Bereshith: Who is what 

Very soon in this origin story, we come upon the elements of drama: temptation, disobedience, punishment and death.  The woman is lured into eating the fruit that had been tempting her 

 

וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃

 

 

When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.

 

What put the serpent up to leveraging Eve's misunderstanding into trespass?  Why didn't Gd intervene and clarify and prevent the fall?

 

Similar arguments can be made for the tragedy of Cain and Abel. Gd admonishes Cain when he is saddened by the rejection of his offering in the face of Abel's success. But Abel is not protected from the murder. Gd warns the emotionally unstable but allows the perpetrator to execute cruelty upon another person. The fall and the murder must occur, they cannot be prevented because they are the story; and the story is the important thing, not the happiness or the survival of the characters. The characters must exercise their free will. That is what moves the story along. The choices keep the interest of the reader.

 

These stories are illustrating the relationship between people and Gd.  Gd is the author of the story, we are the characters. There is a good deal of room for improvisation, but the story will go on.  The characters will come and go so that the tale can be told with drama and suspense and catharsis. 

 

The first Rashi  in the Torah is foundational. 

 

 

וּמַה טַּעַם פָּתַח בִּבְרֵאשִׁית? …מִשׁוּם כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו…כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה הִיא, הוּא בְרָאָהּ

 

What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation.. “He declared …the strength of His works…“All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased.

I notice that this first chapter of Genesis designates Gd (the official, Onkelos translation is the double yod, the universal, single Gd) as Elo-im. This is the word that is also used by non-Hebrews, non-Israelites, throughout the Torah to identify the Great(est) Power, the Master. This section, addressed to all who will read the passage, is a declaration of a sentient creator.

 Gd’s delegation of territories to nations becomes a very big problem, especially for those (like Rashi, who lived in France) who feel, and are thought to be, displaced. It is certainly a problem now, in a land claimed (by some) in the name of (at least) two versions of the One Gd. Is this a pretext to move the plot forward?

 

The word עִצָּבוֹן֙, eetzavon, sandwiches the parsha.  It is part of the punishment of Eve

 

הַרְבָּ֤ה אַרְבֶּה֙ עִצְּבוֹנֵ֣ךְ וְהֵֽרֹנֵ֔ךְ בְּעֶ֖צֶב תֵּֽלְדִ֣י בָנִ֑ים

I will greatly multiply the pain of thy childbearing; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;

And Adam:

בְּעִצָּבוֹן֙ תֹּֽאכְלֶ֔נָּה כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

 

In the last section of the parsha

 

וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְ  כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃

And the Lrd repented that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.

 

This is how it begins. Humans bring regret: on themselves on the world that they use and consume, to the Lrd. Somehow, it all came from the tree, the עַצֵּ֖, etz, the crystal meth of opinion.