meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Daat Zkenim/Torah/Daat Zkenim on Genesis/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Daat Zkenim on Genesis
  דעת זקנים על בראשית
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Daat Zkenim on Genesis
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  "let there be light" and there was light: And that which [the Torah] did not write, "and it was so," as with the other [days] is because, when it did so with the others, it was written in order to shorten its words; since had it explained all the arrangements of creation, it would have had to have been more expansive, but here there is no more expansiveness in the word (and there was) light (<i>vayehi ohr</i>) than in the word, (and it was) so (<i>vayehi khen</i>). 
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  And the earth brought forth grass, etc. according to its species: In Tractate Chullin 60a, it interprets midrashically, "that the grasses raised an a fortiori argument (<i>kal ve'chomer</i>) about themselves, etc., [and] the minister of the world opened and said, 'may the honor of God be forever.'" And it is difficult according to the opinion that holds that Chanoch is [the same as] Metatron and that Metatron is [the same as] the minister of the world, since behold, at that time, Chanoch had not yet been created. And some explain, that there were [actually] two ministers of the world [and that here it is the other one, not Chanoch]. And we can also answer that [the understanding that the minister of the world reacted to the grasses here] is not like the opinion that holds that Chanoch is Metatron. And nonetheless, even according to [that opinion,] we can say, that it is true that [Chanoch] was not created, but his soul or 'constellation' was nonetheless created, [and] it said [what it did] about this verse; as we find (Avodah Zarah 5a) concerning 'the Book of the Generations (descendants) of man,' that we interpret midrashically, that [the mention of such a book in Genesis 5:1] teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed [Adam] each generation and its wise men - even though those generations were not [yet] created, nonetheless, He showed him their souls and their 'constellations.'
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  the two great luminaries: The explanation is that they are both great, nonetheless one is greater than its fellow, as it is written [concerning the sun], "the great luminary." And the rabbis interpreted midrashically [that] in the beginning, they were created equally, but [when] the moon attacked [the sun], it was reduced; and the sun retained its great size, because it heard its abuse and didn't answer. Which is like we say (Yoma 23a), "those that are insulted but do not insult, listen to their abuse and do not answer..., about them the verse is speaking [when it says] (Judges 5:31), 'and those that love Him are like the sun when it goes out in its strength,'" [meaning that they are] like the sun that heard its abuse and didn't answer, and became great through it. And also in the <i>yotzer</i> [prayer] on Shabbat, some have the version, "and He reduced the shape of the moon," and this is its explanation; God, may He be blessed, saw that it attacked [the sun] and He reduced it [to punish it for this]. And for those that have the version, "He saw and formed [the shape of the moon], the explanation is this; God, may He be blessed, saw that in the future, the nations of the world would make the mistake of following the sun and making it into idol worship; [and so] He stood and formed the shape of the moon [after forming the sun], to show them that the sun is not a god; since, behold, there is another sun, fitting and fine [just] like it.
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  And God blessed them: And so [too] (Genesis 2:3), "And God blessed the seventh day." Behold, you have learned [from this] that one who acquires a new thing should make the blessing of '<i>shehechianu</i>.'
  Be fruitful and multiply: And mules were not included in [this] blessing, as we say (Genesis 36:24), "he is Anah, who found the mules in the wilderness;" and therefore, they do not reproduce and multiply in the world. And even according to Rabbi Yose - who concludes in Chapter <i>Makom She'nahagu</i>, that on the night after the first Shabbat, Adam brought two beasts and cross-breeded them, and from them came the mule - it is not difficult, [since] it had previously been said, "be fruitful and multiply" [and the mule had already been excluded].
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  And conquer it: [Using the variant spelling that is] missing [the letter] <i>vav</i>, to teach you that it is the way of the man to 'conquer' the female; so that she not be unbridled, to cause a stumbling block for sexual impropriety, as did Leah, when she accustomed her daughter [to be unbridled] and created a stumbling block [for her]. And any [woman] who secludes herself in her home is fitting to marry the High Priest, as it is stated (Psalms 45:14), "All the honor of the king's daughter indoors, [is more than gold checkered clothing] etc," which means to say, that she will marry someone, about whom it is written (Exodus 28:39), "and you shall make checkered [...]." And she is fitting to have High Priests come from her, as it is stated (Psalms 128:3), "your sons will be like olive plantings;" meaning that they will be anointed with olive oil.