Who created heaven and earth? In the context of Sefer Bereshit, this seems like an easy riddle; after all, it has only been a few weeks since we read the story of God creating the world.
But it may be surprising that the person bestowing this blessing is a heretofore unknown king named Melchizedek. He and four other kings fought a territorial war against another group and, thanks to Abraham’s assistance, Melchizedek and his allies emerge victorious.
As the kings whom Abraham defended gather to acknowledge his help, Melchizedek, king of Shalem, is described as “a priest to God most high.” It seems that he is a worshipper of the one true God, the God recognised by Abraham and Sarah, and he bestows the first priestly blessing in the history of the Jewish people.
Rashi argues that the phrase in Melchitzedek’s blessing, koneh shamayim va’eretz, literally “the one who acquired heaven and earth,” means that God owns the world, by virtue of having created it.
