Bereishit

In this parsha

The Torah opens with God creating the world in six days — light, sky, land and sea, sun and moon, living creatures, and finally the human being, formed in the divine image and placed in the Garden of Eden. Warned not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve transgress and are exiled. Their son Cain kills his brother Abel and is condemned to wander. Ten generations pass from Adam to Noah, and as human corruption spreads, God resolves to bring a flood.

Themes

• Shabbos, root of creation
• Torah as creation’s inner life
• The hidden inner point
• Faith within nature
• The soul as a divine seal
• Renewal and teshuvah

Must-read teachings

1. 1Shabbos Unifies Creation in OnenessRashi explains: What was the world lacking? Rest. When Shabbat arrived, rest arrived; the work was completed and finished. The Sefat Emet begins by citing Rashi: Shabbat brings the element of “rest” that completes creation. Without Shabbat,…תרל"א
2. 2Boundless Inner Point of Life“And in the Midrash: Abraham, in whom Sabbath‑observance is not written, inherited the world only in measure.” The Sefat Emet explains that Abraham’s spiritual inheritance was bounded, because his avodah did not yet express the quality of S…תר"מ
3. 3Torah as Inner Life of Creation“In the Midrash: ‘And I was with Him as a nursling…’—He looked into the Torah and created the world.” The Sefat Emet begins with the classic Midrash: creation occurs through the Torah serving as the divine blueprint. “Meaning: the Torah tha…תרמ"ד
4. 4Hidden Light Revealed on ShabbosIn the Midrash: “He blessed him with lights.” This teaches that God bestowed upon Israel a special illumination. The radiance of a person’s face on a weekday is not comparable to his radiance on Shabbat. The Sefat Emet explains that Shabbat…תרמ"ח
5. 5Faith Within the Natural World“In the Midrash: ‘And I was with Him as an *amon*—a pedagogue, hidden and concealed…’” The Sefat Emet opens by citing the Midrash that describes Torah as a hidden guide within creation. “It is taught: Why does the Torah begin with ‘Bereshit…תרמ"ה
6. 6Torah's Wellspring and Flowing StreamsRashi says that the Torah need not have begun except from “This month…,” but it began earlier in order to declare the power of His deeds — to give them the inheritance of nations. The Sefat Emet asks why giving Israel “the inheritance of na…תרנ"ה
7. 7Fear of Heaven Brings BlessingMy grandfather, of blessed memory, said: “Bereshit” means “a house of beginning,” which is the fear of God, called a “house,” as the Gemara says: He is the dwelling, and the whole Torah is the gate to the dwelling. The Sefat Emet cites his …תר"ס