tyviÞarEB

BERESHITH/IN THE BEGINNING

Bereshith/Genesis 1:1-6:8

Well as the wheel continues to cycle, here we are again at the beginning of the first chapter in the
first book of the Bible, Bereshith. We begin with the familiar stories of the Bible – the creation
account, the fall of Adam and Eve, the murder of Abel by his brother Cain, and a genealogy that
takes us clear to Noah. Hebrew teacher, Brad Scott makes the claim that every Scriptural
doctrine can be found within the Hebrew words of the first four chapters of Bereshith. Obviously
this means these chapters are worthy of much study. For now we will attempt to graze the surface in
just a few areas of the first Torah parasha of the cycle. I hope you will attach yourself to the wheel
as it turns and makes another complete rotation through this coming year.

Bereshith begins with seven Hebrew words that translate – In the beginning, Elohim created the
heavens and the earth:

#r<a'(h' taeîw> ~yIm:ßV'h; taeî ~yhi_l{a/ ar"äB' tyviÞarEB. Bereshith 1:1

Since Hebrew reads from right to left, the first word of the Torah is Bereshith (tyviÞarEB). . This
word is interpreted as “in the beginning”. Its three letter root word is roshe (varo) which has
more to do with the “head” or the “beginning” of something, rather than an association with “time”.
Elohim is completely outside of time. Therefore the first word of the Torah is an expression of
who Elohim is. We can also make the connection with Yeshua, who is the living Word who
begins all things:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was
Elohim. 2 He was in the beginning with Elohim. 3 All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was made.

After seven perfect words that begin Bereshith, we now follow up with seven words of disaster:

~Ah+t. ynEåP.-l[; %v,xoßw> Whboêw" ‘Whto’ ht'îy>h' #r<aª'h'w> Bereshith 1:2

Bereshith 1:2 The earth was emptiness (WhTo), and void; and darkness was on the face of the
deep.

Something has happened to the earth. This seems to be the result of Lucifer being cast down to
earth in judgment:

Ezekiel 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of Elohim; Every precious stone was your
covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and
emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the
day you were created. 14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You
were on the holy mountain of Elohim; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery
stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was
found in you. 16 "By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within,
And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of Elohim;

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And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. 17 "Your heart
was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your
splendor; I cast you to the ground…

Isaiah 45:18 tells us that hwhy did not create the earth “empty” (WhTo):

Isaiah 45:18 For thus says hwhy, Who created the heavens, Who is Elohim, Who formed
the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it empty (WhTo), Who
formed it to be inhabited: "I am hwhy, and there is no other.

Isaiah also alludes to hasatan as the one who caused the emptiness of the earth:

Isaiah 14:17 Who made the world as a wilderness ….

Thus as we continue on in Bereshith, we will begin to read of the Creator bringing order back into
the world. The Spirit of Elohim will first begin to move across the face of the waters as the
renewal begins:

`~yIM")h; ynEïP.-l[; tp,x,Þr:m. ~yhiêl{a/ x:Wråw> Bereshith 1:2

Bereshith 1:2 … And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters.
Psalm 104:30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the
earth.

Brad Scott defines the Spirit as the “demonstrative, active presence of Elohim”. The first thing
Elohim does is to cleanse the waters so that they in turn can cleanse the rest of the creation.
From here on after, water becomes an important element for cleansing in judgment, purification,
and salvation. So what the Torah has given us starting in 1:1 is:

• Seven Hebrew words of perfection

• Seven Hebrew words of chaos
• Five Hebrew words of redemption

We come to the very first words spoken by the Almighty:

Bereshith 1:3 Then Elohim said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

Both Psalm 36 and John 1 make the connection between “life” and “light”:

Psalm 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

We have gone from darkness to light. When the entire world was in darkness….just one
authoritative statement by the Almighty and the whole world lit up! We know this to be a
powerful, spiritual light since the sun, moon, and the stars were not put in place until the 4th day
of creation. In Judaism, the idea of spiritual light is taught to young children as they begin to

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study Torah. When the world seems to be encompassed by a spiritual darkness which
endangers its very existence, there is always hope. In just one statement, our Creator can send
forth His Word and there can be a great light:

2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the Elohim who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Elohim in the face
of Yeshua the Messiah.

The idea of light shining independently of the sun, appears to us again at the end of Revelation.
In context, this is after the 1,000 year reign of Messiah:

Revelation 22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for
Adonai Elohim gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

This is also prophesied in Isaiah. I’ve added some Hebrew words in parentheses to give you more
insights:

Isaiah 60:18 Violence (sm'x' - Hamas) shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither
wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation (['Wvy> -
Yeshua), And your gates Praise. 19 " The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for
brightness shall the moon give light to you; But hwhy will be to you an everlasting light,
And your Elohim your glory. 20 Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon
withdraw itself; For hwhy will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning
shall be ended.

