Bere'shit

Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 6:8 (Bere’shit)

For teaching children one of the tools I often have used is printing off these colouring pages from aish.com They do an excellent job of getting something for small children to colour while you teach the Torah portion.
http://www.aish.com/tp/pak/cp/53031582.html

Another excellent fun and interactive Jewish Children’s site is Torah Tots. There is usually a story telling version of each Torah portion that simplifies properly things for small children. However, not everything said there are things a Christian can endorse, but you will find these good people have done some work and made your job that much easier.
http://www.torahtots.com/parsha.htm

It is no surprise that the Torah cycle starts where we would all expect it to start. “In the Beginning…” It is the classic beginning similar to “Once upon a time…” in old tales. Just a starting note, most English translations I have used dutifully say “In the Beginning…” which stands in slight contrast to the Hebrew Interlinear that I am using now which prefers to translate it “When God began to create…” A good look at the choice of worlds does allow either for the starting word “Bere’shit”.
This summer, while attending a Messianic fellowship in British Columbia, one of the tools they enjoyed looking for was the letters Aleph Tav together. The reason for this is based on what Jesus (Yeshua) says in Revelation. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last…” We do understand that Yeshua was a part and with God in creation, but this concept that he was (is) seen in these two letters. Most people, even with no knowledge of Greek can understand that Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet. In fact, some paraphrased translations or modern English translations will even update this phrase to our modern ear by having Jesus say “I am the A and the Z…”
This explains a bit why the brothers in BC were interested in seeing points in any text when the Aleph Tav were seen together and stand alone. It was their belief as it is mine that when we see these letters together we also see a tag for Jesus in the text. I think John picks up on this theme in John when when he says “In the beginning (just like in the Hebrew) was the word and the word was with God and the Word was God. Back when I was in Bible school and Seminary we had great studies on the “Word” (Greek Logos). We speculated that this word may have been when God spoke it was Jesus who came forth from his lips and crafted the Earth. The Word used there in the Greek was sometimes compared with Greek Philosophy, since they tended to play into this “word concept”. However, if I had read the Hebrew text that John is practically quoting, I would have found there really was a word (Alaph Tav) which is printed right next the the word “Elohim”, that never gets translated into English. So, in the beginning was this word, and it was with God, and in the translation of the text it is actually seen as part of the action of God. You can honestly see it as God.
So, God, (and Yeshua) create the heavens and the Earth.
Just to complete the Trinitarian picture it is also mentioned (:2) and a wind of from God blew over the surface of the waters. The word in Hebrew and in Greek for wind is almost always a very flexible word. If you compare translations some will say wind, some will say spirit. Occasionally you will even see the word `breath``. The choice of vocabulary reflects all three of these possible meanings. So, in the first two verses we have God, the Word (Yeshua) and the Spirit.
``…Unformed and void… darkness``, I only mention a brief concept here. There have been those who have noted that if God would create something why is the first things he creates (unformed, and dark), it`s almost what we would consider destruction terminology. Some have speculated, and I don`t find merit in their position, but in case one runs across this position, that God had created an order of creatures who became evil, and so He chose to destroy them. Their bodies were destroyed, but their spirits remained, and thus the theory for the origin of demons. Demons would be the spirits of these departed beings that came before humans. Put simply, although there are parts of the world where this theory is popular, I find very little from this text to truly justify defending such a position.
In a discussion I had with a young Bible school student, he commented about how the who passage of Genesis 1 was written in prose. It is essentially a poem. He was correct. Many Bibles will specifically try to position the margins of this text so that one can see this poem style. However, since it was a poem, this was his justification to simply ignore the pain meaning of the passage. His reasoning was as follows. It was a poem written by Moses (the believed author) where He shows that the Hebrew God created everything. It was a defence for the Hebrews against following anything created. No one would worship a star or the moon since those were just things created along with bugs and chickens. He saw it simply as a divinely inspired, or perhaps well meaning lie. He then inserted that since we now know with science that the Earth is much older and the creation actually came together over thousands of years that we can discount the creation story as general fantasy.
Of course, there is some of this I do agree with. First, the text can rightly be considered a poem, but this is not necessarily a reason to say the events never happened. Yes, I do believe that Moses did write it and he very well may have had in mind the plagues on Egypt and his knowledge of the foreign gods who are worshipped over all matters of Creation. Again, this doesn`t necessarily mean that we can disregard the text. It is the account that God has chosen to give us about creation.
On the other side of the discussion is the ``Creation Scientists`` who use this as a primary text in the defence of a very short creation (6 days). Their efforts are intent on proving this text. Again, to put this simply, I don`t think this is a very good science text either. It just doesn`t appear as if Moses really expected this to be a science lesson.
In a seminary class I took with Dr. Walter Kaiser, he opened his class with wondering what the Biblical answer would be for when creation started. My hand was up in a moment. I wanted to impress my teacher with my defence of Christian doctrine. I said ``Aprox. 4000 BC.`` Dr. Kaiser answered in typically teacher fashion. ``a good answer, but not what I was looking for.`` Several other students tried their hand at it, but all were told they were not correct. Finally, when there were no more answers, Dr. Kaiser said the Biblical answer was ``In the Beginning…`` and he reminded us budding young Bible scholars to defend what the Bible teaches, stand against what the Bible stands against, and feel free to be silent on what the Bible stays silent on. I have always found those to be good words.
Understanding `day`: Some have pointed out that the Bible records a day is as a thousand years. Others specifically have said that ``a day is a day is a day`` (to defend the Creation Science position). To be honest, I have no interest in the debate, but did want to show something that would be foreign to most of our experience. (:5)`` and there was evening and there was morning, the first day.`` In the western world we have a 24 hour clock and our day starts at 12:00am. Almost no one generally talks about this as the start of the day. We just use it for technical reasons. Most days start when we wake. So, we would say in practical terms we would have morning and then evening and that would be a day. Again, if we were being technical we would say our day was from 12:00am until 12:00am the again. However, in God`s registration of time it starts with evening. This is why Jews and Sabbath observant people like myself start Sabbath on Friday night. Yes, we know the calendar and my wristwatch says it is still Friday, but as the sun goes down, we have evening, the start of a new day.
A good memory cue if you are trying to remember what was made on which days is to see that the 6 days of creation run in two similar sections

