Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 October 1977 — Page 7

Mesorah Publications and Ziontalis / Book Division

proudly announce the next publication in the ArtScroll Tanach Series

miff: “W *'' ”

Bereshis / Genesis Vol.I

,4n<i G-d saw that it was good. “ And C-d said, ‘Let us make man in our image after our likeness; and they shall rule

beings — all of which ,

verses is

ro assert that

he actua

ArtScroll Tanach Series The most ambitious and successful English-language Torah project of the century. The ArtScroll Series began with a concept and a vaccum. The English reader needed a translation and commentary to the Twenty Four Books of Scripture that offered him all this: ■ A translation completely faithful to Jewish tradition as expounded by over 2.000 years of Rabbinic writings. ■ A commentary anthologizing the major thoughts of the classic Torah scholars from Talmud and Midrash to Rashi and Ramban to Malbim and Netziu. ■ Oueruiews providing wide-ranging expositions of Hashkafa - philosophical perspective on the major themes of each book. ■ All in lucid, literate, flowing English with stunningly beautiful covers and graphics - an overgll quality that would do credit to any publication in any language.

*8 l let us

haw in-

terpreted this verse to mean G-d does nothing without first consulting the Heaven-

ly famaha The intention of these not. as thought by the ignorant, t

G-d spoke deliberated, or that he actually consulted and sought the help of other beings How could the Creator seek help fr those He created? They only show that parts of the Universe are produced through angels, for natural forces and angels are

identical (Moreh, 2 t)

G-d spoke to the angels Let us make man* We ourselves will engage in his creation, not the water or earth! (Ibn

Ezra)

Ramban is of the opinion that the plural denotes G-d and the earth Concerning the living soul G-d commanded 'Let the earth bring forth.' But in the case of man He said 'Let us make' — i.e. I and the earth The earth to bring forth the animal body from its elements as it did the cattle and beasts (cf 2 4). and the higher spirit would come from the mouth' of G-d'

129)

According to the Vilna Gaon, G-d was thus addressing all of creation bidding them each to contribute a portion of their characteristics to man For man's strength is traced to the lion, his swiftness to the eagle, his cunning to the fox, his capacity for growth to the flora, and his living soul to the living

Many see the plural form as plurahs

verse pc ignorar

because they do not know that

my 4

tat is (the royal we ]

i say

plurality of creators

that this verse points

rant

Hebrew language gives a distmg person license to say Let us do,

ake. vidu.

uished Let us

pern

make, though he is but a solitary dividual Thus Balak said (Numbers

22 6) Perhaps I shall prevail that

em\ similarly

‘ ‘ earn,

will tell its interpretation to the king'

laps I shall prev

may smite them', similarly. David said

(Dan 2 36) 'This is the <

and there .

Scripture (Rav Saadiah Gaon). The use of the pluralis mafestatis,

many other examples in

Saadis majei

with which human kings proclaim their

will to their subjects, suggests that the

ling orders fro

ng his own whim, lint of view of the

ruler is not issu

issuing < of satisf'

i the vanvn whin

nly from the poir

general interest and well-being It is only as representative of the people that the king rules Similarly, the Crea

es *to the world the i

tage pon

but only from the

nd well-bei ive of the pi imilarly, thi

>pearance

of its master — man — as an act of con sideration for the world s interest

(Hirsch)

Others — e g Ibn Janach, Rabbemu Meyuchas, Ibn Caspi — hold that the plural form here is non-restrictive. and they cite many passages where Scriptures change gender, tense, and number

O^K - Man A general term for mankind as a whole: As evidenced in 5.2 the term applies to both the male and female He called their name

Rashi explains that G-d did not allow the spurious interpretation of future heretics to deter Him from implying, by use of the plural form, the ethical lesson that one should always con

[hers. '

'vertheless, the Talmud (Megillah 9a} records that when King Ptolemy (Philadelphus) as-enty-two elders and placed them each in separate rooms ordering them to translate G-d prompted each one of them and (instead of writing oobya oniy ntpyj 'let us'

man in image and

pretext to claim that the Torah

suit v

Nr

the Torah, G-d prompted each one of them and (instead of writing iJtjSya make man in our image ) they all wrote oby? on* rrVyK. 7 will make Harness ’ (This was done so that Ptolemy would not have a ptetext to di

’ (This was done so that Ptolemy w mpiicitly recognizes the existence of idols.)

cppbg "inicM iTiir'o □’pbrc k-pj id N 7"^ n-m -nrim-Q unbya din ntpyj 13

310 ’3 oybK Kin - And G-d saw that it was good I.e that even though there are injurious creatures among them — the overall usefulness of animals was

obvious (Radak).

