1:16 The Posuk says אֶת-הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדֹל, לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם. The Michtoim Eliyahu says an incredible thing. He says the Yoid’ai Dina, the ones who understand know, the word Gadol as used in Tanach does not mean physically large. Gadol means giving. So the sun is called Gadol because it gives the entire B’riya everything it has. We have examples in Tanach of Gadol meaning giving. For example, when Dovid Hamelech is running away and we find that a man named Barzilai feeds him. The Pasuk calls Barzilai a Gadol B’anashim. We find in the Gemara that this Barzilai was Shataf B’zima, meaning he wasn’t a Ba’al Madreiga at all. So why does the Pasuk use the term Gadol B’anashim? According to this P’shat it is very good, because it means he was a very giving person.
We find the same thing by the Isha Hashunamis. She was called Haisha Gedoila M’oid. This does not mean that she was very large. It means she was a very giving person. There is a M’koir for this in Rashi to Devarim 3:24. It says in the Posuk there, אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת-עַבְדְּךָ, אֶת-גָּדְלְךָ, וְאֶת-יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה, meaning you Hashem have begun to show your servant your greatness and your powerful hand. Rashi on את גדלך says, זו מדת טובך meaning this refers to your attribute of kindness. That is the concept of an Adam Gadol, a person willing to give of himself.
We say that a Bar Mitzvah boy becomes a Gadoil, this is technically, halachically true because a Katoin cannot give. We know that a Katoin can only receive and not give.
This is also Noigea to our Kavana in Shemoneh Esrei. Rebbi once mentioned the GRA’s Teitch of the first B’racha of Shemoneh Esrei which mentions Hakeil Hagadol Hagiboir V’hanoira like in Parshas Eikev 10:17. That was discussing a Tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu. We have that B’racha as well. What comes after Hakeil Hagadol Hagiboir V’hanoira is the Teitch of those words. Hakeil = Keil Elyoin, Hagadol = Goimel Chasadim Toivim, meaning one who gives. This fits well with this concept.
1:31 &2:1 This Pshat was mentioned in Parshas Pinchus. Every one of the Mussafim has a Sa’ir L’Chatas except for Shabbos. Shabbos is the only time there is no Chattas at all. Why is Shabbos different in that is has no Chatas?
The pachad Yitzchok has a beautiful thought. Rav Hutner writes, the first time we have Ein Mukdim U’muchar B’Toira is in Parshas B’reishis. B’reishis starts with the first day, second day, third day… then after the sixth day, Vayichulu Hashamayim and the description of Shabbos. This is out of order because the original Cheit of Adom took place on the sixth day. Shabbos is spoken about before the Cheit even though the Cheit took place earlier. Why is that so?
Rav Hutner writes that Shabbos is a day of Kedusha where a Yid has an ability to connect to the Ribboinoi Shel Oilam that is L’maylo Min Hacheit. The day of Shabbos has a level of D’veikus with Hashem that makes it K’ilu there never was a Cheit. If the Cheit of Adom was written first and then Shabbos, it would be a Shabbos that was L’achar Hacheit. Shabbos is really L’mayla Min Hacheit. If someone uses Shabbos properly he can connect to Hakadoish Baruch Hu. Shabbos is special in that Hashem is with those people who are M’aneig on Shabbos. The Zohar compares it B’derech Mashul to a father who gets down on his hands and knees and plays with his child. Since Shabbos is L’mayla Min Hacheit, it has no Korban Chattos. Chattas is a Korban that can only come after the Cheit. That is Pshat in what we say in Mussaf, Tikanta Shabbos Ratzisa Korbanoiseha, that Hashem established Shabbos and found favor in its offerings. The reason the Korban of Shabbos is special, is because Shabbos doesn’t have a Korban Chattas. Normally a Korban Chattas is offered first to be Metaheir and only then is the Korban Oilah brought. Here by Shabbos, there is no Korban Chattas brought and we go straight to the Korban Oilah.
Rebbi mentioned that he hopes that we who are in the working world now are using Shabbos properly in our Avoidas Hashem, and we should be Mekareiv our children in the Ahavah of the Yoim Hashabbos to see the Kedushah of the Yoim Hashabbos. In addition, Rav Hutner adds, the Posuk says Vayar Elokim Es Kol Asher Asah V’hinei Toiv M’oid. Hakadoish Baruch Hu looked at everything and said it is good. Once he said it was good, the B’riya was able to continue. That idea that an Ayin Toiv gives Kiyum to the B’riya is something we have to appreciate. What was the Toiv M’oid, this was at the end of the 6th day which had the Cheit of Adam, expulsion of Adam from Gan Eden, Kayin killed Hevel. After all this, Hashem still says V’hinei Toiv M’oid. This is an Ayin Toiv. Not only is it Toiv but Toiv M’oid. Everything will work out. This says Rav Hutner is in the Mitziyois of the B’riya.
Rav Pam in the Atara L’melech has a Nikuda that goes along these lines that is Nogeia especially to learning. The Gemara says in Maseches Nedarim 38a about 9 lines from the top, that Hashem gave the Pilpula of Torah to Moshe Rabbeinu and his children, however, because Moshe had a Toivas Ayin, so it was given to the B’nei Yisrael. It is hard to understand how the Pilpula of Torah the Tumuling in learning was not given to Klal Yisrael as that is an integral part of learning.
Rav Pam explains that Hashem gave the Pilpula of Torah to Moshe Rabbeinu to give over to Klal Yisrael, because the Pilpula of Torah, the Leibidig’keit of Torah can only come with a Toiv Ayin. It can’t be given with a Mesorah. Moshe gave it with a Toiv Ayin and it remained that way for all the Doirois. If a Rebbi or a father wants to be successful in teaching, and give the child a Geshmak for learning, the B’racha will only be Mitzuya with a Toiv Ayin. Pressuring the child to memorize a Mishna will not accomplish that goal. The learning must be done with a Toiv Ayin.
3:14 & 3:17 This Pshat was mentioned Pesach time. In the Amar Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya section of Maggid we say – Kol Yimei Chayecha is L’hovi Limois Hamashiach. The GRA at his Seder would say at this point, Ein Tikvah L’nachash. To explain this to his talmidim the GRA would say that it says in Parshas Beraishis regarding the K’lalah of the Nachash that Afar Toicel Kol Yemei Chayecha. Since it says Kol Yemei Chayecha, if you hold that it means L’hovi Limois Hamashiach then the Nachash has no hope of ever getting its legs back. However, it says Kol Yimei Chayecha by Adam as well regarding the earth that will have to be toiled to obtain food. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky asks this Kashya in his Haggadah.
3:1 When the Nachash is talking Chava into doing the Cheit, Rashi mentions the motivation of the Nachash is that V’nisava Lah, meaning he coveted her. It seems hard to understand. She ate as well from the Eitz Hada’as at it says in 3:6, so what was the plan of this cunning Nachash to be able to have Adam die and marry Chava. If they both ate from the Eitz Hada’as then they would both die. This seems to be a problem in basic P’shat here in Rashi? There was no answer offered.
