4.1: Bereshit – The Opening of the Torah

Reading One: Bereshit (1:1-3) – The Opening of the Torah

This reading gives the two stories of creation from the Jewish sacred text, the Tanakh. This section is divided up into two quite different versions of the creation of the world and the first human beings. If students are familiar with this text via the Christian tradition, it is important to remember that the Jewish version is a bit different, as it is often translated differently. The first difference to note is that the word Adam (adham) is not a proper name, as it is commonly assumed to be in Christian culture. The word adham in Hebrew simply means earth-creature so it means human in general, and is not a proper name.

Secondly, there are two stories here. The first account of creation goes from Genesis 1:1 up to 2:3. Then in Genesis 2:4 a second creation story starts, which retells the story, but this time a bit differently,

The main differences between the two include the style and tone of the writing, descriptions of God (Elohim or Adonai in Hebrew) and the order of creation. Note when Adam and Eve (Ishah in Hebrew) are created in each story. Note also that the story of the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil are only mentioned in the second story.

The first story of creation (Gen. 1:1-2:3) is highly organized and structured – all of creation happens over the course of six days and then God rests on the seventh day. Man and woman are created at the same time, and are the very last act of creation – the whole earth is prepared for their arrival. God also appears to be more of a spirit or powerful force, with no human-like characteristics.

The second story of creation (Gen. 2:4-2:25) begins right in the middle of creation in the Garden of Eden (no specific location is mentioned in the first story). Adam and the earth are already there, but no Eve or plants or animals. God then goes about creating all these things so the earth is fully created, but there is still no Eve. At this point God then decides to give Adam specific instructions about not eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After Eve is created to be Adam’s “helper,” the two end up eating from the tree and receiving punishment, including banishment from the Garden.

Notice the two stories and how they are similar and different from each other.

Genesis

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. And there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light /day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

And God said: ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

And God said: ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good. And God said: ‘Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.’ And it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

And God said: ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; and the stars. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

And God said: ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let fowl fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that creepeth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

And God said: ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creatures after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and best of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the ea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them; and God said unto them: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ And God said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every true, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed – to you it shall be for food; and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, I have given every green herb for food.’ And it was so. And God saw every thing that He had made and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in creating had made. These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth which they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven. (*end of first creation myth)

Access the text located here:

• https://opensiddur.org/readings-and-sourcetexts/mekorot/tanakh/translations/tanakh-the-holy-scriptures-a-new-translation-jps-1917/