Parsha Bereishit is the first portion of the Torah, beginning Genesis and marking the start of a new reading year after Simchat Torah.

And in this, Bereishit can be broken down into a core meaning. The prefix be translates to “In the,” and reisheet as “beginning,”.

So simply saying, Bereishit - the first portion of the Torah quite literally means “In the beginning.”

Bereishit begins with the 7 days of creation. G-d brings light into a rather dark world, distinguishing the heavens from the earth, the holy from all that is profane, creates animals and ultimately humans to inhabit His creation.

Occasionally, though, listing all the wonders He brought to this world makes it easy to lose sight of how incredible He is.

To state simply, we believe G-d is all-knowing and is incapable of mistakes. No matter what choices He makes, we believe it is for the better.

In this week’s Parsha, Parshat Bereishit, Adam wasn't simply a pile of dust that G-d breathed life into. He was described as B’tzelem Elokim - built in the image of G-d. As the image of G-d, we are spiritually built perfectly as G-d is. Born with a clean slate, not dragged down by ancestral sin or wrongdoing. 

Conversely, animals live based on instinct, whilst the one thing in common to all humans, both subjectively good and bad, is the gift of choice. They have the ability to choose their own path and be kind. Contrarily, this same “gift” allows us to make mistakes and to commit acts that can not be retracted. As humans, we are granted free will and the opportunity to make those choices ourselves.

The central idea of Bereishit is relatively simple. G-d made beautiful things, and made beautiful humans in G-d’s image to live in this beautiful world, but he also gave those humans the capability to make decisions, feel pain, and express emotions. 

Adam and Eve’s descendants over the next 10 generations had the same gift of choice and brought the world to a state of disarray and hatred. Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil,” and Cain killed his brother Abel out of greed. 

Among excessive violence and hatred, G-d was compelled to “hit the reset button,” but, consumed by compassion, mercy, and sadness at losing all that was created, G-d put His faith in Noah. 

And with Noah began our fresh start.

To a sweet and happy 5787,
א Joshua Schultz
Kentucky Indiana Ohio Region #27, Pops DSK AZA #155   

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Simchat Torah Challenge Podcast Series

Interested in listening to this week's parsha? Check out BBYO Argentina's take on Parshat Bereishit as a part of the Simchat Torah Challenge Podcast Series. The Simchat Torah Challenge is a yearlong journey where teens from around the Order are exploring the Torah, one parsha at a time. Teens are connecting with the text, sharing their thoughts, and exploring how it relates to their own lives.