This week's parasha
Bereshit פרשת בראשית
October 3–9, 2026
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ParashaWeekly Torah Portion (Parasha)
Each week the Jewish world reads the same portion. In Torah App you can keep that rhythm — briefly, without the pressure to “finish everything.”
The week in steps. One short lesson a day.
1Day 1
The creation of light (Bereshit 1:1-5) marks the beginning of the universe as we know it. God begins with a formless and void earth, shrouded in darkness, and a divine wind sweeping over the waters. With the command 'Let there be light,' light comes into existence, and God sees that it is good. This light is then separated from the darkness, creating the first day and night. This act of separation introduces order into chaos, setting a pattern for the rest of creation. The naming of Day and Night signifies the power of words and names in shaping reality.
📜 Torah text — Bereshit 1:1-5
🎯 How to apply this today: In our own lives, bringing light into darkness can mean finding clarity in confusion or hope in despair.
What areas of your life could benefit from the introduction of light and clarity?
2Day 2
On the second day (Bereshit 1:6-8), God creates the expanse, or sky, to separate the waters above from the waters below. This act of separation is crucial, as it establishes the heavens and the earth as distinct realms. The sky, called 'Heaven,' becomes a space that allows for life to flourish below. Unlike other days, the second day does not conclude with 'it was good,' prompting commentators like Rashi to suggest that the work of separation was not yet complete. This day emphasizes the importance of creating boundaries and spaces in our lives.
📜 Torah text — Bereshit 1:6-8
🎯 How to apply this today: Consider how setting boundaries can create room for growth and balance in your personal and professional life.
How can you create healthy boundaries in your relationships or work?
3Day 3
The third day (Bereshit 1:9-13) sees the emergence of dry land and vegetation. God commands the waters to gather, revealing dry land called 'Earth,' and the gathered waters 'Seas.' God then commands the earth to produce vegetation, including seed-bearing plants and fruit trees. This day is marked by a double declaration of 'it was good,' highlighting the abundance and potential for life that the earth now holds. The creation of plants and trees introduces the concept of sustainability and the cycle of life, as they bear seeds for future generations.
📜 Torah text — Bereshit 1:9-13
🎯 How to apply this today: Think about how you can cultivate growth and sustainability in your own environment, whether through gardening, community building, or personal development.
What seeds are you planting today for future growth?
4Day 4
On the fourth day (Bereshit 1:14-19), God creates the celestial bodies: the sun, moon, and stars. These lights in the sky serve to separate day from night and to mark 'set times—the days and the years.' The greater light, the sun, rules the day, while the lesser light, the moon, rules the night. The stars accompany them, adding beauty and order to the heavens. This day emphasizes the importance of time and rhythm in the natural world, providing a framework for human life and the observance of sacred times.
📜 Torah text — Bereshit 1:14-19
🎯 How to apply this today: Reflect on how you can align your life with natural rhythms and cycles, finding balance in your daily routine.
How do you mark time and create meaningful rituals in your life?
5Day 5
The fifth day (Bereshit 1:20-23) brings forth the creation of living creatures in the waters and the sky. God commands the waters to 'bring forth swarms of living creatures,' and creates birds to fly above the earth. Among these are the great sea monsters and all kinds of winged birds. God blesses them, saying, 'Be fertile and increase, fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.' This blessing introduces the concept of fertility and abundance, highlighting the interconnectedness of all living things.
📜 Torah text — Bereshit 1:20-23
🎯 How to apply this today: Consider how you can contribute to the flourishing of life around you, whether through environmental stewardship or nurturing relationships.
In what ways can you help cultivate abundance in your community or environment?
6Day 6
On the sixth day (Bereshit 1:24-31), God creates land animals and humankind. The earth brings forth 'every kind of living creature,' including cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts. God then decides to create humankind 'in our image, after our likeness,' granting them dominion over all other creatures. Humans are created male and female, and God blesses them to 'be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it.' This day emphasizes the unique role of humans in creation, bearing the divine image and responsibility for stewardship of the earth.
📜 Torah text — Bereshit 1:24-31
🎯 How to apply this today: Reflect on how you can embody the divine image through acts of kindness, creativity, and responsibility.
How do you understand your role and responsibility in the world as someone created in the image of God?
7Day 7
The seventh day (Bereshit 2:1-3) is the culmination of creation, marked by rest. God completes the work of creation and ceases from all labor, blessing the seventh day and making it holy. This day introduces the concept of Shabbat, a time set apart for rest and reflection. The sanctity of Shabbat underscores the importance of rest in the rhythm of life, offering a pause to appreciate the work of creation and to reconnect with the divine. It is a reminder that rest is not just a cessation of work, but a sacred practice.
