PORTION DATE HEB DATE TORAH NEVIIM KETUVIM Lech Lecha Oct 28, 2017 8 Cheshvan 5778 Gen. 12:1-17:27 Isa. 40:27-41:16 John 8:51-58

In the year 2023 of the Creation, Hashem said to Abram to leave his family and country. As we have studied last week, even though Terach, Abram’s father was a ‘closet monotheist’ and accepted Hashem as an Elohim, Terach did not show outwardly of his devotion to Hashem. The Sages say, for this reason, Terach has no place at the World to Come.

Genesis 12

Go for yourself) – On Pashat (literal) level, the Torah is showing difficulty Abram) "לְֶך־לְָך" :Verse 1 faces as he follows Hashem’s command. First, he had to leave the land, then he had to leave his relatives and friends. Finally, he had to leave his parents which Abram was responsible to care for.

When a person is born, only a small portion of soul enters the body and enlivens it while the “root” stays above, overcoming physical limitation and experiencing Divinity as real as we experience physicality of this world. Our challenges, while we stay on this world is “to connect the earthly dimension of our soul (whose physical perception has blinded it to Divinity) with its transcendent root.” The more we connect to our root, the more we will see Divinity.1 Therefore, the Torah is telling us:

Go for yourself: return to your inner core, by going From your land: by transcending your earthly desires, From your birthplace: by overcoming your natural habits and inclinations, and From your father’s house: by transcending the intellectual limitations of your soul.

As we can see this is not just a command of Hashem for Abram. Rather, it is a command also for us to leave the comfort zone we established around us and ‘go’ out to the world to transform it into a place where Hashem can dwell.

It also applies to every soul about to be born from the highest place to the lowest place:

Go: Descend from the highest place, ”is related to the word for “will” or “desire ( ארץ From your land: The word for “land” (eretz .(Thus “land” alludes to Hashem’s will which is identified as Keter (crown .( רצון ratzon) Thus the soul is told to leave its roots (keter) and descend to the next level (chochmah). From your birthplace: The Divine insight is called “father,” since chochmah “fathers” and gives birth to ideas. The soul also has to leave this level and descend even further, into the realm of understanding (binah), Your father’s house: Binah is the womb where the seed of chochmah is developed and expanded, which is why it is called “your father’s house.” The soul must descend even further – To the land, i.e., to the physical world: This is the ultimate, most difficult descent, yet through it the soul arrives in this world, which is the “land”2

1 Or HaTorah, Bereishit, vol 4, 680b-681b. 2 Likutei Sichot, vol.2, p659 Parashat Lech Lecha, Oct. 28, 2017 Page 1

Verse 2: “And you shall be a blessing” – According to Ramban, Abraham will be the standard by which people will bless themselves. This idea is further supported in the next verse when Hashem declared “I will bless those who bless you…through you all the families.”

Verse 5: “The souls that they made” – The “souls” refer to those whom they had converted to faith in HaShem, for Abraham converted the men and the women.

Verse 13: In Drash, Abram signifies the soul; Sarai the body; and the Pharaoh as the world. Allowing Sarai taken into the Pharaoh’s palace shows that we cannot be separated from the physical world, while seeking avoidance. Instead, we are to sanctify the physical world using the physical tools for holy purposes. Such tool is our body. While the body has tendency to chase after the materialistic world, the body can be trained to allow the soul to use it to elevate the physical world to love Hashem on its own. We do this by studying the Torah and carrying out His commandments in the physical world.

Verse 12-19: We learned from the last parashat Noach that Sarai is a prophetess and beautiful as well. The Egyptians had dark complexion, and the crate Sarai was hiding opened, the guards saw how beautiful she was and took her to the Pharaoh.

“But Hashem afflicted” the Egyptians with severe plagues that affected the whole country. Sarai prayed to Hashem for rescue, and when the Pharaoh approached, he was struck by an angel protecting her. The Pharaoh then realized that the plagues was caused by Hashem and called Abram.

Even though, the Pharaoh suspected that his affliction was because of Sarai, he was not certain whether Sarai was Abram’s wife. Thus, he confronted Abram accusing him of lying. Even though, the Pharaoh took Abram’s wife, he believed he was dealing in honest. His intention is recognized as honorable in verses 18 and 19 for his questions implied that even though Abram distrusted the morality of the Egyptians, Abram should have told him in secret.

