Bereishit (parsha)

Bereishit (parsha)

Bereishit, Bereshit, Bereishis, B'reshith, Beresheet, or Bereshees (בְּרֵאשִׁית — Hebrew for "in beginning,” the first word in the parshah) is the first weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. The parshah consists of Genesis 1:1–6:8. Jews read it on the first Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in October. Jews also read the beginning part of the parshah, Genesis 1:1–2:3, as the second Torah reading for Simchat Torah, after reading the last parts of the book of Deuteronomy, parshah V'Zot HaBerachah, Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12.

In the parshah, God creates the world, and Adam and Eve. They commit the first sin, however, and God expels them from the Garden of Eden. One of their sons, Cain, becomes the first murderer by killing his brother Abel out of jealousy. Adam and Eve also have other children, whose descendants populate the Earth, but each generation becomes more and more degenerate until God, despairing, decides to destroy humanity. Only one man, Noah, finds favor in the eyes of God.