Bereishit: In This Week's Parashah
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BySefaria Education
In This Week’s Parashah: מָה בַּפָּרָשָׁה​​​​​​​
  • God creates the world in six days.
    • Light and darkness (Day 1); the skies (Day 2); plants and vegetation (Day 3); the sun, moon, and stars (Day 4); fish, birds, and reptiles (Day 5); animals and human beings (Day 6).
  • On the seventh day, שַׁבָּת (Shabbat), God rests and declares it holy.
  • God allows אָדָם (Adam) to eat from all the fruits in גַּן עֵדֶן (the Garden of Eden), except עֵץ הַדַּעַת (the Tree of Knowledge).
  • אָדָם names all of the animals and birds.
  • The snake tricks חַוָּה (Havah) into eating from עֵץ הַדַּעַת (the Tree of Knowledge). חַוָּה then gives אָדָם to eat from it, too. As punishment, אָדָם and חַוָּה are exiled from גַּן עֵדֶן.
  • חַוָּה gives birth to two sons: קַיִן (Kayin) and הֶבֶל (Hevel). They both offer sacrifices to God, but only הֶבֶל’s is accepted. קַיִן kills הֶבֶל out of jealousy.
  • קַיִן tries to deny responsibility, saying to God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” However, God punishes him, decreeing that he must wander the earth.
  • חַוָּה has a third son, שֵׁת (Shet). The Torah details his children, grandchildren, and the next generations.
  • After a number of generations, wickedness begins to spread.
  • At the end of the parashah, we are introduced to נֹחַ (Noah), who finds favor with God.