User:RobertC/Creation
Bet before aleph
Jewish scholars have put forth various reasons as to why the first word of the Torah, bereshit, begins with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, bet, instead of the first letter, aleph. Some of the reasons, which are not mutually exclusive, include:
(1) Look forward not backward: The midrash teaches that the letter bet is enclosed on three sides, but open to the front, suggesting the need to look forward, not backward. Since bet is the second letter, there is an implicit emphasis on "second chances".
(2) Curses vs. blessings: The Hebrew word for curse starts with aleph while the Hebrew word for blessing begins with bet. Some have suggested that this implicitly teaches that a me-first attitude leads to a cursed life, while an others-first attitude leads to a blessed life. That is, by letting the second letter be first the Torah is teaching that we should place others' interests ahead of our own.
(3) This is not the literal beginning: By using the second letter, the Torah may be saying that this is not the very first beginning, but the beginning that is relevant for us to try to understand. Symbolically, it is important that we keep striving to understand more, without falling prey to pride thinking we understand all that we need to understand about the beginning. There are mysteries that lie hidden (aleph is considered a silent letter) beyond what is written or spoken (bet is a voiced letter) that we should continually strive to understand.
Related links
- Bet before aleph: Reason (1) has been written about by Rabbi Berzon here and Susan Robertson here. Reason (2) has been written about by Rabbi Berzon here, and reason (3) has been written about by Rabbi Berzon here. A picture and theological discussion of the letter bet can be viewed here.
