Questions tagged [parashat-bereishit]
The weekly Torah portion of Bereshit (Genesis 1:1-6:8)
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Why "know-it-all- Adam should be commanded at all?
THe last couple of question dealt with Adam's commandments in Eden. And it pushes me back to understand the very nature of a commandment:
Let's imagine a little kid that should be commanded not to ...
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What was Adam's private name?
Interestingly, in English and other languages, we treat "Adam" as the private name, not as a noun, but in the Torah it is a noun, for example (Ber 2.25):
וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים הָאָדָם ...
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Where Ish (איש) comes from and how Adam became Ish?
Adam is called Adam through the whole Torah (I think) except for one time where he calls his wife Ishah to dignify that she was taken from Ish (Ber 2.23):
וַיֹּאמֶר הָאָדָם זֹאת הַפַּעַם עֶצֶם ...
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2answers
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Cursing Adam and Eve in addition to punishment?
When Adam was commanded not to eat from the tree of knowledge, G-d presented him with the punishment (Ber 2.17):
וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ ...
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1answer
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Did G-d and angels appeared dressed or naked to Adam in Eden?
First, we know that Adam and Eve were naked in Eden and didn't feel ashamed (Ber 2.25).
"וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְלֹא יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ׃
The two of them were naked, ...
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What purpose did the animals serve in Eden before Adam sinned?
According to R' Hirsh in this answer the purpose of naming the animals was to reveal their mission and fitness specifically for Adam, and not to guess how G-d called them. This makes perfect sense to ...
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Source for the Evil inclination being commanded by G-d to be evil
Several questions deal with the Snake aka the Satan aka the Evil Inclination etc trying to entice Adam and his wife.
What are the original sources that show that the Evil inclination was originally ...
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1answer
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“Amar Rabbi Yitzchak” - Who is Rabbi Yitzchak?
Rashi opens his commentary to the Chumash with the words Amar Rabbi Yitzchak, "Rabbi Yitzchak said." However I am unsure the identity of this Rabbi Yitzchak. I have been unable to find a source for ...
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Where was Adam when Chava cheated with the snake?
Where Adam was when Chava was sinning with the snake?
For me, it looks that Eden doesn't seem to be a huge place to walk around and Adam was so excited to have a woman by his side, also Adam and ...
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Did Adam and Chava have a house in Eden?
I remember Adam was put in Eden and Chavah was created and they hid in bushes, but I don't recall them building a house or a shelter.
I also remember a Midrash saying G-d made a Chupah for them and ...
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1answer
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Why G-d regretted creation of the Man single?
וַיֹּאמֶר ה"א לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂהּ־לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ׃
God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.” Bereishis 2, 18
As we can ...
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Naming animals - different names for males, females and offspring?
My last question "Adam's about naming taxonomy" wasn't so popular, but it presented my view on the logic of naming the animals.
Acc. to Bereishit_Rabbah.17.4 naming the animals represents the ...
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Were the domesticated animals created domesticated or wild?
"וַיִּצֶר ה"א מִן־הָאֲדָמָה כָּל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם"
"And the LORD God formed out of the earth
all the wild beasts and
all the birds of the sky..." Bereishis 2,19:
...
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“Let's make the Man” - isn't the Man the purpose of the creation?
"וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ"
And God said, “Let US (plural) make man in our (plural) image, after our (plural) likeness..." Bereshis 1,26
To resolve the apparent ...
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1answer
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Why didn't the Snake kill Adam only and keep Chava for himself?
Tosefta on Soytah (Liehbermann):
"הנחש בקש להרוג את אדם ולישא את חוה"
Rashi on Shabbos 146a:
"כשבא נחש על חוה - כשנתן לה עצה לאכול מן העץ בא עליה
דכתיב (בראשית ג:יג) הנחש השיאני לשון נשואין"
...
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3answers
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Hashem's will is not “nihilo”, so why is it “creatio ex nihilo”?
The traditional objection is to any material having existed prior to the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, but then why not call it "creation without material"? The will of Hashem is not "nihilo" ...
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How to understand the first Rashi in the Torah?
How can we understand the first Rashi in the Torah?
בראשית. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹֹֹֹֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה ...