Just a little side note here….in Hebrew, “the light” is et ha’or (rAaàh'-ta,). The numerical value
is 613, which equals the number of the commandments in the Torah!

Let’s jump ahead to the fourth day of creation:

Bereshith 1:14 Then Elohim said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to
divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs (tAa) and seasons (~ydIê[]Amå), and
for days and years; 15 "and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light
on the earth"; and it was so. 16 Then Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule
the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 Elohim set them in
the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over
the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. 19 So
the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

The etymology of the word “sign” (tAa) means “to communicate something”. The Sabbath is
called a “sign” (tAa):

Shemot/Exodus 31:13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths
you shall keep, for it is a sign (tAa) between Me and you throughout your generations, that
you may know that I am hwhy who sanctifies you.

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Quite simply, the Creator has given us a way of marking time HIS way. Man has come up with
other calendars, but with the knowledge that He has given us in His Word, we can figure out the
seasons (moedim - ~ydIê[]Amå). Seasons (~ydIê[]Amå) are “set feast times” or “appointments” with our
Creator:
Vayikra/Leviticus 23:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts
(~ydIê[]Amå) of hwhy, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts
(~ydIê[]Amå).

Therefore, the sun and the moon become reminders and the source of the signals that will
determine the dates that hwhy has chosen to meet with us. The root (ya’ad -d[;y)" of the word for
“seasons” (moedim - ~ydIê[]Amå) associates this time with betrothal! As the bride of Messiah, let’s
not miss any of these “dates”!!
Let’s move ahead to the creation of man:
Bereshith 1:27 So Elohim created man in His own image; in the image of Elohim He
created him; male and female He created them.
The characterization of man being made in the “image of Elohim” gives him the privilege of
being the symbol of Yah’s presence on earth. Man himself is not divine, but his existence bears
witness to the activity of the Creator in the life of the world. Yeshua, however, is THE LIGHT
of the world. He is not only the symbol of Yah’s presence, He IS the presence:

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen
with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the
Word of life -- 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to
you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us --

The creation week is brought to completion with the 7th day. This day is unique from the other
six days. No creative work occurred on this day. It is the only day blessed and set apart (made
holy – kadesh vd;q'). It is significant that the first use of holiness relates to time. This blessing
belongs to no other day:
Bereshith 2:2 And on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had done, and He
rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then Elohim blessed the
seventh day and sanctified (kadesh - vd;q') it, because in it He rested from all His work
which Elohim had created and made.
The institution of the Shabbat is not specifically found in these verses. Later what we find is that
the Sabbath will become a distinctively Israelite ordinance, a sign of the eternal covenant
between hwhy and Israel. So…..it becomes very important for you to determine “who” Israel is,
since the Sabbath has been given to Israel:
Shemot 31:13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall
keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know
that I am hwhy who sanctifies you. 14 'You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to

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you….16 'Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath
throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
The Sabbath is also a part of the Ten Commandments, given specifically to a people brought out
of Egypt:

Shemot/Exodus 20:1 And Elohim spoke all these words, saying: 2 " I am hwhy your Elohim,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage…. 8 " Remember
the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the
seventh day is the Sabbath of hwhy your Elohim. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your
son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor
your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days hwhy made the heavens and the
earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore hwhy blessed
the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

We have already discussed the appointed feasts (moedim - ~ydIê[]Amå), dictated by the phases of the
moon, when hwhy has chosen to meet with us. Also, the Hebrew days, months, and years are all
determined by the phases of the moon and the movement of the sun. But the 7th day Sabbath
stands alone. It is entirely independent of the movement of celestial bodies, as we simply
continually count to seven. It is unparalleled, as a day that is a sign between the Almighty
Creator and His chosen. It is the Sabbath that is credited with being that which preserved the
Jews as a people while in exile, whereas the other tribes all lost their Israelite identity when they
assimilated into the nations.

Let’s change directions and find the first verse in the Bible where the term “hwhy Elohim” occurs:

Bereshith 2:4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the
day that hwhy Elohim made the earth and the heavens,

Although the Almighty has many names and descriptions, two are primary – Elohim and hwhy.
Elohim (~yhla) is a noun which refers to the Creator who is also the judge over His creation.
It appears over 2,600 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is normally translated as “God”. The
sages see “Elohim” as describing divine justice and “hwhy” as divine compassion. In the 11th
century, Judah Halevi taught that the word “El” (la) was a title generally used by pagans to
signify a god (El is singular), i.e., a force of nature (the sun, the storm, the earth, the sea, etc).
The “Elohim” (plural) of the Hebrew Scriptures is the totality of all powers. He is King and
Judge over all.

