“Abra Cadabra!” said the magician, and with those words, a rabbit appeared right out of thin air.
We are all familiar with that enigmatic command. The magic that follows never ceases to amaze. What dazzles us the most is the feat of creating something out of nothing. The act of creation is not unique. Every day people create new things. However, while we create something out of something, original creation was something out of nothing. As far as we know this feat was only accomplished once, and only by God during the six days of creating the universe.[1]
Many cultures and faiths have creation stories. The narrative presented in the Torah is very different on many accounts.
First, notice the power of words. “God said: Let there be light! And there was light[2],” “God said: Let there be…, and there was…” The acts of creation were performed through words of speech. This is why the Hebrew word “davar” has two meanings: “thing” and “word.” “I create what I speak” in the ancient Jewish tongue of Aramaic is none other than “Abra Cadabra[3]!” Hence the magicians proclamation and our amazement at this seemingly godly act.
12th century Jewish philosopher, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, in his seminal work “The Kuzari,” suggests that in the hierarchy of creation what set mankind above the rest of the animal kingdom is our power of speech. This is also reflected in the famous 1st century translation/commentary of Onkelos, where “man became a living soul[4]” is translated as “into man came the power of speech.[5]”
This is the true meaning of being created “in God’s image[6].” No Jewish commentary has ever contemplated that the image suggested here is physical. The “image” is thematic. Just as God creates, so too our role in the world is to partner with God through the forces of creation. “God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to work in it and to protect it[7].” Judaism’s view is that the perfection of the world is in its imperfection, meaning that God created a world that needs our work in bringing about its perfection. Although we do not have the ability to create by speaking, nonetheless, it is the ability to speak that enables our creativity by communicating, transmitting ideas and sharing our thoughts. Judaism maintains that the opposite is also true. Those who indulge in harmful speech (Lashon HaRa – The Evil Tongue) against others unravel the fabric of society and are engaged in destroying the world.
A second core difference between our Genesis story and others is that creation stories are really about origins. They attempt to answer the questions of “where did we come from?” and “how did the universe start?” While the Torah’s Genesis certainly does touch upon these themes, I would argue that this is certainly not the point of the story.
Our Genesis story is not a scientific explanation or historic retelling of the past, nor is it a basis for fealty[8], rather it is a vision of the future. The point of our origin story is not about cosmic origins, but rather about cosmic goals. The Torah insists that Paradise is not only in the then and there, but also in the here and now; Paradise is not only in a future heaven, but also in this present earth. It encourages and demands that Paradise is not a pop-up reality, but rather one that is created by humanity, for us and for our children. In other words, heavenly Paradise may be God’s responsibility, but earthly Paradise is ours.
Returning to the idea of “words of creation,” Jewish tradition maintains that God created the world through manipulating the 22 Hebrew letters. This idea is foundational in Kabbalistic thought. Our spiritual masters have delved deep into the nature of each and every letter, and into their various combinations.
So far we have seen “words of creation,” but in Judaism the power of words is so potent that there is also much thought given to the “creation of words.”
In writing a Torah scroll there are hundreds of rules and thousands of details in the laws and traditions that a scribe (sofer) must follow. The topics are wide and varied: material that can and cannot be used; types of ink; the exact shape of the letters; who can and cannot write the scrolls. In my opinion one of the most interesting details is that “words need intent.” This means that the sofer must have his thoughts bent on writing the words for their holy purpose. Without this, the Torah is invalid and may not be used[9]! Some sofers will even immerse in a ritual bath (mikva) purifying their bodies, thoughts and souls, before each and every time they inscribe the name of God[10]!
In my profession I have made a career out of creating experiences and teachable moments for others. My main tools are words and speech. Through the influence of teachers and students, I have been constantly developing my ideas over the years. My wife continues to sharpen my awareness with semantics.
Since Covid-19 struck my profession down, my urge to create with words has found a new outlet. I have been studying with an incredible sofer (Yisrael Friedland) and I'm already writing scrolls. As of now I am writing Megillot Ester (Book of Esther) and additionally I am developing spiritual art that incorporates letters, words, prayers and thought. I find it very powerful and meaningful that I am using the words of creation in the creation of words.
A neighbor asked me yesterday if I missed working. The answer is that I do miss my work, but I have found something else with similar elements to keep me occupied in the meantime. However, one element that I have found to be irreplaceable is YOU! Yes, you! I yearn for the day when we can once again walk carefree through our amazing landscape. And I look forward to not only creating works of words for you but to creating experiences with you!
Love and blessings!
PJosh
[1] Jewish tradition is adamant about this phenomenon occurring only until the first Shabbat. Even seemingly new and miraculous creations like Bilaam’s talking donkey and the manna, according to this tradition, were created during those six original days, and then stored until their time came. For a full list of all ten items see “Ethics of our Fathers” 5/6. [2] Genesis 1/3 [3] Similarly, in Hebrew, it would be “Evra c’dabri!” [4] Genesis 2/7 [5] “Ruach memalela” in Aramaic [6] Genesis 1/27 [7] Genesis 2/15 [8] Whereas other faiths may rationalize their sense of fealty to their god/s as being the god/s of creation, Judaism’s concept of fealty is based on being subservient to the God of Redemption who took us out of slavery. The Jewish God of Creation imbues all humanity with the power of universalistic responsibility whereas the Jewish God of Redemption demands a particularistic way of life from the children of Israel. [9] The same is true for Mezuzot and Tfilin (phylacteries) [10] The Tetragrammaton alone appears 4620 times in the Torah!