C. In The Beginning: The Painting of Jewish Salvation

In the beginning of space and time, Hashem broke through the darkness with His light. This light is the light of Torah, His first created thing. Later, Hashem would promise that through living in and by the light of Torah all of creation can live in utter shalom.

Genesis 1-2:

In the opening passages of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis chapters 1 and 2), we read the account of Hashem, the One True God, the God of Israel, creating everything out of nothing.

The opening verses (Genesis 1:1) is often translated as “When God began to create heaven and earth” or “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” When performing a literal translation from Hebrew to English of Genesis 1:1, something miraculous unfolds. We can see that more than heaven and earth, the verse can also read that Hashem created G-d at the same time as He began creating everything in the heavens and earth.

What does "creating G-d" mean?

In creating the finite world in which we live, the infinite G-d had to first bring Himself into a finite reality as well. This may sound far stretched until we closely examine the acts of creation on the first day. There we indeed see that the first aspect of creation was for Hashem to manifest Himself in pure light that obliterated the darkness.

This light is the Shekhinah of Hashem.

This holy light is the spark that allows the rest of creation to come into being. From this spark, Hashem would build His home here on earth with holiness as its bedrock foundation. From this foundation of perfect holiness, Hashem then brings everything else into existence with the same spark of His holiness. Indeed, in the Jewish faith, there is a strong belief that there is a spark of Hashem, His holiness, and His holy light in everything that He has created. From plants, to animals, and also every human being, this spark of Hashem gives life to all living beings.

This holy light of day one is not the same light that we read about on day four of creation.

On day four of creation, Hashem created the sun, the moon, and the stars. The sun and stars are orbs of burning gas that radiate light, but only in a mirror-like fashion to the light of Hashem. The moon, in contrast, is a solid rock-like formation that reflects the light of the sun.

Hashem states in Genesis 1:14 that these heavenly lights were to be for “signs for set times—the days and the years.” When we examine these scientific specifics, a clear sign of the days and years of the future glory of the nation of Israel, the Israelite people, and indeed even Jerusalem appears.

Jerusalem is said to be the "immovable rock" where Hashem has placed His name (Zechariah 12:2, 2 Chronicles 6:6). Alone, Jerusalem--the Holy City of Hashem--is like the moon. She does not shine on her own. But, upon the promised re-arrival of Hashem, Jerusalem and the Jewish people will be the light unto the world (Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 51, Isaiah 60).

With Hashem’s glory in her midst, the Holy City will radiate forth the Shekhinah of Hashem, much in the manner that the moon reflects the light of the sun. Indeed, in that day, Hashem declares that there will be no need for moon or for the sun because He alone will be not only the light of the Jews but the light of the entire world (Isaiah 60:17-22).

Thus, just as the sun gives light to the whole world now, one day (may it be today) Hashem’s glory and knowledge of Him and His Torah will go forth and light every corner of the world.

The stars, too, are used by Hashem in His promises made to Abram.

Repeatedly, Hashem tells Abram to look up at the stars and to know that He (Hashem) will make his (Abram’s) offspring more numerous than the stars (Genesis 15). Thus, the glowing orbs of burning gas paint the night sky with the promise that one day, the same number of souls will be born with the holy spark of Hashem. These souls will be the promised firstfruits of Hashem’s harvest—Israel, the Jewish people and the Jewish Nation (Jeremiah 2:3).

This firstfruit of Hashem is also pictured in day three of creation.

On day three of creation, Hashem gathered all of the waters on earth into one place so that dry land could appear. Does this sound familiar? Does it sound like the miracle at the Reed Sea when Hashem brought our Jewish ancestors out of Egypt and freed us from their abusive slave labor in the middle of the night? (Exodus 14)

Reading the rest of the account of Day Three of Creation points to future promise as well. After Hashem makes dry land appear (Genesis 1:10) He then made the earth sprout forth vegetation that contained within itself the seed of the next generation. This act of creation comes to fruition in Hashem’s firstfruits, the Jewish people and Jewish Nation, Israel, when He brought us through the Reed Sea. Hashem then led us to Mount Sinai and gave us His Torah—the seeds of Truth that gave the rules and laws upon which:

The Jewish nation could be formed,
The Jewish people alone could pass down from generation to generation, and
The seed by which (when kept) all Jewish people receive life eternal.