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Tagin on letter Tet
Shalom!
I recently read that in Genesis 1:4, the word Tov is used for the first time and when written in Hebrew, the Tet is crowned with 4 tagin instead of the usual 3. I have been searching for ...
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Order of events in parashas Bereishis
BH
I am having a lot of trouble understanding the order of the following events:
The creation of Man
The births of Cain and Hevel
The death of Hevel
The snake
Eating from the ...
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1answer
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Why should we be punished for Adam's sin?
My kid asked:
I understand that Adam and Eve violated God's command by eating from the tree of knowledge and thus deserved punishment: as described in Genesis, Adam would have to work for his food ...
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Was Josef sold in Egypt by the Midianites or the Ishmaelites? [duplicate]
In Bereishit 37:28 it says, "The Midianite traders passed by...and sold him (Josef) to the Ishmaelites..."
In Bereishit 37:36 it says. "Now the Midianites had sold him (Josef) in Egypt to Potiphar..."...
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1answer
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On the interpretation of Genesis 1: 1
I'm an Italian noahide.
Here are some observations on Genesis 1: 1, about which I would very much like to know your opinion.
1 In most translations I have consulted, the verse is thus render:” In ...
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2answers
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G-d is formless even if we have divine spark
If G-d is formless, how then did He take a piece of Himself and put it in Adom?
And the L-rd G-d formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed
into his nostrils the soul of life, and man ...
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Did Ralbag's predecessors help him, or make things more difficult for him?
At the end of his commentary to Parshat Bereishit, Ralbag writes that he had difficulty composing his commentary to this parshah because the earlier commentaries practically pushed him away from ...
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Difference Between Shamayim and Rakia
In parshas Berashis, the words Shamayim and Rakia keep on coming up. someone asked me what is the difference between the 2, and I had no idea.
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Understanding the cantillation of Bereshit 5:29 [duplicate]
In Bereshit 5:29 it states
וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֶת־שְׁמ֛וֹ נֹ֖חַ לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֠ה יְנַחֲמֵ֤נוּ
In every chumash I have seen the word זה has 2 cantillation marks on it a telisha and a gershayim (according to the ...
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The Aliyot in Parshat Bereisheet
According to the Hertz (Soncino Press) chumash, the aliyot for Bereisheet are (excuse my poor formatting)
Aliyah...…. begins at
2...…………..1:14
3...………….1:24
4...…………..2:4
5...…………..3:22
6......
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1answer
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What sources say that Kayin inspired Hevel to bring an offering?
I've heard the idea that Kayin was the one who inspired his brother Hevel to bring an offering to Hashem (Genesis Chapter 4). One possible place I saw this was from Rabbi David Fohrman, although I don'...
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1answer
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What was the size of the כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר?
What was the size of the כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר (garments of skins for Adam and his wife) (Genesis 3:21)?
By "size", I mean, was the garment just covering the area that an underwear would cover, or was it a ...
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Why does Rashi specifically tell us his interpretation method on 3:8?
In Bereishis 3:8, Rashi makes the following comment about his method of interpretation:
וישמעו. יֵשׁ מִדְרְשֵׁי אַגָּדָה רַבִּים וּכְבָר סִדְּרוּם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ עַל מְכוֹנָם בִּבְ"רַ וּבִשְׁאָר ...
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1answer
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Which sources tell how Eve got to know they could not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil?
The command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil is given to Adam in 2(17) before the creation of Eve.
In 3(3) and with Rashi's comments we read that Eve knew of the prohibition.
...
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3answers
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Beresheit 3:21: What was the material Hashem used to cover Adam and Chava?
I'm seeking a general consensus on what material Hashem used to clothe Adam and Chava. I realize there are various translations stating they were leather or animal skins. Commentaries range from ...
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3answers
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Don't Touch: Fruit of the tree versus Non-kosher corpses
The Hizkuni on Bereshies 3:3, where Chava tells the serpent that they can't TOUCH or eat from the Eitz, writes
ולא תגעו בו. לאכלו, כמו ובנבלתם לא תגעו (ויקרא יא ח), לפי הפשט. והאמת כל המוסיף ...
