Din and Rachamim

Once again, Jill comes forward with a Chumash summary! Thanks, Jill!

Today in Chumash class, we discussed the meaning behind the word Elokim used to describe Hashem in pasuk Aleph. Later on in Tanach (in the second chapter in Beraishis) Hashem is referred to as Hashem Elokim and we wanted to know why the name Elokim was used alone.

Rashi explained that Hashem initially wanted to create the world with the Midat Din (judgment.) Hashem changed his mind and decided that our world should be based on a combination of both Rachamim and Din for a world with only immediate punishment would not work.

We'll be discussing this idea further in our next class--what Rashi means by stating Hashem changed His mind, and why it's so important to have a world that needs Rachamim.