Alef & Bet – B’reshit
So precious is the Torah to the Jewish people that every verse, word and letter was lovingly cherished by the sages of the Midrash. Beneath the surface meaning of the text they found ideas and ideals that intrigued their minds and hearts.
For example, they asked, “Why does the Torah begin with bet (the first letter of B’reshit) and not with alef (the first letter of the alphabet)?”
These are some of the answers:
1. Bet is closed on three sides and open on the fourth; alef is open on all four sides. This teaches that human beings should not concern themselves with what is behind, above or below the universe, but with what lies ahead.
2. Bet is the first letter of b’rachah (blessing); alef is the first letter of ararah (curse). It was good that the world was created. It gave man the privilege of creating a moral destiny.
3. God honoured bet with the role of opening the Torah; for alef He reserved another role, that of commencing the Ten Commandments, which begin Anochi (“I am the Lord your God”).