Day 1- Light Day 4- Sun, moon and stars
Day 2- Separating waters Day 5- Fish and birds
Day 3- Dry land Day 6- The animals upon the land (man)

All are listed as good.
Note the different words for the Sun and the moon and the stars. (:14) “…they shall serve as signs for the set times- the days and the years.” They were also to govern or dominate over their individual regions (day and night). Much to our shame I fear we have neglected the role these heavenly bodies have in telling us what is day, and when “the set times” (implied the set times for the spiritual holidays) are to be. We have calendars today, and have “outgrown” using the sun and the moon. In the Saskatoon community, it was Terry Fehr who really raised the profile of using the sun and the moon to determine God’s time table, and to that we owe him some appreciation.
(:26) “Let us make God in our own image…” In a spiritual belief system which is serious about stating there is one God, it is amazing that in Chapter 1, we find him speaking of himself in plural terms.
Man is made in the image of God. For a day to day comfort item, few find much encouragement in this, but when you look back at the vastness of the Universe, the fact that we (humanity alone) is crafted in the image of God. But, people are quick to point out that God is spirit. Thus, he is not flesh and blood like us. That is true, but we do see here that there is an image, and that image is very much like us. Perhaps it is the ability to communicate. Perhaps it is the spiritual and material element together. Perhaps it is the reasoning skill that makes us distinct from the rest of creation. Many people have speculated, and build some interesting application based on this. But, for this, we do see that God and man are uniquely crafted in similarity by God’s design.
Male and female are both crafted in the image of God. Later, a quote from Paul will imply (or can be interpreted as something different, but the plain truth of the passage is that they both hold the image of God. In fact, it is a complimentary image.
(:28) “be fruitful and multiply.” This is about the only commandment that man has done successfully.
(:29)”…see I give you every seed bearing plant for food.” Man was originally created a vegetarian. It was only later that man was allowed to eat meat. In fact, he was told what meats were appropriate and which were not.
(2:3) “…God blessed the 7th day and declared it holy.” The first time the Sabbath is listed. The date appears not to be a flexible date. It is the 7th day.
(2:4) “such is the story of the Heavens and Earth…” The colophon theory. This theory states that the book of Genesis may have been a mixing of several different books, which have now since been destroyed. Colophons are stone tablets. They typically have a phrase which tags the start and the end of the colophon so that you know you have the full tablet. This phrase in verse 4 is typical of this closing phrase.
Some have also noted that the name “LORD” which is the English tag line for the sacred name of God does not appear in Genesis 1. Only starting at 2:4 we see the words “LORD God” together. God (or Elohime is a generic term of gods (generally translated “God” when used in reference to Ha Shem). For example, in Arabic today the term they use is “Allah”. This is the same term. It is too general to really be considered the “God of Israel”, without clarification. This tends to give more credence to the idea that the first chapter may have been copied from another unknown text.
A second creation account: Many have noted that this second creation account acts different. It is presumed that they are events that came together during the days of the other creation account. So, while God spoke many things into creation, he crafted man from dust and blew his breath into man and gave him life.
I have always found (2:10-14) amazing. The assumption is that someone would want to know the location of Eden. In fact, this account makes no effort to hide that location. The head point of the four rivers. To the best of my knowledge there has never been a sense as to where exactly the rivers Pishon or Gihon. However, the Tigris and the Euphrates are two of the most famous rivers on the planet. However, fi you remember in the next Torah passage there will be an incredible flood, so these landmarks may not be as easy to find, but we do believe that Moses wrote the book here and the landmark he knew of as these two rivers would likely still be accurate.
