Parashat Bereshit.
Genesis 1:1 to 6:8 · first portion of the book of Genesis
Full text with Rashi ›When is it read?
Opening verses
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃
1:2Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃
1:3And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light.
Masoretic text and JPS 1917 translation.
The seven aliyot
| Aliyah | Verses | Opening |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 | In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. |
| 2 | Genesis 2:4 to 19 | These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. |
| 3 | Genesis 2:20 to 3:21 | And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him. |
| 4 | Genesis 3:22 to 4:18 | And the LORD God said: ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.’ |
| 5 | Genesis 4:19 to 22 | And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. |
| 6 | Genesis 4:23 to 5:24 | And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; For I have slain a man for wounding me, And a young man for bruising me; |
| 7 | Genesis 5:25 to 6:8 | And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begot Lamech. |
| Maftir | Genesis 6:5 to 8 | And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. |
Rashi on the first verse
In the beginning. Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation? Because of the thought expressed in the text (Psalms 111:6) “He declared to His people the strength of His works (i.e. He gave an account of the work of Creation), in order that He might give them the heritage of the nations.” For should the peoples of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan”, Israel may reply to them, “All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed He gave it to them, and when He willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187).
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The Zohar on Bereshit
22 topics and 663 passages, from daf 1a to daf 59a, in Aramaic. The full Zohar is in Zion Torah+.
- כשושנה בין החוחים1a
- הנצנים נראו בארץ1a
- שאו מרום עיניכם1b
- פתיחת רב המנונא סבא2b
- מאמר ברא-שית3b
- ואשים דברי בפיך4b
- את שבתותי תשמורו5a
- ראשית חכמה יראת יהו"ה7b
- פקודי אורייתא11b
- בראשית קמא15a
- בראשית תנינא29a
- בראשית תנינא36a
- +10
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