Derasha 3 on Bereishis 1:5

TT #21 · Parashas Bereishis · First Aliyah · Passuk 5

Complete Passuk

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Berachos 2a (verified).

E-Daf image (Berachos 2a)

Core Text

Core Textמֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בָּעֲרָבִין? מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִין לֶאֱכוֹל בִּתְרוּמָתָן... מַאי שְׁנָא דְּנָקֵט דְּעַרְבִית בְּרֵישָׁא? יָלִיף מִבְּרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, דִּכְתִיב וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר.
English of Core Text: From when does one recite Shema in the evenings? From the time the kohanim enter to eat their terumah... Why does [the Mishnah] take the evening [Shema] first? It learns from the creation of the world, as it is written “and there was evening and there was morning.”
On the daf / in context: The opening sugya of Berachos asks why the Mishnah begins with the evening Shema. The answer is the narrative order of creation itself: evening precedes morning.
Type of Learning: Custom (narrative sequence as source for order of Shema)
What Is Learned: The order “evening then morning” in creation justifies beginning the discussion of Shema with the evening.