26. Having completed all forms of creation G-d then said Let us make man 1 ’ Like a person who builds a palace and, after having furnished and decorated it. ushers in its owner (Rav

Saadiah Gaon).

Q'pb* -iDK') - And G-d said There was a special rrvoK. utterance dedicated to the making of man in recognition of his superiority (Ramban). □7K ng/yj - Let us make man This preamble indicates that man was created with great deliberation andwisdom G-d did not associate man’s creation with the earth by decieeing ‘Let the earth bring forth' as He did with other creatures, but instead attributed it to the deepest involvement of Divine Providence and wisdom (Abarbanel). B chor Shor notes that the verb ngryj. make, here implies - as it does in verses 7. 16, and 25 — bringing to a state of final completion ’ The intent is Let us bring to perfection the as yet uncreated

vhose i

) rule and gove uncement heral

preamble

preceding woman s creation 'It is not good for man to be alone . I will make a companion' Such announcements were not made preceding the creation of other beings This illustrates G-d's righteousness to all His creatures.

When He was about to place man over them as ruler and governor. He did not do so suddenly He first prepared them by saying Let us make man', like a king about to levy a tax on his people, who announces Come, let us levy a tax on the land for your benefit ' (Rechasim

leBik'ah)

Man was created last says the Talmud [Sanhedrin 38a], so he should find all things ready for him If he is worthy, he is told All things were created in your behalf At the same time his late appearance on earth con veys an admonition of humility If man becomes too proud he is reminded Even gnats preceded you in the order of creation The Mishnah offers ethical reasons why only one man (i e one pair ] was created In order to prevent feuds so that one man should not be able to say to his fellow my ancestor was greater than yours 1 Finally, the i reation of only ‘one man exhibits the

produces so tfiany \ single progenitor i

differe

gr and form awesomely

gove heral

creation parallels the

image .

equip him to rule and govern This announcement heralding ma

mold

various types Adam is the of all mankind, and how menure from one another 1 [Sanhedrin 4 5). ntpyj - Let us make (The use of the plural is noted by the commentators ) Targum Yonasan paraphrases And G-d said to the Ministering Angels who had been created on the second day of the creation of the world. "Let us make man!" 'I 11 — These are the angels who minister before Him continually, such as

good

him

Michael, Gabriel, etc They are

referred to by the Sages as Sip tobt;

f he heavenly household', and

ones

was with them, the Sages tell us. that He consulted before creating man (Ahavas

Yonasan).

1 (When Moses wrote the Toiah ar r o*he Un 1 /erse 1 Why do

of divin

mg that there is a plurality Write' G-d replied. WF Creator who created all, yet *

id came to this ven You thus furnish t

mities vn ?

h says. t to the

i He came to create n

ngeh. (Midrath).

As Rav Yochanan said In all the passages that the heretics have misu ir their heresy, their refutation is found near at hand. Thus it sa 1

heretics for mamtain-

Let them rather learn from their t took counsel with the Ministering

an in our image . while the next verse continues (in the smgulai

His' image' (Sanhedrin 36b).1

ive misinterpreted as grounds lys (in the plural) Let us make ar) and G-d K73. created man

Since February 1976, six books have been published — Megillas Esther, The Book of Ruth, Eichah/Lamentations, Koheles/Ecclesiastes, Shir HaShirim/Song of Songs and, in a companion series. The Passover Haggadah. Has the series justified the hopes of its producers? The Jewish public has decided: Well over 150,000 books are in print - a figure never before approached in the history of English-language Torah literature. And now, the next volume in the Series: Bereishis/Genesis Vol I (Bereishis & Noach)

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