It is our custom that when we complete learning one Book, before we go on to learn the next Book, we search for and expound on an issue which connects the end of the Book which we completed to its beginning. The repetition of something at the beginning and the end is an indication and instruction regarding the centrality of this message. The source of this custom is found in the words of Chazal (Sotah 14a): "Rabbi Samlai said: The Torah begins with acts of kindness and ends with acts of kindness." Evidently, when we discover this central issue, we do not disengage from the Book we completed, but we take with us at least one fundamental point which the Book aims to teach us, and we can apply to this what Chazal said (Brachot 31a) "One who is departing from his friend should only do so while engaging in a d'var halacha, since in this way he will remember him (he will associate his friend with the halacha they discussed)."

We too will attempt to identify a subject which appears throughout Sefer HaYashar, from the beginning of the Book of Bereshis to its end.
 

And it seems appropriate to focus on an amazing point in the blessing of Yaakov Avinu to the tribe of Naftali (49:21): "Naftali is a nimble gazelle, one who speaks beautiful words." In his commentary, Rashi refers us to examine Onkelos's translation of the verse: "Naftali's portion will be good land, and his region will produce (good) fruit, and they (will eat them and) offer thanks and praise for them." From Rashi's explanation of the Targum it appears that the nimble gazelle is the inheritance (territory) of Naftali, which produces superb fruit, and Naftali will give thanks for them because of their great delightfulness. However, this explanation does not reconcile well with the words of the verse, since the end of the verse "one who speaks beautiful words" (which the Torah writes in the masculine הנותן) does not refer to the "nimble gazelle" (אילה שלוחה) which is feminine, but rather to Naftali, and this indicates that there is another issue here.

From the words of Onkeles it appears that Naftali is not the one who says the beautiful words, but rather that he is the cause for their being said (as Rashi clarifies in his second explanation, which we will see further on). And we can suggest that the blessing which Yaakov blesses Naftali is double: that he will receive an inheritance which is as productive as a gazelle is swift, and that its fruits will be so good that everyone who eats them will sing and give praise by virtue of them. Thus Naftali will be the reason that many will say beautiful words and thanks, and in this way the meaning of the verse reconciles with the meaning of the Targum.
 

According to this, we can explain that the main praise and blessing to Naftali is not the fact that his land grows sweet fruits, but because he is the cause which brings many to praise, and this is a great blessing for him. And indeed, in Rashi's second explanation, he says that "the one who speaks beautiful words" is Naftali, who in his war against Sisera caused Devorah and Barak to sing praise to HaShem. Therefore, the essence of Naftali's blessing is that he will merit to cause people to praise their Creator.

What is the importance of this fact, in which is expressed the heart of his blessing?
 

In the beginning of our Book, as the Creation is being described, the Torah relates:  "And no tree of the field was yet on the earth, and no grass yet grew in the field, since HaShem the Lord did not yet bring rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the earth." (Bereshis 2:5)
 

The connection between the two parts of this verse raises questions, and Rashi explains: "Since HaShem did not yet bring rain" – and what was the reason that He did not yet bring rain? Because "there was no man to work the earth", and there was no one to appreciate the goodness of the rains, and when man came and knew that the world needed them, he prayed for them and they came down, and the trees and the grasses blossomed."

From this we see that man was created in order that there will be someone to receive HaShem's goodness (as The Ramchal writes in Derech HaShem). Therefore, as long as there is no one to appreciate it, the final creation of the world is delayed, and only when man is created to appreciate HaShem's goodness, then the creation is carried out. And I heard from my Rav that according to this, we can understand well Rashi's sharp emphasis further on in our parsha: "And the man said, the woman who You gave with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate." (Bereshis 3:12) On the words "who You gave with me" – Rashi says: here he showed ingratitude. Since he was ungrateful, he is not fulfilling his task, and his existence here is purposeless. If man is thankless, it is impossible to leave him in his current state, and he must be exiled from his natural and desired abode – Gan Eden, and he must learn again to thank his Creator for each and every thing.

As in the case of the first Creation of the world, so it was with its "re-creation" - after the Flood, as the Midrash explains: "Take me out of confinement" – this is Noah, who was confined to the ark for twelve months, "to offer thanks to Your name" – to show gratefulness to Your name. (Bereshis Rabbah parsha 34). Here we see clearly that the entire purpose of Noah's leaving the ark was to attempt to begin again the world's existence, this time better fulfilling its purpose – and this time as well, by virtue of, and for one purpose – "to offer thanks to Your name."
 

The continuation of this parsha also points to the connection between the purpose of the first Creation and the renewed creation, as Rashi enlightens us in the name of Chazal: "And HaShem went down to see the city and the tower which the sons of man (b'nei ha'adam) built." Says Rashi: "Whose sons could they possibly be? Of donkeys and camels? (It is obvious that they are the sons of man.) But they are the sons of the First Man, who displayed ingratitude for good, and said 'the woman who You gave with me' – they too were ungrateful and they rebelled against He who did them good and saved them from the Flood." Here too, the ingratitude displayed in the deed of the First Man is emphasized as the essence of his sin.
 

And Chazal clearly stated a principle in the Midrash: "So the world was tohu va-bohu (unfathomably void), and HaShem created the world, and blessed the man and gave him dominion over all which is good, in order that he will praise Him - and what should we be doing? Praising and blessing! (Midrash Shocher Tov ch.9)
 

And our Rabbis the Rishonim stressed this principle repeatedly in their teachings. Rabbenu Yonah writes in Sha'arei Teshuva: "All the created beings were created for the glory of HaShem, may He be blessed… and after it has become clear that HaShem created everything for His glory, the man is required… to thank Him and bless Him always, as it says: 'I shall bless HaShem at every moment, His praise is always in my mouth.' And by virtue of this he will attain… great merit up to Heaven, since this is of the essences of the creation of Man." And so wrote the Ramban (Devarim 32, 27): "HaShem created man in the lower world in order that he will know his Creator and give thanks to His Name." At the end of parshat Bo he expands upon this: "and the intent of all the Mitzvot is that we will believe in our G-d and thank Him that He created us, and this is the reason of the Creation, that we have no other (understanding of the) purpose of the first Creation, and Hashem has no desire for the lower world, except that Man will know and thank our Lord who created it"!
 

From this we learned the great obligation of man in his world to appreciate goodness, and to actively express his appreciation through thanking and praising his Creator. We too will strive to strengthen ourselves in this aspect of appreciation, toward every man and toward the Creator of man, since for this we were created!

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