appear. I imagine that this word, over time, changed its meaning. So your guess is as good as mine. Some thinkers believe these animals to be dinosaurs, some don’t. At first, I thought they wore the enormous sea creatures, like the whales, but now I am not so sure.

“The moving things that the waters swarmed with, to their kind, and all winged birds to their kind.”

This is telling us that every kind of creature, from the sea or the air, must reproduce with the same type of creature. Does this mean that when we cross-breed animals or plants, we are sinning? Well, it appears so.

HaShem also looked upon these creations and saw that it was tov/good creation.

And ELOHIM, He blessed them for he said, “Be fruitful and become many and fill the waters in the sea, and the birds, you become many in the land.”

22 וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים וְהָעוֹף יִרֶב בָּאָרֶץ׃

כב

Once again, just like the grasses, the herbs, and the trees, HaShem gave these creatures the ability to multiply and expand for themselves—no assistance needed from HaShem. This is what the blessing was to these creatures and vegetation.

Rashi (1040 - 1105) commentary: These creatures needed a special blessing because so many are intentionally reduced in number - hunted down and eaten. The land animals created on the sixth day needed such a blessing, too, but ELOHIM did not give one to them to avoid including the serpent, which was destined to be cursed.

And to be evening, and to be morning, the fifth day.

23 וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי׃

כג

VaiHi-Erev | VaiHi-Voker | Yom | Khamishi

This is the end of the fifth day, and HaShem created the first living animals. Before this life, on the sea or land, could not be possible. Not until now, the fifth day, could the sea and the land sustain life.

Day 6: Land Creatures and Man (male and female)

And ELOHIM, He said, “Land, bring forth living life to its kind, and the animals to their kind, and all creeping thing of the land to its kind.” And so, it came to be.

24 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ־אֶרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וַיְהִי־כֵן׃

כד

When HaShem God created the sea creatures, He spoke them into existence, but when He created the land mammals and the other land creatures, He ordered the land, “bring forth living life.” A distinction between the two, or three, as the birds were created on the same day as the sea creatures. It would seem that sea creatures and birds are not like land animals because HaShem God spoke them into existence. Still, land creatures were created by being commanded to come out of the ground, in other words, made out of the chemicals and compounds that already existed there. For both HaShem used His voice, but in two different ways.
In this narrative, Scripture mentions two types of life, the life above ground and the life below the ground. Above ground refers to every animals, from cattle to beast and all in between, and below ground are things like insects, worms, and the likes.

נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה - Living creatures

R' Munk (1900–1981) commentary: These were independently living, breathing beings capable of reproducing their species... The term could also include any living thing not explicitly mentioned, such as germs.

And ELOHIM made life on the land, to its kind, and the animals to their kind, and all moving in the ground to their kind. And ELOHIM, He saw/looked/inspected, for it was tov/good.

25 וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ וְאֵת כׇּל־רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב׃

כה

These, too, HaShem declared a tof/good creation. Everything so far has been made for a purpose, and we will see this come into picture as we learn more of HaShem, our God and Creator. Everything has been created so that it can reproduce by itself and with each other in a place that does not need anything to thrive. Vegetation has within itself what it needs to reproduce and expand; marine life and birds are the same way, and so are all living animals and organisms on land. Now there is one more thing to create on land, and that is mankind.

And ELOHIM, He said, “We will make/fashion Adam/mankind in our image as similar as us/as similar as we are, and he/they are to rule/have dominion/dominate/subjugate among the fish in the sea, and among the birds in the skiey/heavens, and among the animals in all the land, and among all the land, and among all moving thing that moves on the land.”