“hwhy”, by contrast, is not just a noun but a name. Where “Elohim” refers to the Almighty as the
totality of all powers, “hwhy” is “the One who speaks to us” and “the One with whom we have
relationship”. hwhy appears nearly 7,000 times throughout the Bible, usually translated as
“LORD”. Whereas we see “Elohim” in the marvels of creation, we encounter “hwhy” when we
are given insights and revelations.

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Names have other meanings, which are often determined by the letters which make up the word:

h w h y
• Yud (y) – hand – symbolizes power and strength:
• Hey (h)– to reveal, grace. There are two hey’s in the Almighty’s Name. Grace is
revealed the first time in the form of salvation (e.g. Noah received grace), and the second
time in the form of restoration. We can also parallel this with the first and second
comings of Yeshua.
• Vav (w)– nail

So how does the name of Yeshua fit into all this? How do we reconcile these verses?

Philippians 2:9 Therefore Yah also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which
is above every name, 10 that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of those in
heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should
confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai, to the glory of Yah the Father.

In these Philippians verses, Paul is quoting from Isaiah. Notice that in Isaiah it is hwhy who
alone is to be bowed down to in worship and confession. But Paul applies this statement
directly to Yeshua. Therefore the implication is clear. Yeshua is the Messiah, and He is hwhy!

Isaiah 45:21 …. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time?
Have not I, hwhy? And there is no other Elohim besides Me, A just El and a Messiah;
There is none besides Me. 22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am
Elohim, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth
in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall
take an oath.

Now, in Bereshith 2:7, we read of how man was formed and where it was that hwhy Elohim placed
him:

Bereshith 2:6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
7
And hwhy Elohim formed man of the dust (rp'[') of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 hwhy Elohim planted a garden
eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.

Focusing now on the “garden”, we find “two trees” planted “eastward in Eden”:

hwhy Elohim planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man
Bereshith 2:8
whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground hwhy Elohim made every tree grow that is
pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden,
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

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Notice that the garden seems to be a smaller part of a location known as Eden. Man is formed
outside of the garden and placed into it by hwhy Elohim. The word for “eastward” is miqadem
(~d<Q<+m)i whose root means “ancient”. “Ancient” can be defined as the “establishment of truths
from the very beginning”. Thus we see that the garden was planted with His truth. Let’s look at
a couple of verses where we find this concept of “ancient” or “east”. The first verse is a midrash
on Bereshith and the garden:

Isaiah 46:10 Declaring from the beginning (tyviarEm) the latter end (tyrIêx]a), and from
ancient times (~d<Q<ßm) things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel (hc'[) shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,'
• From the beginning - tyviarEm - compare with first word of the Torah
• Latter end - tyrIêx]a; - idiom for the end of days, thus we can learn from the
“beginning” what will happen in the end
• Ancient times - ~d<Q<ßm
o Etymological root word (~d<Q) means “initial source”
o All of Yah’s ways come from the east (~d<Q)
o All of man’s ways come from the west
• Counsel - hc'[e
o Psalm 33:11 The counsel (hc'[) of hwhy stands forever, the plans of His
heart to all generations.
o (#[e), the word for “tree” comes from the verbal root for “counsel” (hc'[).
It literally means “that which supports”. In the garden were two trees (#[e)
– one with the counsel (hc'[) of life, and one with the counsel (hc'[) of
death.

Micah 5:2 " But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of
Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings
forth are from ancient times (~d<Q), From everlasting."

And when Messiah comes, His appearance will be as lightning from the east (~d<Q) to the west:

Matthew 24:27 "For as the lightning comes from the east (~d<Q) and flashes to the west, so
also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Let’s skip ahead now to the encounter with the serpent in chapter 3:

Bereshith 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which hwhy
Elohim had made. And he said to the woman, "Has Elohim indeed said, 'You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden'?"

The story is very familiar. It is the supposedly minor details that we are going to be looking at.
Let’s compare this verse with what Elohim actually said:

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Bereshith 2:16 And hwhy Elohim commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden
you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for
in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Did you notice that in 2:16 it says that hwhy Elohim actually “commanded” the man, but in 3:1 the
serpent lessens the Creator’s words by asking if Elohim had “said”? Not only did he change the
verb, but the serpent left out the name hwhy, the part of His name which symbolizes relationship.
It is also interesting that the serpent approached the woman since it was Adam who had received
the command from hwhy Elohim. By the way, do WE ever lessen commandments by saying that
they were only something that hwhy “said”?