Here’s the problem. The 4 rivers are supposed to come out from the garden of Eden. Today, those two rivers don’t actually merge (as near as I can tell). The Tigris river ends near the city of Mosul in Iraq, but a series of cannels seems to keep it going in different directions. The Euphrates seems to break into many much smaller brooks all throughout the nation today known as Turkey. The only place they do actually meet as where they dump into the Suez Cannel. This would put the garden of Eden under water. So, I am afraid a field trip to the Graden of Eden will have to be postponed.
The Trees: The Tree of Life and the Knowledge of Good and Evil. These trees are placed in the centre of the garden and the first prohibition is given. In fact, it was the only prohibition given. The entire world was full of possibilities and only one thing for them not to do.
Was the fruit from the Tree of life powerfully magical? Nothing in the text actually tells us this. I think the tree served as a test and a test alone. Just as a note, in most Christian depictions of this tree and Apple is seen as the fruit. In most Jewish literature, it is seen as a fig tree. Thus the reason why Adam and Even adorn themselves with fig leaves when they realize they are naked.
One of my teachers, Dr. Stephen Bramer, used to say, “think about it. You are in a garden. Why would you use fig leaves. There must have been some rhubarb somewhere.”
Man names all the creatures. One of the things I have told my children is that only the owner of a thing has the right to name it. If I see the neighbour’s dog “Barkley” and decide that I like the name “Rex” better I don’t have the right to name it whatever I choose. His name is Barkley. Man named everything, and thus it was the name. Man is the owner (rightful ruler) under the Creator, of all animals in the Universe. This also gave man a moment to understand the order of creation. Males and females of every species have some similarity. A male bull and female cow do look visually similar, although certainly you can tell the difference. This is true of all the animals in creation. Adam could see this, and he could tell he was really alone. (:23)
Woman is constructed from a piece of Adam. Many have speculated the meaning for this. Taken near his heart. Taken from his middle to neither be trod under foot nor from his head to be his leader. These provide nice imagery, but I don’t know with certainty why God chose a rib.
If you learn only one Hebrew phrase to translate and get the real feel of, I would recommend Genesis 2:23. Adam’s statement is full of zeal. “This is it!”
(:24) Hence a man will leave father and mother. Appears to be commentary by Moses since Adam did not have a traditional father and mother.
3:1 enter the serpent. I have always found it strange that God chooses to describe the snake while excluding the generally felt belief that the Serpent was actually Satan en cognito. In fact, it the Snake who is punished here not specifically Satan.
“Did God really say…” the Serpent asks the woman who may have not actually heard God’s word directly. She is in error on the instruction. She says you can’t touch it. In fact, God gave no such prohibition. Adam may have. We don’t know.
3:4 “you won’t die…” the concept that God is withholding something good from mankind. She is fooled into acting against what she has been told.
3:6 “and she gave some to her husband who was with her.” Unfortunately, I fear too much has been made of this last phrase. She did give it to Adam who did eat. However, the text is not really clear that he was standing beside Eve while she was being tempted and just followed after her. The text is really not that clear. It should be noted that Adam did not fall into temptation. He chose to act. That sin is significant.
3:7 “…they sewed fig leaves to make loin clothes.” see earlier note about the fig and the apple.
3:8 God acts as if he’s unaware of what has happened. Adam has to admit his action.
3:12 Adam blames God for the defective woman he gave Adam.
3:13 God turns to Eve, and she blames the snake
3:14 the snake is left without a leg to stand on.
Just as a side note. At University of Saskatchewan, I studied biology and found out that the bone structure of a snake implies the faint signs of hips. This suggests that snakes may have actually walked at one point in time. The prof. was actually using this as a proof of evolution not to support a Christian position.
3:15 A war is declared between the seed of the woman (Jesus) and the seed of the snake (all people opposed to the work of God, esp. Satan)
3:16 Increased pain in childbearing.
