Oct 8, 2026 · 41 min · 9 segments
Send us Fan Mail **Professor James Diamond joins Simon as we open our fifth season to discuss the key questions of Bereishit.** Professor James A…
Simon EderHost
Does it matter whether we translate this as, "In the beginning, God created," or, "When God began to create"? So if the void of darkness and the deep waters were already there, what does that maybe change about the way in which we understand God's relationship to the world? Just a small one to begin this year, and an important question perhaps.
Um, so, uh, it's, it's of enormous importance, and the questioning begins right at the beginning, um, of what do these three words are-- um, uh, actually mean.
And so, uh, to most of the world, I think most of the English-speaking world, um, it's, "In the beginning, God created the world," and that gives the sense, um, of a creation out of nothing, um, whatever that means.
However, um, there was debate, uh, about this even among, uh, great rabbinic thinkers, whether it does mean, uh, creation out of pure nothingness or there was, um, something like more what Platon- what Plato, uh, thought, a kind of something there.
There's water, there's darkness, there's deep, something called deep, um, and there's wind, some kind of wind floating above the water, uh, and there's tohu and bohu, some kind of disorder.
And so, um, so it, it, there is a, a very, very, you know, distinct, uh, difference between, um, the two.
And then the primary activity of God, rather than creating out of nothing, is bringing order to disorder.
Uh, translations go all over the place, formless and void, welter and waste, formless and empty.
Uh, I think the good translations, uh, English translations are simply transliterations, just tohu and bohu, kind of pixie and dixie, because it conveys a sense of something we've never experienced, something humankind has never experienced and, and will never experience.
That is, disorder brings some kind of questioning to God that, uh, provokes him to, uh, bring order out of this disorder.
So, um, so there is a, there is a lesson to be learned, um, where if it's creation out of nothing, I'm not quite sure.
God does all kinds of things, and we imitate him ethically, morgally- morally.
Does it matter whether we translate this as, "In the beginning, God created," or, "When God began to create"? So if the void of darkness and the deep waters were already there, what does that maybe change about the way in which we understand God's relationship to the world? Just a small one to begin this year, and an important question perhaps.
Um, so, uh, it's, it's of enormous importance, and the questioning begins right at the beginning, um, of what do these three words are-- um, uh, actually mean.
And so, uh, to most of the world, I think most of the English-speaking world, um, it's, "In the beginning, God created the world," and that gives the sense, um, of a creation out of nothing, um, whatever that means.
However, um, there was debate, uh, about this even among, uh, great rabbinic thinkers, whether it does mean, uh, creation out of pure nothingness or there was, um, something like more what Platon- what Plato, uh, thought, a kind of something there.
There's water, there's darkness, there's deep, something called deep, um, and there's wind, some kind of wind floating above the water, uh, and there's tohu and bohu, some kind of disorder.
And so, um, so it, it, there is a, a very, very, you know, distinct, uh, difference between, um, the two.
And then the primary activity of God, rather than creating out of nothing, is bringing order to disorder.
Uh, translations go all over the place, formless and void, welter and waste, formless and empty.
Uh, I think the good translations, uh, English translations are simply transliterations, just tohu and bohu, kind of pixie and dixie, because it conveys a sense of something we've never experienced, something humankind has never experienced and, and will never experience.
That is, disorder brings some kind of questioning to God that, uh, provokes him to, uh, bring order out of this disorder.
So, um, so there is a, there is a lesson to be learned, um, where if it's creation out of nothing, I'm not quite sure.
God does all kinds of things, and we imitate him ethically, morgally- morally.
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