The woman replies to the serpent:

Bereshith 3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the
garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim has said,
'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' "

In her correction to the serpent, Eve either exaggerates the divine commandment by adding to it
(nor shall you touch it) or she simply quotes misinformation as received from her husband. The
serpent replies:

Bereshith 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For Elohim
knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Elohim,
knowing good and evil."

In speaking to the woman, the serpent consistently uses verbs in their plural forms. This is
evidence that Adam was within earshot of the conversation. In fact, this is indicated in the words
of the next verse (with her):

Bereshith 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant
to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave
to her husband with her, and he ate.

It is hard for us to imagine how this could have happened. The couple was living in an environment
of beauty, tranquility and harmony. They walked with the Creator. It should have been a
fairytale existence. Still, Adam was not satisfied. He wanted to be in control of his own life. He
did not want to be dependent on someone, even if it was his Creator.

We wonder where this independence in Adam came from. Yet, when we come to salvation
through Yeshua do we willingly turn our lives over to Him and allow Him to be in complete
control of our lives? Do we “add to” or “take away from” the commandments He has given to
us? Do we wholeheartedly embrace Torah?

We don’t have time to look at all of the ramifications of the sin of Adam and Eve, but let’s take a
look at Adam’s punishment:

Bereshith 3:17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and
have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed

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is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns
and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat
of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."

In verse 18, “herb” can also be translated as “grasses”. Now instead of being able to eat from the
Tree of Life, they must eat from these grasses of the field. The staples of the Israelite diet in the
land are barley and wheat. It is notable that the first two festivals, Pesach (Passover) and
Shavuot (Pentecost) focus on these two grasses. On Pesach, Messiah is associated with the first
fruits of the barley harvest; on Shavuot, believers are associated with the first fruits of the wheat
harvest. But on Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), the focus is on fruit! The festival of Sukkot is just
a bit of a reminder and a foretaste of being back in the garden where the Tree of Life will once
again bear fruit:

Revelation 22:2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life,
which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations.

Okay, let’s take another jump over to the story of Cain and Abel. I am making the assumption that
you already know the story quite well. First, let’s take a look at the professions of the two:

Bereshith 4:2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of
sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

A man who is a “tiller of the ground” remains close to the ground. These farmers generally end
up living in permanent dwellings such as houses. The “keepers of sheep” wander with their
flocks and generally live in tents. The “tiller of the ground” is nourished by the produce and
fruit of the ground while the “keeper of sheep” enjoys the meat and wool of his sheep.

Cain and Abel will set the paradigm for these two lifestyles; one which keeps his eyes on hwhy,
and the other which worships the earth and his own skillfulness in the world. While it is true
that Adam and Eve tended to the garden, Cain was now tilling cursed ground, outside of the
garden. What are the differences between the farmer and the shepherd? Rav Shimshon
Raphael Hirsch in his commentary on the text describes them both (condensed):
“Agriculture demands all a person’s physical strength…he needs to devote his whole life to his
bodily existence. The concept of ‘Kayin,” (Cain, meaning acquisition) – self-recognition and the
pride associated with acquiring – are most evident in the farmer. By the sweat of his brow he
has made his ground bear fruit, and it becomes something of ultimate value for him – it becomes
part of his personality, he holds onto it and settles…. The farmer is a slave to his field, and the field
draws him towards it….he will easily be brought to admiration of the forces of nature, upon
whose influences the success of his field depends. Faith in God and in the superiority of man was
first lost among the agricultural nations. It was there that idol worship first developed.
“In contrast, the life of the shepherd is most elevated. He is concerned principally with living
things. His care of them arouses within him humane feelings and sympathy for suffering. His
acquisitions are portable. The flock needs the shepherd’s care, but their existence is not in his
hands. Thus the shepherd is protected from the danger of overestimating his own value and
that of his property. His profession does not occupy all his strength and efforts. His spirit is

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invested in his labor to a lesser degree, and remains open to Godly and humane values. For this
reason our forefathers were shepherds, and Moshe and David also shepherded flocks. In contrast
we find, ‘For every shepherd is an abomination to Egypt’ (Bereshith 46:34). All the problems
associated with agriculture which we mentioned above existed in Egypt. Egyptian culture was
based on agriculture. This found expression in paganism on one hand and enslavement of people
on the other….”

