Core Text
Core Text
שָׁאֲלוּ הַמִּינִים אֶת רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: כַּמָּה אֱלֹהוּת בָּרְאוּ אֶת הָעוֹלָם? אָמַר לָהֶם: לְכוּ וְשַׁאֲלוּ אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״כִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְיָמִים רִאשׁוֹנִים... לְמִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם עַל הָאָרֶץ״ — בָּרְאוּ אֵין כְּתִיב אֶלָּא בָּרָא. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: וְהַכְּתִיב ״בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים״? אָמַר לָהֶם: וְכִי בָּרְאוּ כְּתִיב? בָּרָא כְּתִיב.
English of Core Text: The heretics asked Rabbi Simlai: How many divinities created the world? He said to them: Go and ask the first man, as it is stated (Devarim 4:32), “For ask now of the days that are past... from the day that God created man upon the earth” — it is not written “created” (plural) but “created” (singular). They said to him: But it is written “Bereishis bara Elohim”! He replied: Is “baru” (plural) written? “Bara” (singular) is written.