26 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכׇל־הָאָרֶץ וּבְכׇל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃

כו

Audio Block

Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

I know that the Rabbis say that God created heaven and the angels on the second day when God created the Rakia and separated the waters from the waters, but…I am not so sure. I mean, God created the earth in the waters beneath the Rakia, so it stands to reason that God created something else above the waters, right? Heaven, maybe? However, no mention of this is given; we do know that He did, but when He did it, that is the question. Plus, in verse two, the spirit belonging to God hovered above the waters, meaning that spirits had already been created on the first day or before. Additionally, and I am not sure if I want to go into this explanation right now but, Elohim, the word that means Gods, is not only strictly used to convey HaShem, the real God, but is also used to convey an angel, angels, and even some men, like Moses was called God by HaShem God Himself. I will explain this in detail later. Right now, we only need to know that anyone who does God’s will is called Elohim or someone sent by HaShem to do a job. Even some powerful men, like kings, not angels or men of God, might be called elohim, because they are men with power, so they are called elohim in Scripture, as they have power on earth.
Why? First, you should know that the word “God” does not exist in Scripture. I know this is a shocker for most. The word “God” originated from the Proto-Germanic word *ǥuđan, which evolved into the Old English word "god". The earliest known written form of this word in a Germanic language appears in the 6th-century Gothic translation of the Bible, the Codex Argenteus. The word that we know as “God” in Scripture is “אֵל/El”, which translates to English as “Power or Strength”. For example, in verse,

Exodus 6:3

וָאֵרָא אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אֶל־יִצְחָק וְאֶל־יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם׃

I appeared to Avraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as Almighty Power/Strength, but by my name YHVH I did not make myself known to them.

This is what HaShem is: Power and Strength. HaShem made with His Power or of Himself everything in existence. HaShem also shares some of His Power or some of Himself with others to accomplish His will. Here is where the word “ELOHIM” comes from, which means that angels, spirits, and men receive some of HaShem’s Power to do His will on earth. Elohim means “Strengths or Powers” in plural form because when HaShem shares some of Himself with others, it is not one Power but many Powers. If this is confusing for you, that's okay. It is not your fault; this fact has been twisted over time, and this is what I am trying to bring back. The true meaning of what HaShem is to us and we to Him. To bring the truth to light. I hope that I can be successful in explaining this to all, but I would be happy in my life if only one of you could understand. As I continue with these explanations, I will try to keep to what Scripture says and not give my own opinions or beliefs. I will only use Scripture or at least try. I will try to let Scripture speak for itself.
Eventually, in my commentaries, I will face out the word, “God,” and bring back the true meaning, “Power or Strength,” or use the Hebrew, “El” or “Elohim,” only as you will know what the word means by then. Also, I will NOT use the reference words, “The Lord”, but use His name only, “YHVH”. Which means that, eventually, I will not substitute His name with “HaShem” for His real Name. Will see, it might take me a while as I am so used to doing so.

This verse is very telling. First, God was talking to someone to say, “We will make/fashion Adam/mankind in our image as similar as us/as similar as we are.” God was talking to the angels, who also participated in creation. This means that we, humankind, were created in the image of God and the angels. The angels are also made in the image of God because God did not say, We will make Adam/man in My image.” So, as I see it, the reason why, throughout this chapter, the word “Elohim/Powers/Gods” is given in all this creation chapter, and not the Holy Name of HaShem, is because angels were already there with Him. This is because God was using spirits and angels to create. Spirits and angels were the tools through which HaShem made everything we know. HaShem gave power to the spirits and angels to assist Him in creation. When HaShem spoke, “be…,” the spirits and the angels got to work on the newly created creation. When was the first time the words “be…” were used? On the first day of Creation, when God said, “be light.” Given a command through His voice to be so. The word to convey that it was HaShem working through angels and spirits to create everything is “Elohim/Powers.”
As we continue with this verse, we find out that not only are we made in the image of HaShem, but we were also given the power to rule all the living creatures that have been created on earth so far. This is a power that HaShem handed us, and we share it with the angels, and maybe the spirits as well. As humankind, we are partners with HaShem and the angels in caring for the animals of all creation. Later, we will learn of commandments that order us not to make any animal suffer, teaching us how we are to rule over these animals.
So, make no mistake, there is only one Creator, ONE Power/God/EL, only HaShem, but He uses spirits, angels, and men to assist with the world’s affairs by sharing some of Himself, which is Power. This we will see as we progress.

“We will make/fashion Adam/mankind in our image as similar as us/as similar as we are.”

I will try to keep my beliefs out of this commentary and focus on the words in front of us.

