Bereishis 2026

1.  Fact:  Ashkenazi is a name far more common in Sefardic lands than in Ashkenazi communities. Only rarely do you find an Ashkenazi Jew living in Europe named Ashkenazi. How does this explain why Adam was given his name?

Because only in Sefardi lands does it make sense to call someone who migrated from Europe Ashkenazi. In Europe, there would be no point of calling someone Ashkenazi any more than Yehudi. So, too, all land creatures were made of earth, but Adam also had a Neshama from the Ribono shel Olam. So he was called Adam because of the incongruity of his origin.

2.  Rashi in 2:5 says that Hashem did not make it rain until a sentient creature could ask for rain and appreciate it when his prayer was answered.  Rashi:

כי לא המטיר. וּמַ"טַ לֹא הִמְטִיר? לְפִי שֶׁאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה, וְאֵין מַכִּיר בְּטוֹבָתָם שֶׁל גְּשָׁמִים, וּכְשֶׁבָּא אָדָם וְיָדַע שֶׁהֵם צֹרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם, הִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם וְיָרְדוּ וְצָמְחוּ הָאִילָנוֹת וְהַדְּשָׁאִים:

That is the first tefilla in the Torah, and it is so important that if you skip Geshem in Shmoneh Esrei, you have to repeat it. What else was only given after Adam realized what he was missing, so that he could properly appreciate it.

2:20-22   His spouse, Chava. (Taama d'Kra.)

וּלְאָדָם לֹא מָצָא עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ. וַיַּפֵּל ה' אֱלֹהִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל הָאָדָם וַיִּישָׁן וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה. וַיִּבֶן  ה' אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַצֵּלָע אֲשֶׁר לָקַח מִן הָאָדָם לְאִשָּׁה וַיְבִאֶהָ אֶל הָאָדָם.

3.  A word in the parsha that means both concealed and exposed.

ערום

2:25

וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְלֹא יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ.

3:1

וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה 

Here are some thoughts on the two meanings:

Radak in 3:1- They are different words, distinguished by cholam in naked and shuruk in cunning. In other words, you can tell if it's naked by its nikkud.

ibn Ezra in 3:1- The word has two meanings, and the choice of this dual meaning word is a poetic device. 

ופי' ערום חכם שיעשה דבריו בערמה, ואל תתמה בעבור היות ערום אחר ערומים, והם שני טעמים, כי באלה הצחות בלשון, כמו "בלחי החמור חמור חמורתים (שופ', טו טז), וכן "על שלשים עיירים, ושלשים עיירים להם" (שם יו"ד ד), ועוד אם המלאך דבר על פיו אין חטא לנחש וזה המלאך לא יתכן להיות שלוחו של השם, ואין המלאך ממרה פי השם, והשואלים איך (וי"ג אנה) מצא הנחש את האשה איננה שאלה,

Targum "Yonasan" in 3:1 is the most surprising of all, and it would be a mitzva to say a pshat- 

וַהֲווֹ תַּרְוֵויהוֹן חַכִּימִין אָדָם וְאִינְתְּתֵיהּ וְלָא אַמְתִּינוּ בִּיקָרֵיהוֹן

(Whoever wrote Targum Yonasan, and we know it was not the Tanna Yonasan ben Uziel, since the Gemara says he only wrote on Neviim, it is a respected source.) 

Others:  The same Hebrew root signifies both 'naked' and 'subtle, clever, mischievous'. Seeming simplicity is often the most dangerous weapon of cunning. 