Another Hebrew sage, Hillel Zeitlin, writes:

“The Holy Scriptures almost always prefers a shepherd to a tiller of the soil. Kayin (Cain) was a
tiller of soil while Hevel (Abel) was a shepherd; Hevel’s offering is accepted while Kayin’s is not.
We are told that Noah was a ‘man of the ground,’ obviously not in his favor, since we read later that
‘He drank from the wine and became inebriated and he was uncovered inside his tent.’ The
forefathers were shepherds; Yaakov (Jacob) was a ‘dweller in tents’ while Esav (Esau) was a ‘man
of the field.’ Yaakov’s sons were shepherds; ‘Moshe kept the flock…..’ (Shemot 3:1); David
tended his father’s flock. Mishlei (Proverbs) speaks in favor of shepherding…(27:23-27); Amos
was one of the herdsmen of Tekoa (Amos 1:1)…
“But why does the Torah prefer shepherds to tillers of the ground? Did God not place Adam in
Gan (Garden) Eden in order ‘to work it and to guard it?’ …working the land involves the
concept of private ownership – acquisition – by the farmer, and the Holy Scriptures do not
recognize a private individual’s rights over land, except under the known conditions and
limitations.”

But man needed to work the ground once he entered the Promised Land. Most of the great
patriarchs that we read about were shepherds in a period preceding Israel’s settlement of the
land. Rav Hirsch gives the remedy for this inherent problem:
“The Torah anticipates the chronic dangers inherent in agriculture and prescribes the remedy.
Shabbat and shemitta (the sabbatical year) forever testify that the earth belongs to God, and man
is His servant. The agricultural laws, such as the prohibitions of mixing seeds and the
instructions for when to eat of the fruit of young trees on one hand and the positive injunctions
of leftover produce for the poor on the other remind man of God’s presence, cautioning him to
maintain brotherly and neighborly love. Thus the Torah solves the moral problem of
agriculture; in this way a society of God-fearing farmers is created, all sharing brotherly love and
equality. But outside of the Torah framework a danger is presented to faith in God and to the
freedom and equality of all men.”

Therefore, according to both of these commentators, Cain is the representative and founder of the
culture of tillers of the earth BEFORE hwhy gave His Torah commandments. Becoming a
farmer had a negative influence on Cain’s character and this caused Elohim not to accept his
offering. Abel appears to have demonstrated a quality of heart and mind that Cain did not
possess. It is a fundamental principle of Judaism that the act of worship in making offerings
must come from genuine devotion of the heart…a circumcised heart.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to Yah a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…

Within the restrictions that hwhy has placed, working the ground does not have to lead to sin.
Although sin may indeed “crouch at the door”, nevertheless “we can rule over it”:

Torah Commentary O Bereshith 10

 Living Waters: A Hebrew Roots Fellowship
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Bereshith 4:6 So hwhy said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance
fallen? 7 "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the
door (xt;P,). And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Let’s look at the word interpreted “door” (xt;P), . We will see this “door” in several significant
verses throughout the Scriptures:

• Door of the ark (Bereshith 6:16)

• Door of Abraham’s tent (Bereshith 18:1)
• Door of Lot’s house (Bereshith 19:11)

A “door” is an entrance to “something”, thus the question for us is – sin is lying at the door to
what? hwhy admonished and rebuked Cain and set before him a choice. It appears that Cain had
an opportunity to repent of his error, but he went on to follow temptation and kill his brother.
What would have been his positive choice?

Revelation 3:19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 "To him who overcomes I will
grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His
throne.

Yeshua…He is the same yesterday, today, and forever…rebukes and chastens us. But His
desire is for us to “be zealous and repent”. It is the “door” of our hearts that He stands and
knocks at. If we “open the door”, He will come in. This makes us overcomers of our sin!

Here’s one more little tidbit on “doors”. The letter dalet (d) is a picture of a door. We are familiar
with the name, hwhy. Let’s add the door (d) to the name…. hd"_Why>. Now we have the name
Yehuda (Judah, from which we get Jews), the tribe from which Yeshua came. Yeshua, in all His
Jewishness, is the door (d) to the heart of hwhy as represented by the tribe from which He came.

Okay, here’s the last little thought. After the loss of Abel, the son that was born was named Seth.
He in turn named his son Enosh. Enosh means “man” in the same way that Adam means “man”,
but Enosh puts emphasis on the mortality and frailty of man. It comes from a root which means
“to be sick”. Man was learning, and this is reflected in the name Enosh. He saw his sin sickness
and would later come to realize that only by opening the door to the Messiah would he find
restoration and wholeness. It’s still our choice. Open the door.

Shabbat Shalom!
Ardelle

Torah Commentary O Bereshith 11