The phraseology in this Pasuk is strange. What is the significance of the words "b'Hibare'am," and "b'Yom Asos..."?
Rashi #1: The Torah is reiterating here (refer to 1:14:1:1), that Hashem created everything on the first day, though He only placed them on their respective days. 1
Rashi #2: "B'Hibare'am" 2 is the acronym of 'b'Hei Bar'am' (He created them with the letter 'Hei'). The shape of the letter Hei hints at the way this world was created; Resha'im can easily fall out (but with an effort, they can do Teshuvah and re-enter via the space at the top left-hand corner). Olam ha'Ba, however, was created with a 'Yud' 3 (the smallest letter; the Tzadikim there are few). 4
Ramban: The Torah is teaching us in these verses that once all the creations were completed, the Heaven gave its rain and the earth its produce, thereby ensuring the world's continuity.
Seforno: The Torah first refers to the potential that Hashem placed in plant-life and in the living creatures to develop. That potential would only be actualized after the six days of the creation, when Hashem set the regular order of nature into action, which is when Hashem became known as 'Hashem Elokim' (the Name with which He runs the world). 5
Rosh and Ba'al ha'Turim: "be'Hibar'am", which contains the same letters as be'Avraham 6 - can therefore be translated as 'for the sake of Avraham' - to teach us that the world was created on the merit of Avraham.
Oznayim la'Torah #1 (citing a Midrash): "be'Hibar'am" = 'be'Avraham' (see answer #5) to teach us that Avraham should have been created first, only then, had he sinned (like Adam sinned) who would have rectified his sin? Whereas now that Adam was created first and sinned, Avraham came and rectified it. And the reason that the 'Hei' is small is because his name was originally 'Avram', without the 'Hei'.
Oznayim la'Torah #2: The Torah is discussing not the creation of heaven and earth, but rather the creation of Adam. 7 Because when Adam was created, everything was set in motion, and it was as if the world was created then. 8
Gur Aryeh: But Rashi has already derived this from an earlier verse (1:24)? This verse comes to include all the creations. Not only the animals, but everything was initially created on the first day.
Gur Aryeh: Do these two explanations conflict? There is no conflict in the content, but rather in how we should read the Pasuk. According to the first explanation, the word "b'Hibare'am" connects to the second half of the Pasuk; whereas according to the second explanation, it stands by itself. See also Sifsei Chachamim.
Rashi: He actually created both worlds with the Name 'Kah' - Olam ha'Ba with the 'Yud', and Oam ha'Zeh with the 'Hei.
Refer to Answer 5; even Olam ha'Zeh was created in the merit of the righteous.
As is evident from the contents of the Parshah, which say nothing about the creation of the world, only that of Adam - and the creation of Adam is considered the creation of the world. See Oznayim la'Torah, who elaborates at length.
See Oznayim la'Torah, who elaborates at length, and explains inter alia, that whereas the first day was the first of Beri'ah, the sixth day was the first day of Asiyah.
Until now, the Torah has referred to Hashem by the Name Elokim. Why does the Torah now begin to use the Names Hashem Elokim together?
Seforno: Refer to 2:4:1:4.
Gur Aryeh (to 2:5): Rashi explained earlier (in 1:1), that the initial thought arose to create the world according to Midas ha'Din (justice), represented by the Name 'Elokim'; but when Hashem saw that it could not exist on Midas ha'Din alone, He added Midas Rachamim (mercy), represented by the Shem Havayah. 1
Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Avodah Ch. 18, p. 138): With the Name of Havayah, Hashem supports and sustains the world; by Himself, and not though any angel. Now that the world had been created and required sustenance, 2 this Name is used.
Rashi does not explain here what he explains in the following verse (2:5), namely, that the Torah commonly refers to Hashem by these two Names [Hashem, Who is Judge and Ruler]. This is because this verse is referring back to the initial creation on day one.
This will be the topic of the next verse (2:5); "Hashem Elokim had not yet caused it to rain...."
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabah 12:9) points out that "Hibare'am" is an anagram of 'Avraham;' it was in Avraham's merit that the world was created. Why is specifically Avraham alluded to here?
Maharal (Chidushei Agados Vol. 2, p. 32, to Sotah 4b): Avraham was the first to accept Hashem's sovereignty; prior to Avraham there were 2,000 years of 'Tohu.' 1 Avraham began a new era in world history - the 2,000 years of Torah.
Refer to 11:32:2.2:2.
Why does the Torah begin the creation with "Bara Elokim es ha'Shamayim ve'es ha'Aretz", whereas here it writes "be'Yom Asos Hashem Elokim Eretz ve'Shamayim"?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because whereas there the Torah is discussing the Beri'ah that took place on the first day, here it is discussing the Asiyah that took place on the sixth day. 1
The word "Eleh" comes to exclude what came before. What does it exclude here?
Rosh: It excludes Tohu va'Vohu. 1
This is from Bereishis Rabah 12:3. Maharif explains that it alludes to previous worlds that were destroyed and returned to Tohu va'Vohu.
"Toledos" is spelled in full, with two letters "Vav," only here and in the verse "v'Eleh Toledos Peretz" (Rus 4:18). What is the reason?
Moshav Zekenim: The extra Vav alludes to six things that were taken from Adam, and will not be returned until Mashi'ach, who comes from Peretz - his radiance, his height, [eternal] life, produce of the ground, tree fruits and the luminaries. 1
This is from Bereishis Rabah 12:6. The last three were cursed; initially, Adam's height was until the sky.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "...like the letter 'Hei,' which is closed on all sides." If so, why does the 'Hei" have an opening at the side, near the top?
Gur Aryeh: The 'Hei' has an opening to the right, near the top, 1 to teach that Hashem created an opening for the wicked to return with Teshuvah; so to speak, His right hand 2 is open and ready to accept them.
Tomer Devorah (Ch. 1): The opening is towards the top, because a Ba'al Teshuvah must raise himself higher than a Tzadik, by making himself safeguards [against returning to sin]. (EK)
Perhaps Gur Aryeh means that from our perspective, the opening is on the letter Hei's left side, which is opposite Hashem's right. (Compare to Mishnah Berurah 131:(4), regarding which arm to fall on for Nefilas Apayim.) (CS)