Unlike Abimelech’s similar situation (Gen. 20:15), Pharaoh told Abram to leave his country immediately because they were not safe in his country. Pharaoh also gave his daughter, Hagar to Sarai as a bondwoman, saying that it is better for his daughter to be a servant to a woman like Sarai who is favored by Hashem. During this period, Abram had been in Egypt for 3 months.

Genesis 13

Verse 5: “Lot accompanied Abram” – Lot’s name alludes to his hidden evil. The word lot is related to one of the synonyms lut in Hebrew which means ‘curse’. While Lot was with Abram, his evil was subdued within Abram’s holiness, like dross mixed in with the gold before it is purified.

Verse 7: “And there was a quarrel.” – A dispute arose when Lot’s shepherds began to graze their flocks on other people’s pastures. When Abraham’s shepherds rebuked them for this, they responded that HaShem had promised the land to Abraham, and since he was childless, Lot was his heir and the land was his. However, the verse specifically negates this contention by emphasizing that the Canaanites and Perizzites were still in the land; Abraham had not yet become the legitimate owner (Rashi).

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Verse 9: “If you go left then I will go right” – Directions are given assuming that one is facing east, with right being south and left being north. “In front” refers to the east, and “behind” refers to the west (Sforno). When Lot chose to go to the east, he was choosing to give up Abraham’s way of life.

Verse 14-18: Hashem did not communicate with Abram while Lot stayed with his uncle. Because he began to resent Abram, his Elohim, and rebelled (quarrel between shepherds) against Abram. After Lot’s departure, Hashem repeated His promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:7), to emphasize that the Land had been given exclusively to him and his descendants, not to Lot.

The name ‘Hebron’ is related to the word chaber (to connect). The city of Hebron expresses the unity of Israel as well as their unity with Hashem metaphorically and physically. This is the reason King David was crowned in Hebron.

Abram built three altars for three different reasons: First is to thank Hashem that Abram would be blessed with a son and his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. He built the second altar to atone for a sin of future descendants. He built the third altar to show his expression of love for Hashem and commitment to Him.

The three altars were prelude to three types of sacrifices that would be made by his descendants in the Temple. Peace offering was to “inspire” Hashem to provide sustenance for the world. Thus, part of the offering was eaten by the priests and the other burnt on the altar. The second, sin offering was for atonement and it was offered up for spiritual purpose, thus it was eaten by the priests and burnt on the altar. The ascent offering was to display our unconditional love for Hashem, and it was burnt entirely on the altar.

The three altars also represent three Temples. When Israel sinned, the First Temple was destroyed, and replaced by the Second Temple which was based on the premise of repentance. The Third Temple will be built in the messianic era when the souls are ready to perceive His Divinity.

Genesis 14

The War of the Kings. In the year 1996 after the Creation, immediately after the dispersion following the incident of the Towel of Babel, the four kings: 1. Amrafel (He who said, ‘Fall [into the furnace!’])who is Nimrod, king of Shin’ar (Babylon); 2. Aryoch, king of Elasar; 3. Chedorlaomer who is Elam, son of Shem son of Noah, king of Elam; 4. and Tid’al, king of nations).

They waged war against five kingdoms: 1. Bera, king of Sodom – sought to be “evil” (ra) to both Hashem and humanity; 2. Birsha, king of Gomorrah – to indicate he exceeded Bera “in wickedness” (be-resha); to both Hashem and humanity; 3. Shin’av, king of Admah – to indicate that he ‘hated’ (sana) Hashem, his heavenly ‘father’ (av); to Hashem only; 4. Shem’eiver, king of Tzevoyim – to indicate that he ‘set’ his ‘wings’ (sam eiver) to rebel against Hashem; to Hashem only; 5. Bela, king of Tzo’ar – not as wicked as other kings; merely joined as convenience; thus he was not given a nickname and his city spared.

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For 12 years (1996-2008), the five kings served Chedorlaomer and his allies; for 13 years (2009- 2022), the five kings rebelled against Chedorlaomer.

On the 14th year (2023), Abram and Lot arrived in Canaan, Chedorlaomer and his allies came to quell the rebellion. On the way, they defeated the Rephaim in Asheterot-Karnayim killing them all except Og, the only giant who survived the Flood by clinging on to the Ark and reestablished the giants. The four kings also defeated the Zuzim (later known as the Zamzumim) in Ham and the Eimim in Shaveih-Kiryatayim. They also defeated the Horites at their mountain of Sei’ir, but did not completely wipe them out, so the Horites regained control of Mount Sei’ir after Chedorlaomer and his allies were defeated.