עָשָׂה/Asa = to do, fashion, accomplish, make
נַעֲשֶׂה/Naaser = We will do, we will fashion, we will accomplish, or we will make
צֶ֫לֶם/Elem = image, likeness (of resemblance)
בְּצַלְמֵנוּ/BeAlmanu = in our image, likeness (of resemblance)
דְּמוּת/DeMut = likeness, similitude, in the likeness of, like as
כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ/Kilmutenu = in our likeness, in our similitude, as we are

So, we were made or fashioned in the likeness, meaning to resemble HaShem, who is EL/Power/God. But are we the only ones? No. HaShem, our EL/Power/God, was talking to his angels when He said this. So angels are also made in His likeness, and maybe even spirits.
Now the word, “צֶ֫לֶם/Elem” which means likeness (of resemblance), is what we should focus on. We resemble HaShem; this does not mean that we look like Him, in terms of shape, but in what we are. EL/Power/God and we are beings that are capable of thinking and having emotions, the ourselves, if you will. It does not matter in what size, color, shape, or form we are; we resemble God. We were placed on top of everything created that is alive. To all these creatures, we should be like EL/Power/God in our power over them. This does not mean that we should behave like their masters, but we should behave like HaShem, our EL/Power/God, behaves towards us, and we will learn this as we progress, because this has been twisted as time has gone by.
The word image is in scripture thirty-four times, and the word for likeness is used twenty-five times. Most of the time, both are used negatively, which means that these words are mostly used by EL/Power/God to tell us that we have been unfaithful to Him by making images of false gods. Time and time again, HaShem tells us in Scripture how much this displeases Him. Just think about it. Throughout history, there have been countless gods and goddesses of human shape, animals, and even objects of idolatry. Why do we do this if HaShem our God/EL/Power already made an image of Himself, and I say of Himself because this is what He did. He created Adam/mankind in His image, in His likeness. We, angels, and maybe even the spirits are it! But not what you see in a mirror, but what you are or are capable of doing and thinking. What you can become. Every time you do something Godly, or something that God would do, you become in His Likeness. That thinking process that leads you to that Godly action is you being in His image, in His likeness.
I know this is complicated, and it is not at the same time, and it will get even more complicated, but at the same time, so simple, once you get it. This is why HaShem despises images made of material that look like something He created because we are more than the body you see. HaShem is telling us that it is not what you see that is like Him, but it is what you don’t see that is like Him—your thoughts and actions. How can you make an image of your thoughts and especially emotions, and why would you, as HaShem already made you! He made us! He created Adam, who is His image, and we all came from Adam; we are all Adam.
Do you see it? Just like we all came from Adam and we are all Adam, one man, the power shared by HaShem to the angels, the spirits, and men of HaShem is all one Power, just like we all are one man, Adam. The power that the angels, the spirits, and the men of HaShem have in them came from one source, it came from the main POWER, HaShem, YHVH is his Name. HaShem’s name will first appear in chapter two.

Sorry, I know that I repeat myself a lot. I want to make sure the message gets across—the message in Scripture, the Bible.

Abarbanel (1437-1508) Commentary: Let us make Man. This preamble indicates that Man was created with great deliberation and wisdom. God did not say, “Let the earth bring forth,” as He did with other creatures; instead, Man was brought into being with the deepest involvement of Divine Providence and wisdom.

Targum Yonasan paraphrases: “And God said to the ministering angels who had been created on the second day of Creation of the world, ‘Let us make Man.’”

In the Midrash, it is written: When Moses wrote the Torah and came to this verse (let us make), which is in the plural and implies that there is more than one Creator, he said: Moses asked God, “Sovereign of the Universe! Why do You thus furnish a pretext for heretics to maintain that there is a plurality of divinities?” God replied, “Write!”. He went on, “Whoever wishes to err will err … Instead, let them learn from their Creator Who created all, yet when He came to create Man He took counsel with the ministering angel, messengers in Hebrew.” Thus, God taught that one should always consult others before embarking upon major new initiatives. He was not deterred by the possibility that some might choose to find a sacrilegious implication in the verse. The implication of God’s response, “Whoever wishes to err,” is that one who sincerely seeks the truth will see it; one who looks for an excuse to blaspheme will find it.