📜 Torah text — Bereshit 2:1-3
🎯 How to apply this today: Consider how you can incorporate regular rest and reflection into your life, honoring the balance between work and rest.
How can you create a space for rest and renewal in your weekly routine?
This week's parasha
Bereshit פרשת בראשית
💡 The gist in 60 seconds: In Bereshit, we read about the creation of the world, the first humans, and the early stories of humanity, including Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah.
Aliyah 1
Bereshit 1:1-2:3
When God began to create heaven and earth— the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day—and called the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day. God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water.” God made the expanse, and it separated the water that was below the expanse from the water that was above the expanse. And it was so. God called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. God said, “Let the water below the sky be gathered into one area, that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth—and called the gathering of waters Seas. And God saw that this was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: seed-bearing plants, fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that this was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times—the days and the years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light to dominate the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that this was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and birds that fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” God created the great sea monsters, and all the living creatures of every kind that creep, which the waters brought forth in swarms, and all the winged birds of every kind. And God saw that this was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile and increase, fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. God said, “Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of every kind.” And it was so. God made wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And God saw that this was good. And God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.” And God created humankind in the divine image, creating it in the image of God— creating them male and female. God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.” God said, “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food. And to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, [I give] all the green plants for food.” And it was so. And God saw all that had been made, and found it very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. On the seventh day God finished the work that had been undertaken, ceasing on the seventh day from doing any of the work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy—having ceased on it from all the work of creation that God had done.
Aliyah 2
Bereshit 2:4-2:19
Such is the story of heaven and earth when they were created. When the ETERNAL God made earth and heaven— when no shrub of the field was yet on earth and no grasses of the field had yet sprouted, because the ETERNAL God had not sent rain upon the earth and there were no human beings to till the soil, but a flow would well up from the ground and water the whole surface of the earth— the ETERNAL God formed a Human from the soil’s humus, blowing into his nostrils the breath of life: the Human became a living being. The ETERNAL God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the Human who had been fashioned. And from the ground the ETERNAL God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and bad. A river issues from Eden to water the garden, and it then divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon, the one that winds through the whole land of Havilah, where the gold is. (The gold of that land is good; bdellium is there, and lapis lazuli. ) The name of the second river is Gihon, the one that winds through the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris, the one that flows east of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. The ETERNAL God settled the Human in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. And the ETERNAL God commanded the Human, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.” The ETERNAL God said, “It is not good for the Human to be alone; I will make a fitting counterpart for him.” And the ETERNAL God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the Human to see what he would call them; and whatever the Human called each living creature, that would be its name.
Aliyah 3
Bereshit 2:20-3:21
And the Human gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; but no fitting counterpart for a human being was found. So the ETERNAL God cast a deep sleep upon the Human; and, while he slept, [God] took one of his sides and closed up the flesh at that site. And the ETERNAL God fashioned the side that had been taken from the Human into a woman, bringing her to the Human. Then the Human said, “This one at last Is bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called the Woman, For from the Man was she taken.” Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh. The two of them were naked, the Human and his wife, yet they felt no shame. Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the ETERNAL God had made. It said to the woman, “Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?” The woman replied to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the other trees of the garden. It is only about fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said: ‘You shall not eat of it or touch it, lest you die.’” And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. They heard the sound of the ETERNAL God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the Human and his wife hid from the ETERNAL God among the trees of the garden. The ETERNAL God called out to the Human and said to him, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?” The Human said, “The woman You put at my side—she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the ETERNAL God said to the woman, “What is this you have done!” The woman replied, “The serpent duped me, and I ate.” Then the ETERNAL God said to the serpent, “Because you did this, More cursed shall you be Than all cattle And all the wild beasts: On your belly shall you crawl And dirt shall you eat All the days of your life. I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your offspring and hers; They shall strike at your head, And you shall strike at their heel.” And to the woman [God] said, “I will greatly expand Your toil—and your pregnancies; In hardship shall you bear children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, And his will shall prevail over yours.” To Adam [God] said, “Because you did as your wife said and ate of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ Cursed be the ground because of you; By toil shall you eat of it All the days of your life: Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you. But your food shall be the grasses of the field; By the sweat of your brow Shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground— For from it you were taken. For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” The Human named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. And the ETERNAL God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
Aliyah 4
Bereshit 3:22-4:18
And the ETERNAL God said, “Now that humankind has become like any of us, knowing good and bad, what if one should stretch out a hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever!” So the ETERNAL God banished them from the garden of Eden, to till the humus from which they were taken: humankind was driven out; and east of the garden of Eden were stationed the cherubim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life. Now the Human knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gained someone new with GOD’s help.” She then bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to GOD from the fruit of the soil; and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. GOD paid heed to Abel and his offering, but paid no heed to Cain and his offering. Cain was much distressed and his face fell. And GOD said to Cain, “Why are you distressed, And why is your face fallen? Surely, if you do right, There is uplift. But if you do not do right Sin couches at the door; Its urge is toward you, Yet you can be its master.” Cain said to his brother Abel … and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him. GOD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” “What have you done? Hark, your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth.” Cain said to GOD, “My punishment is too great to bear! Since You have banished me this day from the soil, and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth—anyone who meets me may kill me!” GOD said to him, “I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be exacted.” And GOD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him. Cain left GOD’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he then founded a city, and named the city after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methusael, and Methusael begot Lamech.