They then turned back and arrived at Ein-Mishpat (The Well of Judgment), which is also known as Kadeish. They conquered the entire field that would be settled later by the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Chatzazon-Tamar, later known as Ein-Gedi.

Despite these four kings were outnumbered, they defeated the other kings. The kings of Sodom and Gomorroah fled to the quagmire of clay which is used for building by the inhabitants. The other survivors fled to the mountains.

When they (the four kings) left, they also took Lot and his possessions with them since he was living in Sodom. Because he chose to sever himself from Hashem, Lot forfeited Hashem’s protection. The Midrash says that the four kings took Lot captive because he was a nephew to Abram. They put him in a cage and boasted, “We have captured Abram’s nephew!” Zohar explains further that Abram was a target of the kings, because he weaned people away from idolatry and taught them to serve Elohim.

The Midrash identifies the fugitive as Og, king of Bashan. the only one who survived the Flood. The Midrash says that Og hoped to incite Abram to go to war to rescue Lot, confident that he would be killed in the battle, and Og would then be able to take Sarah as his queen (Rashi). Even though Og’s intent was evil, Hashem rewards him for good deed and punishes him for evil intent: For his good deed of informing Abram, Og was rewarded with exceptionally long life; as for his evil intention, he ultimately fell into the hands of Abraham’s descendants, Moses in Deuteronomy 3:11.

“Ivri” – The word means “the other side” or “crossed over.” This means that he came to Canaan from the other side of the Euphrates. However, the Sages interpret the title that Abram was on one side of a moral and spiritual divide, and the rest of the world was on the other.

Abram was a 9th descendant of Eber. In the book of Jasher, it tells a story of Abram when he was born. The wizards and conjurors of Nimrod told him that a child was born to Terach “who will grow up and kill all the kings of the earth, and inherit their lands, he and his seeds forever.”3 Terach hid Abram in the cave for 10 years with his mother and his nurse when Nimrod tried to kill him. Afterwards, he was sent to Noah and Shem to learn the Way of Hashem. Abram returned home when he was 39 years old. Thus, Only Abraham’s descendants are called “Ivrim” for they alone spoke Hebrew, Eber’s language. Eber’s other descendants spoke Aramaic, and are called Arameans (Radak).

3 The Book of Jasher, Ch. 9:11. Parashat Lech Lecha, Oct. 28, 2017 Page 4

After rescuing Lot, Abram was met by the king of Sodom at the Valley of Shaveh (Open Valley) upon which the survivors declared unanimously Abram as their king. Shem, the son of Noah, known as Malchizedek, also came out to the Open Valley to greet Abram with bread and wine as was the custom. His gesture also showed Abram that he has no ill feeling for killing his descendant, the Eilamites. Malchizedek means a king and a priest to Hashem, the Most High.

Genesis 15

The Sages tells us that Abram was concerned because his victory over the four kings was his compensation for his accrued merits. That it would cancel out other promises made by Hashem, namely his heir and the Land of Israel. He was also concerned that he would be punished for killing people. Thus Hashem came to Abram in a vision, saying “Do not fear [punishment] Abram; I am a shield for you [against My attribute of judgment.]”

Abram then says that he is childless and all his assets will go to his servant, Eliezer. Because Abram and Sarai read the stars and knew they were going to be childless. However, Hashem assures Abram “from his own flesh will inherit” Abram. As evidence, Hashem takes Abram out and reminded him his descendants will be like stars and they would not be able to count. Abram believed in Hashem and did not question Him. For this reason, Abram was accounted as righteous by Hashem.

Hashem then commands Abram to bring animals to seal the covenant on the 15th Nisan, 2018 of Creation. The offerings are as follows:

Three calves: (1) the bull offered on Yom Kippur (Lev. 16:3, 6, 11, 14, 18-19); (2) the bull offered when the community innocently acts in accordance with an erroneous ruling of the high court (Lev. 4:13-21); (3) the calf whose neck must be broken when a murdered body is found and the murderer’s identity cannot be determined (Deut. 21:1-9).