4.  Regarding the word "Yam." If it is dry, if it has no water in it, is it still called a Yam.

Yes, as Rabbeinu Bachay demonstrates in 1:10

וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים. אֵין שֵׁם הַיָּם נִקְרָא עַל הַמַּיִם כִּי אִם עַל הַחֲפִירָה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם אוּנְקְלוֹס: ״וּלְבֵית כְּנֵישׁוּת מַיָּא״, כְּלוֹמַר הַחֲפִירָה, שֶׁהוּא בֵּית הַמִּקְוֶה שֶׁהַמַּיִם נִקְוִים שָׁם. וְכֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ישעיה י״א:ט׳): ״כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים״, כִּי הַמַּיִם מְכַסִּים אֶת הַחֲפִירָה הַנִּקְרֵאת יָם. וְכֵן בְּבִרְכַּת הַדָּגִים אוֹ הַתַּנִּינִים בְּיוֹם חֲמִישִׁי אָמַר: ״וּמִלְאוּ אֶת הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים״, בֵּאֵר כִּי הַמַּיִם עוֹמְדִים בַּיַּמִּים. וּרְאָיָה עוֹד הַיָּם שֶׁעָשָׂה שְׁלֹמֹה, הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב (מ״ב י׳) ״וְאֶת הַיָּם הוֹרִיד מֵעַל הַבָּקָר״. וְאָמַר ״קָרָא יַמִּים״ וְלֹא יָם, לְפִי שֶׁהֵם רַבִּים, וְדָרְשׁוּ רז״ל: שִׁבְעָה יַמִּים הֵם:

This means that the word "Yam" means "Basin." Every proof Rabbeinu Bachay cites seems very weak to me.  Everyone knows that a pool means a container for water, and a mikveh is for holding water, and בית כנישות מיא means water gathering place.  But Rabbeinu Bachay is the authority.

5.  Did Chava have a mitzva of Pirya v'Rivya?

Yes, she did. The Mitzva of Pru uRevu was said in the plural. Even if you say, as we pasken, that women are no longer obligated in that mitzva (Yevamos 65:b), Chava was. See Reb Meir Simcha in Meshech Chochma in Noach 9:7.

6.  When does the Torah stop referring to Adam as Ha'adam and begin just calling him Adam, and why.

The first time he is called Adam, not HaAdam, is in 4:25, after he had children. Until then, he was all of Mankind. After that, he was Man.  (Taama d'Kra.)

7.  On Hoshana Rabba, was say Hoshana. Most people would say that means Save us now or please. But we also say Hoshana v'Hoshia na. That seems repetitive. Can you suggest another meaning for the word Hoshana based on a word that appears twice in our parsha.

Yes, you can.

4:4-5

וְהֶבֶל הֵבִיא גַם הוּא מִבְּכֹרוֹת צֹאנוֹ וּמֵחֶלְבֵהֶן וַיִּשַׁע ה' אֶל הֶבֶל וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ. וְאֶל קַיִן וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ לֹא שָׁעָה 

But not according to Artscroll or Rabbi Avaham Isenberg, who say that both Hosha and Hoshiah mean "save." Rabbi Isenberg brings proof from the Metzudos Tzion in Iyov 30:24 

אַ֣ךְ לֹֽא־בְ֭עִי יִשְׁלַח־יָ֑ד אִם־בְּ֝פִיד֗וֹ לָהֶ֥ן שֽׁוּעַ׃

who says 

בעי. בקבר העשוי כתל ודגור והוא מל׳ לעי השדה (מיכה א): 

בפידו. ענין שבר כמו ופיד שניהם (משלי כד): 

שוע. מלשון ישועה ונפלה היו״ד וכאשר יאמר בול הרים (לקמן מ) מן יבול: 

But I don't give up. I am confident that whoever wrote the piyutim had both meanings in mind. It would be a poor person who thought that a word can only mean one thing at a time.

8.  The Gemara in Bava Metzia 35a says that a person who is knowingly entrusted with someone's property has an enforceable legal obligation to know where it is at all times. What is a raya to this from our parsha.

4:9

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל קַיִן אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי הֲשֹׁמֵר אָחִי אָנֹכִי

9.  Who was the first man that we know married two women.

Lamech. 4;19

וַיִּקַּח לוֹ לֶמֶךְ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָדָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית צִלָּה

10.  Who named Sheis.

4:25

וַיֵּדַע אָדָם עוֹד אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שֵׁת כִּי שָׁת לִי אֱלֹהִים זֶרַע אַחֵר תַּחַת הֶבֶל כִּי הֲרָגוֹ קָיִן.

5:3

וַיְחִי אָדָם שְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שֵׁת.

Chizkuni-

ותקרא את שמו שת. אבל למטה הואיל ובא לו הכתוב לסדר סדר תולדות הדורות נכון לכתוב קריאת השם על אדם.

I don't know what that means. I guess it means that really, Chava named him. But in the 'official list of names," it describes him as being given the name by his father.

11.  Who are the four women named in the Parsha.

Chava, Adda, Tzila, and Naama.