Derasha 4 on Bereishis 3:21

TT #149 · Parashas Bereishis · Third Aliyah · Passuk 21

Complete Passuk

וַיַּ֩עַשׂ֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְאָדָ֧ם וּלְאִשְׁתּ֛וֹ כׇּתְנ֥וֹת ע֖וֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵֽׁם׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Sotah 14a (verified).

E-Daf image (Sotah 14a)

Core Text

Core Textדָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: גְּדוֹלָה גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה תְּחִלָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֶסֶד וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֶסֶד. תְּחִלָּתָהּ — דִּכְתִיב וַיַּעַשׂ ה׳ אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כׇּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם; וְסוֹפָהּ — דִּכְתִיב וַיִּקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ בַגַּיְא.
English of Core Text: Rabbi Simlai expounded: Great is the performance of kindness, for the Torah begins with an act of kindness and ends with an act of kindness. Its beginning — as it is written “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin and clothed them”; and its end — as it is written “And He buried him in the valley.”
On the daf / in context: The framing of the entire Torah by acts of chesed (clothing the first couple and burying Moshe) elevates gemilus chasadim to a central theme.
Type of Learning: Custom (Torah framed by chesed)
What Is Learned: The Torah opens with God clothing the naked and closes with God burying the dead; gemilus chasadim is its frame.