Rashi (1040 - 1105) Commentary: After Our likeness. With the power of understanding and intellect.

Ramban (1194-1270) Commentary: In His image, in the image of God. Among all living creatures, Man alone is endowed, like his Creator, with morality, reason, and free will. He can know and love God and hold spiritual communion with Him, and Man alone can guide his actions through reason. In this sense, the Torah describes Man as having been created in God’s image and likeness.

How can we prove this? Let us take gorillas or monkeys. These animals have been categorized as highly intelligent. To be very close to mankind. Still, as smart as they are, they have not made themselves any smarter or have grown to make improvements for themselves. They have never made tools or techniques that have been improved upon to show a sense of reasoning, as mankind does. No harvesting to improve their food guarantee for the future. No communities with permanent dueling. They have not developed speech, and no sign of a god they worshiped as a community or as a single one. Scientists try to see how far these animals can go by teaching them sign language and even trying speech. Yet, these animals learn some sign language, but is it learning a language or more like training a dog to do tricks? Is it not just teaching them to communicate what they already know in a different way? But they have not improved on the new language they have learned. And why don’t these monkeys or gorillas, once they learn, teach them to other monkeys or gorillas?

All animals were created to be what they are and can’t change. Yes, they can adapt to a new environment, but they stay within the limits of their intellect. Never improving to be a Creation like mankind.

And ELOHIM created: The Adam in His image, in the image of ELOHIM created him, male and female created them.

27 וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם׃

כז

This verse clarifies more about which image we are created in. The verse says that we are created in the image of God using the word בְּצַלְמוֹ/BeTzalMo, which is the word image with the prefix in and the suffix his. This single word means “In His image.” Word for word would be “in image His.” In the possessive singular. This verse would read like this in English.

“And the POWERS created: The man in His image, in the image of the POWERS created him, male and female created them.”

אָדָם/ADAM

We all know Adam is the first man created, but this name is also what God calls mankind. When HaShem, in Scripture, wants to say mankind, He uses the word or name Adam. This is why, at the end of the verse, it is written, “male and female He created them,” even though the name Adam is used for the creation of mankind. The reason for this is complicated, but in short, we all came from the ONE man called Adam. Moving forward, you will not read the word mankind or humans, because this word does not exist in Scripture. HaShem calls us ADAM.

And ELOHIM blessed them, and He/they, ELOHIM, said to them, “Be fruitful/branch out and become many, and you fill the land, and subdue it, and rule/dominate them, with the fish of the sea, and the bird in the skies/heavens, and with all life that move in all the land.”

28 וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכׇל־חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃

כח

Once again, Scripture, or HaShem/YHVH, is stating that we have full control over the earth and all its living inhabitants. One thing we must know is that once HaShem/YHVH has said something, it is done. So, we do have full control of the earth, and HaShem will not interfere unless… I will address that when we reach that section. I prefer not to skip ahead unless necessary, but there are certain conditions in which HaShem/YHVH intervenes, and this is one of the rules set upon us. This is how life, quality of life, sickness, and death work.
Some people see the state of the world and wonder why HaShem does not intervene, and this is why: because He has given us complete control over our own actions. Whether we do good with it or not, HaShem will not interfere.

And ELOHIM, He said, "Behold, I have given you all vegetation that yields seed which is upon the face of all the land, and all trees whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

29 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־כׇּל־עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי כׇל־הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת־כׇּל־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ פְרִי־עֵץ זֹרֵעַ זָרַע לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאׇכְלָה׃

כט

Some may get excited at these words, saying we can live off of just plants. However, everything changed after the Great Flood, and this will be explained later. See, plants before the Great Flood were unlike today's plants, and even humanity was different before the Great Flood. Because of the reasons, which will be explained in a later chapter, God will change the whole world, making plants weaker, and the need to eat animals will arise. This is a perfect example of why reading verses without knowing Scripture or out of context is not good. Some may take this verse to argue that we can live off only plants when a later chapter changes everything.
The sins of Adam/mankind forced HaShem/YHVH to change Adam/mankind and the land around us, along with everything in it.