Desire for your husband but he will rule over you. This is not a benefit as some have argued. This “desire” is listed only one other place in the Bible and that is (Genesis 4:7) Sin desires to have Cain. This is a creation of marital strive for man and wife forever. He will Lord over her and she will desire to usurp him. Neither of these actions are similar to the relationship held by Adam and Eve before the Fall.
3:17 for Adam, the ground is curse. Remember Adam was dust. Now, he must toil this dust for his days. It would no longer be easy. This cycle would continue until he finally became dust again.
3:20 God graciously clothes Adam and Eve
3:22 Problem, they could live forever in this fallen state. God graciously removes them from the garden and stations the Cherubim (plural) with an ever flashing sword to guard the way to the tree of life. Again another reason why a garden of Eden fieldtrip is likely to fail.
4:1 Eve…bore Cain, saying “I have gained a male child with the help of the LORD.”
One of the more surprising items I heard from studying under Dr. Walter Kiaser is an interpretation of this passage. The passage, he suggested, doesn’t really say that she bore with the help of the LORD. It says something similar to “I have bore a male child, the LORD.” Since this doesn’t make much sense, we add the “with the help of”, but Dr. Kiaser suggests that Eve suspected that God himself would somehow come through the seed of the Woman, to destroy the work of the Serpent. As, in simple when Eve saw her male son, the thought she bore Jesus (Yeshua). You can imagine her disappointment afterward.
4:4-5 Look at the word choices used for Able and Cain. Able brought the best, the fat portions from the first of his flock. Cain brought ‘some’ of his crop. The Lord paid heed to Able and his offering, but to Cain and his offering he gave no heed. Martin Luther is credited with pointing out that God listened to the man first then the sacrifice. He was looking at the heart and the offering was just the product of that heart.
4:6-7 Cain, is given a specific warning, and attempt to allow him to repent.
Cain kills Able, and when God asks him about it he’s glib “am I my brother’s keeper” Cain gains and education about the knowledge of God. “…The ground cries out with the blood of your brother.” God punishes Cain and he’s no going to wander for the rest of his days.
Cain is worried that one of his siblings will kill him. God marks Cain to protect him. Again, even in punishment we see the grace of God.
Back in ancient days, the belief was that Cain was given black skin. In some old picture books you will see that Cain is seen as Black. This was the official teaching of the Mormon church for many years. This is the classic example of institutionalized racism. It was generally accepted and no one else argued it, so it stayed and continues to stay in some small circles to this very day. The text does not actually say this, and it is incorrect to imply it does.
4:16-22 more general history
4:23 Lamech (from the line of Cain) brags that he`s better, tougher then Cain. Foolishness of this family continues.
4:25 A son to replace Able. Interestingly, this wasn`t necessarily Adam and Eve`s 3rd child. Remember, Cain was afraid of all the people who might kill him. All mankind comes from this same first family. In some way (likely the timing, immediately after Able`s death) made Seth a replacement for Able.
4:26 People called on the name of the LORD (apparently this had not happened up to this time). Very limited spiritual history recorded for what was 130 years.
Chapter 5: line of Adam through Seth
-note people lived to be about 1000 years old. We don`t know, but we do suspect that they were not necessarily maturing at the same rate as we do today. If so, that would mean that Adam would have spent over 800 years as an ancient crippled old man.
It has been pointed out that the names in this Geneology have a specific meaning which is surprising
God- The God
Adam- Man
Seth- is appointed
Enosh- a mortal man of
Kenan- sorrow is born
Mahalalel- The Glory of God
Jared- Shall come down
Enoch- instructing that
Methuselah- His death shall bring
Lamech- those in despair
Noah- Comfort

Genesis 6:1
``The sons of god, looked upon the daughters of men and saw how beautiful they were and took wives among those that pleased them…``

One of the more difficult passages. Almost everything within us wants to find a way to make this not appear as if angels married human women, however, this is what the plain meaning of the passage suggests. Nephilim were their offspring. ``Men of renown``. The term Nephilim is generally thought of to be giants.

The depths of man’s wickedness had gotten God to the poin the never wished he made man, and the only possible solution was a whole elimination of mankind, with the exception of “Comfort”-Noah.