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1answer
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Is there any significance to the age at which Methuselah died?
Bresheit 5:27 records the death of Methuselah as 969 years. His is the longest lifespan recorded in the Torah. Is there any meaning for his death at such an age, or is there significance to the ...
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1answer
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Men's Earth vs. Women's Bone
Someone recently mentioned to me that there is a Chazal saying אדם was created from עפר which gets hot quickly but doesn’t retain the heat too long, while women were created from bone which takes ...
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1answer
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Is there any significance in the distinction between Avos d’Rebbi Nassan and Bereishis Rabbah regarding Chavah and the snake?
In Avos d’Rebbi Nassan 1:5, as quoted and linked by DanF here, when Chavah told the snake that Hashem commanded them not to touch nor eat from the Etz HaDa’as, the snake touched the tree, saying, “...
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What does Judaism teach about Eve's addition to divine commandment that she not touch the fruit?
In Genesis 2:17 we read:
But of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die."
Later, during Eve's temptation, we read:
...
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1answer
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Birthmarks - What are they?
I personally have a Mongolian birthmark that consumes half my chest and right leg. I've heard of Mongolian birthmarks being indicators of someone being Jewish. But otherwise, it's just a mark.
...
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1answer
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Which of the three forbidden fruits was the opinion of the Arizal; grapes, wheat or figs and why?
We were asked earlier this week about what the Arizal's opinion was on which forbidden fruit was on the Etz HaDaat. Does anyone know what it might be?
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1answer
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Which of Adam’s sons married which of his daughters?
According to Rashi to Bereishis 4:1-2, Kayin was born with a twin sister, and Hevel was born with two triplet sisters. As Rashi to Vayikra 20:17 explains, Kayin married his sister in order that the ...
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1answer
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How did Hevel acquire his flock?
In Bereishit 4:2-4 we read that Hevel was a keeper of sheep and that he offered from the firstlings of his flock. How did he come to acquire the flock? Did he have to trap them and domesticate them or ...
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2answers
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How could Kayin have married his sister, if it was prohibited?
The Rambam writes in Melachim uMilchamot (Ch. 9) that six different mitzvot were given to Adam. One of these mitzvot is the prohibition of incest and adultery.
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 38b) says that ...
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0answers
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Does Hashem create a Michshol?
There is a Jewish law forbidding putting a michshol, a stumbling block, in front of a blind person. This is extended also to mean that one should not lead others into sin, including providing the ...
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0answers
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Was Adam allowed to eat the meat of an animal which he did not kill?
The Gemara in SANHEDRIN 59b says:
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אדם הראשון לא הותר לו בשר לאכילה דכתיב (בראשית א, כט) לכם יהיה לאכלה ולכל חית הארץ ולא חית הארץ לכם
§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Meat was ...
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Cursing other opinions
In Bereishit Rabbah 26:5 we read רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי מְקַלֵּל לְכָל מַאן דְּקָרֵא לְהוֹן בְּנֵי אֱלָהַיָּא -- that R. Shim'on Bar Yochai cursed anyone who interpreted Bereishit 6:2 as ...
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1answer
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Adam and Chava's lack of repentance
I searched but did not find this exact question. Were Adam and Chava's expulsion also in part due to their lack of repentance or was it specifically because of their disobedience?
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1answer
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Understanding Bereshit 1:30
Bereshit 1:30 says
וּֽלְכָל־חַיַּ֣ת הָ֠אָרֶץ וּלְכָל־ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה אֶת־כָּל־יֶ֥רֶק עֵ֖שֶׂב לְאָכְלָ֑ה וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃
And to ...
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1answer
227 views
When was water created?
Bereishit 1 goes into detail on when and how Hashem created various things in creation. One thing I notice though is that there is no specific detail on how or when water was created. It just sort of "...
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2answers
112 views
Oldest Tree and Creation
Since it can be shown that there is a tree over 9,500 years old https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416104320.htm , and according to the dates in the Torah, mankind has been around for ...
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2answers
132 views
Was Avrohom really born in 1948?
I have always been told that Avrohom Ovinu was born 1948 years after Odom was created. I recently thought I would add up the relevant figures in Sidra Bereisis and Sidra Noach to see what number I ...