Aliyah 5
Bereshit 4:19-4:22
Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who dwell in tents and amidst herds. And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe. As for Zillah, she bore Tubal-cain, who forged all implements of copper and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Aliyah 6
Bereshit 4:23-5:24
And Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; O wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech. I have slain a rival for wounding me, And a lad for bruising me. If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, meaning, “God has provided me with another offspring in place of Abel,” for Cain had killed him. And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. It was then that GOD began to be invoked by name. This is the record of Adam’s line.—When God created humankind, it was made in the likeness of God; they were created male and female. And when they were created, [God] blessed them and called them Humankind.— When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son in his likeness after his image, and he named him Seth. After the birth of Seth, Adam lived 800 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days that Adam lived came to 930 years; then he died. When Seth had lived 105 years, he begot Enosh. After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Seth came to 912 years; then he died. When Enosh had lived 90 years, he begot Kenan. After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Enosh came to 905 years; then he died. When Kenan had lived 70 years, he begot Mahalalel. After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Kenan came to 910 years; then he died. When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he begot Jared. After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Mahalalel came to 895 years; then he died. When Jared had lived 162 years, he begot Enoch. After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Jared came to 962 years; then he died. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he begot Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years; and he begot sons and daughters. All the days of Enoch came to 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, for God took him.
Aliyah 7
Bereshit 5:25-6:8
When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he begot Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Methuselah came to 969 years; then he died. When Lamech had lived 182 years, he begot a son. And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will provide us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands, out of the very soil that GOD placed under a curse.” After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years and begot sons and daughters. All the days of Lamech came to 777 years; then he died. When Noah had lived 500 years, Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth. When humankind began to increase on earth and daughters were born to them, the divine beings saw how pleasing the human women were and took wives from among those who delighted them.— GOD said, “My breath shall not abide in humankind forever, since it too is flesh; let the days allowed them be one hundred and twenty years.”— It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appeared on earth—when divine beings cohabited with the human women, who bore them offspring. Such were the heroes of old, the men of renown. GOD saw how great was human wickedness on earth—how every plan devised by the human mind was nothing but evil all the time. And GOD regretted having made humankind on earth. With a sorrowful heart, GOD said, “I will blot out from the earth humankind whom I created—humans together with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.” But Noah found favor with GOD.
Aliyah 8
Bereshit 6:5-6:8
GOD saw how great was human wickedness on earth—how every plan devised by the human mind was nothing but evil all the time. And GOD regretted having made humankind on earth. With a sorrowful heart, GOD said, “I will blot out from the earth humankind whom I created—humans together with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.” But Noah found favor with GOD.
Show the recap
📜 Overview: Bereshit is the first portion of the Torah, beginning with the creation of the world by God in six days and resting on the seventh. It introduces the first humans, Adam and Eve, their life in the Garden of Eden, and the early generations of humanity. 📜 Основные темы: 🔹 Creation of the World: God creates the heavens and the earth, light and darkness, land and sea, plants, animals, and finally humans in His image (Genesis 1:1-27). 📖 Rashi: The creation of humans last signifies their importance and the completion of creation. This highlights the responsibility humans have to care for the world. 🔹 The Garden of Eden: Adam and Eve are placed in the Garden of Eden, where they are free to eat from any tree except the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 2:15-17). 📖 Ramban: The prohibition teaches about free will and the consequences of choices. When they eat the forbidden fruit, they gain knowledge but lose their innocence, leading to their expulsion. 🔹 Cain and Abel: The first siblings, Cain and Abel, bring offerings to God, but only Abel's is accepted, leading to Cain's jealousy and the first murder (Genesis 4:3-8). 📖 Ibn Ezra: This story illustrates the destructive power of jealousy and the importance of mastering one's emotions. 🔹 The Generations of Adam: The portion concludes with the genealogy from Adam to Noah, setting the stage for the story of the flood. This genealogy shows the continuity of humanity despite its flaws and the hope for redemption.
📜 Sources (3)
- Berachot 26b — Talmud
- Rosh Hashanah 16a — Talmud
- Pirkei Avot 3:18 — Pirkei Avot
🤔 A question to sit with: How do the stories of creation and early humanity in Bereshit shape our understanding of human responsibility and free will?
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