Bereshit
Genesis 1:1 – 6:8
Bereshit opens with God creating the universe in six days and resting on the seventh, establishing the foundational rhythm of Shabbat. The narrative moves from cosmic origins to the intimate drama of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, their disobedience, and expulsion. Cain murders his brother Abel, and the genealogy from Adam to Noah traces ten generations of increasing corruption, setting the stage for divine judgment.
Key figures
- God — Creator of heaven and earth, who speaks the world into being
- Adam — First human, formed from the dust, placed in the Garden of Eden
- Eve (Chavah) — First woman, formed from Adam's side, mother of all living
- Cain — Firstborn son of Adam and Eve, murders his brother Abel
- Abel (Hevel) — Second son of Adam and Eve, shepherd whose offering God accepts
- Enoch (Chanoch) — Descendant of Adam who walked with God and was taken by God
Famous verses
- 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
- 1:3 And God said: "Let there be light." And there was light.
- 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Haftarah: {'ref': 'Isaiah 42:5-43:10', 'connection': 'Isaiah echoes the Creation theme, praising God as the One who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and its offspring.'}
Total gematria 469,539 is divisible by 7, the number of completion.