Three goats: (1) the goat offered on Yom Kippur (Lev. 16:9, 15, 18-19); (2) the goat offered on each of the festivals (Num. 28:22,30, etc.); (3) the goat offered as a personal sin-offering (Lev. 4:27-31).

Three rams: (1) the ram offered when an individual has committed certain specific offenses (Lev. 5:14-16, 20-16, 19:20-22); (2) the ram offered when an individual thinks he might have committed an offense punishable by excision (Lev. 5:17-19); (3) the lam (a young ram) offered as a personal sin-offering (Lev. 4:32-35).

Turtledove and young dove correspond to the sin-offering brought in accordance with one’s means (Lev. 5:1-7, 11).4

In verse 12 shows prophetic times for the descendants of Abraham, fear symbolizes Babylonian exile; Darkness was Media-Persia; “great darkness” was Greece (the Syrian-Greeks of Antiochus); “fell upon” by Rome.

In verse 13, Hashem says that the oppression will be 400 years. The Sages says that the oppression started when Isaac was born on the 15th of Nisan, 2048, and the Exodus began on the 15th of Nisan

4 Torah, Rebbe, p. 89 Parashat Lech Lecha, Oct. 28, 2017 Page 5

2448. In Exodus 12:40 says that the Israel will be persecuted for 430 years which is correct as Hashem called upon Abram 30 years before Isaac’s birth.

Verse 19-21 lists the ten nations whose territories comprise HaShem’s gift to Abraham’s descendants. Rashi notes that only the last seven were conquered by Joshua, but the lands of the first three – the Kennites, Kennizites, and Kadmonites – would belong to Edom, Moab, and Ammon; they will not belong to Israel until Messianic times (Isa. 11:14)

Just as our heavenly soul derive from ten sefirot, our animalistic soul has ten materially-oriented attributes. The first three nations reflect three levels of the intellect; the other seven reflects the emotion. Kehilat Ya’akov derives from the ten nations to our animalistic soul. The seven souls will be conquered through war whereas the other three souls peacefully.

Keter Edomites (Kadmonites) Binah Chochmah Ammonites Moabites (Keinites) (Kenizites)

Gevurah Chesed Hittites Canaanites Tiferet Amorites Hod Netzach Hivites Perizites Yesod Jebusites

Malchut Girgashites

Genesis 16

Abram and Sarai lived in Canaan for 10 years. Sarai, seeing that she has yet to have a child convinces Hagar to be a second wife to Abram. Once Hagar saw that she was pregnant, she decided that Sarai was a hypocrite on the fact that if Sarai was as righteous as she claimed to be, why is she not being blessed with a child as Hagar did?

Sarai then said to Abram that she does not blame Hagar for being disrespectful toward her. Rather, she blames on Abram for her humiliation that he entreated Hashem for children, he should have prayed for him and herself as a couple. She also accused Abram for not correcting Hagar’s behavior towards her. Thus she said, “Let Hashem judge between me and you” to Abram and then to Hagar which led to Hagar for miscarriage.

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Abram tells Sarai that Hagar is a wife to him but a maidservant to her, and she should deal with Hagar as she pleases. Hagar ran away when she could no longer hand the chores placed upon her by her mistress.

When an angel appeared in front of Hagar, she was not surprised to see him as it frequently happened in Abram’s tent. The first angel asked her where she was going. The second angel told her to return to her mistress. The third angel promised her ‘a multitude of descendants.’ The fourth angel told her to name her son as Ishmael, for Hashem heard her cry. That her son will be a wild man as his hand will be set against everyone, and everyone will be set against him. Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born in the year 2034 after the Creation.

From verse 17, Hashem commands Abram to circumcise. In the Book of Genesis, there are two mitzvoth (commandments or obligation). They are: (1) procreation and (2) circumcision. The Sages tell us that Hashem appeared to Abram on the 12th of Nisan in the year 2047 after the Creation when Abram was 99 years old.

Genesis 17

Verse 1: “Be perfect” – In Hebrew, it is “tamim” which has three meanings: (1) without blemish (Lev. 22:19), (2) of extraordinary quality5, and (3) possessing unquestioning faith (Deut. 18:13) and commitment to Hashem under all circumstances.6 We can attain the first two levels of “tamim.” To reach the third level, we have to put all our effort into it as we often come up with some compelling reason or rational excuses for not holding our moral integrity when a situation arises. For this reason, our behavior has to be consistent in moral behavior.