And to all living things on the land, and to all birds of the skies/heavens, and to all that moves upon the land, which in it is living life, all green herb for food.” And so, it came to be.

30 וּלְכׇל־חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכׇל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה אֶת־כׇּל־יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב לְאׇכְלָה וַיְהִי־כֵן׃

ל

נֶפֶשׁ/Nefesh

soul/self/life/creature/person/a living being

This word confused me a lot; it made me believe that all animals had a soul like us because this word means “soul”, but animals do not have a soul like us. It doesn’t help that it gets translated differently depending on which Bible translation you read. To us nowadays, the word soul means the spirit given to us people from HaShem/YHVH EL/POWER/God, but with this word, it just means that the subject is alive. Whether it be a person or an animal. As long as it is alive, it has a nefesh, or to say it has life. If it has flowing blood in its veins, and all the parts of it are functional, it is considered a nefesh, a living soul, or a living being. Not to be confused with HaShem’s/YHVH’s breath blown into Adam’s nostrils. What HaShem/YHVH EL/POWER/God blew into Adam’s nostrils is another word. The word is נִשְׁמַת (Nish’Makh) - breath, spirit, or breath (of God). In other words, in Bereshit/Genesis 2:7, HaShem/YHVH blew breath (of God)/נִשְׁמַת/Nish’Makh into his nostrils, and in the same verse, it says, “and man became a living being, (nefesh),” using the word נֶפֶשׁ/nefesh, for the person, (as it is referring to Adam). Like Rabbi Tovia Singer says, “An animal does not have the soul as people do, an animal does not have the innate belief that there is a God, they just act on their emotions. We people believe in God instinctively”. Why? Well, that is because the soul in us came from HaShem/YHVH, EL/POWER/God Himself. We are made in the image of Adam, who was made in the image of HaShem/YHVH, and so, like Adam, we all are created in the image of HaShem/YHVH; like Adam, we all have a Soul that came directly from HaShem/YHVH Almighty Himself. Our souls are in tune with sensing EL/POWER/God, some more than others, but we all do.

And ELOHIM, He saw all which was made/accomplished, and behold, it was very Tov/good. And to be evening, and to be morning, the sixth day.

31 וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי׃

לא

HaShem/YHVH looked and inspected, and admired that which was created and accomplished, and saw that it was very good. What He wanted was all there, working as it should, just like He wanted it to. Six days of creation to form what we know and are still learning about everything that was created in those first six days. Everything is working as it should, everything is working on its own, with no help from above. The only ones who need help and guidance are us/Adam/mankind, and this is because Adam disobeyed HaShem/YHVH. We will get to that in a later chapter.

The Vilna Gaon (1720 – 1797) notes that the creations of the first three days and those of the next three days (so days 1 & 4, days 2 & 5, and days 3 & 6) paralleled and complemented one another. The light was created on the first day, and the luminaries were placed on the fourth. The waters were separated on the second day, and aquatic and bird life were created on the fifth. The dry land and vegetation were created on the third day and populated on the sixth by animals, one man, and one woman. The Midrash (composed between 400 and 1,200 CE) notes this phenomenon and comments that the Sabbath did not have a mate, but that the Jewish people would be its mate because Israel would accept the commandment to observe the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath, the one day that HaShem/YHVH said “enough.” Enough, or sufficient, is what one of HaShem/YHVH God’s names means. El Shaddai is the name HaShem/YHVH told to Avraham in [Bereshit/Genesis 17:1]. El Shaddai (Enough) has more than one meaning. First meaning, all we need is HaShem/YHVH God in our lives. El Shaddai provides what we need as long as we walk with Him (follow his rules). You don’t have to pray for anything; He knows what you need and what you don’t. Meaning number two, as HaShem/YHVH was creating the heavens and the earth, each day, each new creation, HaShem/YHVH was hiding Himself behind the creation. But at the end of day six and the beginning of the seventh day, he said, “Enough.” If HaShem/YHVH had continued to create, He would have been so hidden that no one would be able to find Him, but He is now hidden just “Enough” that all who look for Him will find Him.

Torah Home

Tanakh Home

Ch. 2 ►