Core Text
Core Text
תַּנְיָא, לָמָּה נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם בְּבֵית וְלֹא בְּאָלֶף? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַבֵּית לְשׁוֹן בְּרָכָה וְהָאָלֶף לְשׁוֹן אֲרִירָה. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אֵינֶנִּי בוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ בְּאָלֶף שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ אֵיךְ יַעֲמֹד הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרִירָה, אֶלָּא הֲרֵי אֲנִי בוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ בְּבֵית בִּלְשׁוֹן בְּרָכָה וּלְוַאי יַעֲמֹד.
English of Core Text: It was taught: Why was the world created with a bet and not with an aleph? Because bet is the language of blessing (berachah) and aleph is the language of curse (arirah). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will not create it with an aleph, so that people will not say, “How can a world that was created with a language of curse endure?” Rather, I create it with a bet, with a language of blessing — and would that it endure!