We can compare these three levels to the Patriarchs:

• Abraham – Born into an idolatrous family and society, he had to overcome obstacles as well as to remove all the negative influence in his life. • Isaac – Born into holiness, he spent his life developing and deepening the holiness. • Jacob – Born into holiness, he had to struggle to remain holy in the face of opposition and challenges.

The covenant of circumcision was given in the year 2047 from Creation along with new names and a new destiny. Abraham was 99 years old, Sarah 89, and Ishmael 13 prior to Isaac’s conception. Thus, Isaac would be conceived in holiness. Many Sages says this was Abraham’s first of ten trials. So, what are the ten trials of Abraham? The commentators, Sages, and in the Rishonim said that the trials started from Ur Kassidm when Nimrod cast Abraham into the fiery furnace and he emerged alive. This trial was the beginning of his faith when he shattered the idols made by Terach, his father. Some commentators say that Abraham’s trials started even before Ur Kassidm. Earlier in chapter 14, Nimrod attempted to kill Abraham when he was born. Rambam lists the trials as follows:

1. Hashem tells him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the land of Canaan. 2. Immediately after his arrival in the Promised Land, he encounters a famine. 3. The Egyptians seize his wife, and bring her to Pharaoh. 4. Abraham faces incredible odds in the battle of the four and five kings.

5 Mishneh Torah, Isurei HaMizbei’ach 1:1 6 Sefer HaMa’amarim 5672, end of page 156 Parashat Lech Lecha, Oct. 28, 2017 Page 7

5. He marries Hagar after not being able to have children with Sarah. 6. Hashem tells him to circumcise himself at an advanced age. 7. The king of Gerar captures Sarah, intending to take her for himself. 8. Hashem tells him to send away Hagar away after having a child with her. 9. His son, Ishmael becomes estranged. 10. Hashem tell him to sacrifice Isaac upon an altar.

In the midrashic traditions:

1. He is thrown into fiery furnace. 2. Hashem tells him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the land of Canaan. 3. Immediately after his arrival in the Promised Land, he encounters a famine. 4. The Egyptians seize his wife, and bring her to Pharaoh. 5. He faces incredible odds in the battle of the four and five kings. 6. He is told by Hashem that his children will be strangers in a strange land. 7. Hashem tells him to circumcise himself at an advanced age. 8. The king of Gerar captures Sarah, intending to take her for himself. 9. Hashem tells him to send Hagar and Ishmael away. 10. He is told by Hashem to sacrifice Isaac upon an altar.

The midrash continues that the four kings’ objective was to set up a trap to kill Abraham by taking Lot with them. That was the reason, they were boasting that they caught Abraham’s nephew. Why did they want to kill Abraham? Because he was a spiritual revolution. He was taking people away from idol worship to true Elohim. For this reason, Abraham was a big threat to them.

When Abraham returned home at the age of 39, he was a Talmid Chacham (scholar of Torah) full of truthfulness. At this point of his life, he was not about loving-kindness (chesed), he’s all about truth (gevurah). So much so… that in truth there is might (gevurah). There are judgments and they demand that his father’s idols be destroyed and that he was willing to be thrown into a fiery furnace. Abraham believed that Hashem will perform a miracle and will emerge alive from it.

The people remembered Abraham years later what happened in Ur Kassidim. They remembered him leaving his elderly father, and destroying the idols. Even though, Terach died 60 years later after Abraham leaving his home town.

The lesson here is that truth requires a lot of patience. Your past won’t be erased from history, it will always say that you broke idols and you killed an Egyptian as Moses did. Moses was remembered killing an Egyptian in his entire life. It pestered him his entire life, says the Zohar. So it was with Abraham. Therefore, you need patience. You need to know there is no “truth” (emet = 441 in gematria) that stands alone. You need to know you are the vehicle for loving-kindness (chesed). That in order to make you into “the father of many nations” by adding ‘hei’ for all mankind. Lechaim! (To life!)

Isaiah 40:27-41:16

HaShem gave Abraham the mission of bringing His will to fruition and His message to the nations. The Haftarah encourages Israel to maintain its optimistic spirit even in the face of its own failure and exile, and stubborn resistance on the part of the nations.

