Parashat Bereishit

summary

Parashat Bereishit (Genesis 1:1-6:8) begins our new Torah cycle by telling us how God created the heavens and earth, all that fills it including human beings and Shabbat. It continues with the stories of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and of their sons, Cain and Abel. It concludes with the report that God regretted having created human beings because of all their wickedness. For that reason, God decided to destroy everything on earth except for Noah his family, and a male and family representative of all living beings.

commentary

There is a great temptation is to start the year on a low note with all that is ill about the world. Indeed, after the descriptions of the Creation of the world, the parasha goes on to describe how humanity immediately sets about destroying it, or at least destroying humanity itself:

Stage One  - Adam’s Sin, Chapter 3

Stage Two – Cain’s Sin, Chapter 4

Stage Three – Lemech’s Sin, Chapter 4: 17-22

Stage Four – The Collective Sin of the Sons of God, Chapter 6: 1-4

However, this world offers so much to be optimistic about that we should perhaps begin by acknowledging the beauty of Creation and by recognising the opportunity that we are given to be God’s partner in its ongoing maintenance and development.

On the beauty of Creation and our opportunity in it:

STROLL

A poem by Danny Siegal based on Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28

(What are children,My God?)Come, friend, sit here by the canyon’s edge
and watch the rhythms I have taught the swooping eagle –
is it not beautiful the way she hunts the mice and prairie dogs?
If you wish I will call her here – you may pet her
and speak with the Queen of Heaven
without fear.
Shoshanah, Shoshanah!

Come here –come, meet my boy Adam!
And riding the clouds and breeze
Shoshanah the Eagle glides to Adam’s side
and rests her head in his hands.
The four of them rest,
Shoshanah’s eyes half-closed,
the macaw repeating God’s words
“Watch the rhythms I have taught
the swooping eagle …”
Adam rubs his seeing eyes,

and God says –
it’s so very nice here.
The sun sinks behind the canyon walls
and the blue overhead turns orange
then red then dull grey
bringing on a twilight silence
that falls gently and smooth
as the sands in a glass.
The evening chills and the Lord calls
A tiger from a distant thicket
to lie at Adam’s feet
covering and warming his legs.
Adam, my child of wonder,
the Holy One says,
stroking the cat’s ears –
Adam, this all this
is my gift to you.
Take care of Shoshanah
and the stream.
Treat my roses well
now and forever
and I will teach you the conversation
of the grass and the wind.
I will give you the keys to the storehouse
of snow.
I will take you for walks at dawn
and show your hands how to awaken
the pines and the deer.
We will live long together in our garden.
Now sleep. Now dream.
Now think of tomorrow
and all of Life’s surprises.
… and God braided Eve’s hair