Wednesday, 6 October 2010

P. B'reisheet, First Rashi

On the very first Pasuq of the Torah - as we have it -
Rashi quotes R. Yitzhak as offering "hachodesh hazzeh" as THE alternative to B'reisheet for beginning the Torah...

Q: What's peculiar to Parshat Hachodesh - or Why should the Torah begin there?

A: There are several approaches, EG this was the first Mitzvah given to all Israel

Along those lines, I see the main significance is that this begins the Mechilta, and thus the earliest strand of Torah sheb'al Peh [TSBP] begins with this passuq. Hence it would be natural to start Torah shebichtav [Miqra] at that same point.

Shalom
RRW

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