Indeed, the Torah is called the Tree of Life in the Tanakh (Proverbs 3:18, Proverbs 11:30).

We see the proof of the parallel of Hashem's chosen Jewish Israelite people and nation to day three of creation in the linage of the Jewish people:

Abram was the third great patriarch of Bible history (Adam, Noah, Abram).
Jacob is the third patriarch from whom the Jewish people were born (Abram, Isaac, Jacob).
The Levites are the third born son to Leah. The Levites are the chosen tribe who are to take the place of all firstborn sons concentrated to Hashem. Thus, the Levites have the responsibility of Temple duties that work to worship Hashem and make atonement for the whole of the Jewish people.

In all of the cases, Hashem could have chosen any earlier (or later) patriarch or son of Israel for His purposes. But, He did not. Instead, Hashem followed the pattern of His own creation design where firstfruits are grown on, in, or from the third (day, patriarch, and/or son respectively). Indeed, in Genesis 3:15 it was a “seed” that was promised to Havah—such language hearkens to the third day, not the sixth day upon which Hashem created humans.

The Promised "Seed" of Havah

The language of "the seed" can be seen Hashem’s promise to “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20) that He will create for Havah a firstfruit (people and nation) that will breed life—live Torah. By such righteous living, Hashem declares that they (the plural born of the one seed) will crush the head of darkness and “The Adversary” eternally (Genesis 3:15). Indeed, as the Jewish history unfolds throughout the pages of Tanakh, we see Hashem’s promise come to fruition in black and white.

It is interesting to note that after creating the “firstfruits," Hashem then made animals (both clean and unclean) before He created humans.

This order of creation may seem inconsequential, however if consider that animal sacrifices are the necessary means which Hashem would later put in place to atone for the sins of his firstfruits, the creation of animals after the firstfruits, but prior to humans seems fitting.

As if set in the stone of the creation account, some of these animals will go on to be the “rams in the bush” that form the hedge that protects the promise of the firstfruit blessings from being destroyed or removed by our (the Jewish people’s) sins. It will be these animal sacrifices along with the light and life of Torah-abiding that will distinguish Hashem’s people from the rest of the world.

In creation terms, that means the mirrored light of Hashem (day 4) and the animal sacrifices (day 5) separate the firstfruits (day 3) from the general population (day 6).

After creating all that He had created to do, Hashem rested on the 7th day and made it holy.

It is interesting to note that the final act of creation was the Sabbath Rest and the first command given to the Hebrews upon leaving Egypt was the Sabbath Rest. Tying this fact to creation, we see that this was all in accordance to Hashem’s plan of eternal salvation for His firstfruits, which He wrote at the very beginning. After separating our Jewish ancestors from the darkness of the general population in Egypt, Hashem made us to rest, in the manner prescribed on day 7 of creation.

Eternally, when Hashem returns to dwell amongst His Jewish people in Zion, He first will separate His Jewish people from the general population by gathering all of His Jewish firstfruits out of exile and bring us back to Zion, where we will never leave again (Micah 5:3-4).

Then, Hashem will come and stand on the Mount of Olives and His Shekhinah will fill the farthest corners of the world. At that time the Holy Temple will be rebuilt, the animal sacrifices will be reinstated, moshiach will be present and filling the whole world with the knowledge of Hashem and His Torah. It is from the extensive knowledge of Hashem and His Torah that the times of eternal Shabbat rest and peace will reign. For not only will every person know Torah, we will keep Torah, which will allow for the end of all suffering and bring the bounty of promised blessing, prosperity (without toil), and peace.