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“HaShem gives strength to the weary…” Isaiah proclaims; those who trust Him will find new strength and ultimately prevail. Rather than focus on the shortcomings of people – Israel and gentiles – we should look to the obvious manifestations of HaShem’s sovereignty and recognize that, despite what may sometimes indicate otherwise, the only intelligent course is to serve HaShem.

But what do unthinking people do in the face of these manifestations? They will persist in their idol worship, exhort their friends and family to be firm in their misdirection. However, we, the believer of YHWH will triumph in the end.

John 8:51-58

Verse 55: I know Him, and I keep His Word – His Word is the Torah. “keep His Word” – To be Torah observant (see Deut. 17:19; 27:1-3; 31:12; 32:45-46). The Messiah was Torah observant. As John later writes in his first letter:

But he who keeps His Word, in this one truly the love of Eloah is accomplished, For in this we know that we are in him. He who says, I am in him, ought to conduct himself according to his conduct. (1Jn. 2:5-6)

Verse 56: Avraham… desired to see my day and saw and longed. - According to Targum Onkelos, it was the Word of YHWH that Abraham trusted in:

And Abraham trusted in the Word [Memra] of YHWH, and He counted it to him for righteousness. (Targum Onkelos Gen. 15:6)

Moreover Abraham prayed in the name of the Word of YHWH:

And Abraham worshipped and prayed in the name of the Word [Memra] of YHWH, and said, "You are YHWH who does see, but You cannot be seen." (Jerusalem Targum Gen. 22:14)

longed – Aramaic: This Aramaic word is ambiguous and can be translated either as “rejoiced” or “longed”. The Greek translator took it to mean “rejoiced” but the context here is that Avraham longed for the day of Messiah.

Verse 58: “I am he” Aramaic: The Peshitta Aramaic Tanak uses to translate the Hebrew phrase Ani Hu in Ex. 3:13-14; Deut. 32:39 & Is. 43:10. The Greek of John has ego eimi which appears for Ani Hu in the Greek Septuagint Tanak. In Semitic thought, the phrase “Ena-na” (I am) conveys a thought of eternal existence reserved only for Elohim.

before Avraham existed, I was. - The pre-existence of the Messiah is taught, even in the Tanak.

But you, Beit-Lechem Ephrathah, which are little to be among the thousands of Y’hudah, out of you shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Yisra’el; whose goings forth are from before, from days.of eternity. (Micah 5:1 (5:2))

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This is regarded as a Messianic prophecy, as we read in the paraphrase of this verse in Targum Jonathan:

And you, O Bethlehem Ephrath, you who were too small to be numbered among the thousands of the house of Judah, from you shall come forth before Me the Messiah, to exercise dominion over Israel, he whose name was mentioned from before, from the days of creation. (Targum Jonathan; Micah 5:1)

Note that Micah says that Messiah’s going forth will be “from of before, from the days of eternity” which the Targum interprets to mean “from before, from the days of creation.”

Even the Talmud maintains that the name of Messiah pre-existed the creation of the world:

Surely it was taught: Seven things were brought forth before the world was created, and these are they: The Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah. The Torah, for it is written, The Lord made me [sc. the Torah] as the beginning of his way.(Prov. 8:22) Repentance, for it is written, Before the mountains were brought forth, and it is written, Thou turnest man to contrition, and sayest, Repent, ye children of men. (Ps. 90:2f) The Garden of Eden, as it is written, And the Lord planted a garden in Eden from aforetime. (Gen. 2:8) The Gehenna, for it is written, For Tophet [i.e., Gehenna] is ordered of old. (Is. 30:33) The Throne of Glory and the Temple, for it is written, Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, Thou place of our sanctuary.(Jer. 17:12) The name of the Messiah, as it is written, His [sc. the Messiah's] name shall endure forever, and has existed before the sun! (Ps. 72:17) (b.Pesachim 54a)

In commenting upon Genesis 1:2 “And the Spirit of Elohim moved over the face of the deep.” Midrash Rabbah identifies this as having been “the Spirit of King Messiah” (Midrash Rabbah 2).

The Midrash Pasiqta says:

From the beginning of the creation of the world, King Messiah was revealed; for he entered into the mind of God, even before the creation of the world. (Midrash Pasiqta 152a)

The Ketuvim Netzarim also teaches that Messiah pre-existed creation:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Eloah, and Eloah was the Word.

And the word became flesh and dwelt with us and we saw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten who is from the father, who is full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14 HRV)

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