Questions tagged [parashat-bereishit]
The weekly Torah portion of Bereshit (Genesis 1:1-6:8)
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What positive knowledge was earned from eating the forbidden fruit?
Implicitly, the tree was called "the tree of knowledge of good and bad", and we all know the "bad" part - they realized the wickedness of their nakedness.
My question is simple: ...
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1answer
68 views
An unformed and unfilled earth covered
I was looking at Genesis 1:2 the other day and I was wondering if I understood it correctly was the earth unformed and unfilled and covered (surrounded) by water and darkness?
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1answer
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Cain feared death, married and had children with a woman because there were already other people in the world?
I'm new to the site.
When Cain speaks to God, after killing his brother Hebel, Cain says, "I will be wandering and nomadic in the land; whoever finds me will kill me!" (Bereshit 4:14), this ...
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Did Adam commit an act of Ahavas Yisroel or self-sacrifice to eat from the Tree of Knowledge?
I've seen on non-Jewish websites explaining the fact that Adam ate from the tree was because he loved Eve more than he loved God, or that he did an act of self-sacrifice so that Eve wouldn't suffer ...
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Why is the birth of Kayin written strangely?
In Bereishis 4:1, the Pasuk describes the birth of Kayin:
וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת־חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד אֶת־קַיִן וַתֹּאמֶר קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת־יְהוָה
Now the man knew his wife Chava, and she ...
5
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1answer
100 views
The second yod in Mechiyael
Bereishit 4:18 contains the word:
וּמְחִיָּיאֵ֗ל
There is no vowel under the second yod, so I assume that it is not pronounced at all.
What is its function?
Is it a mater lectionis? Is a yod ever ...
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61 views
On what day was the air created?
Since we're back to Bereyshis, I was wondering,
the air is not mentioned in the Torah, besides the wind, of course.
THe Hebrew "אויר" is actually the Greek "aero"
as they ...
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4answers
180 views
Who or what did G-d use while creating?
I’ve a question,
G-d created the heavens and the earth, but in order to do so did He used an 'agent’ i.e. a tool or instrument of some kind, a way or manner in which others were involved?
The spirit ...
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1answer
51 views
What happened to the male Leviathan?
According to tradition (see Rashi to bereishis 1:21), Hashem created a male and female Leviathan, but then He killed the female and salted it for the righteous. What happened to the male? Did it die ...
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323 views
Skin color Adam and Chava
What skin color did adam and chava have? I learned that if all people indeed came from them at least one of them had to have a dark skin color.
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3answers
329 views
Did Adam and Chava have a child before they sinned? Was childbirth not painful before they sinned?
Did Adam and Chava have a child before they sinned? Was childbirth not painful before they sinned?
In Bereshit 3:16, it says,
To the woman He said, "I shall surely increase your sorrow and your ...
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3answers
1k views
How was Eve “flesh of my flesh”?
According to Bereishit Rabbah 18:1, Eve was built out of the rib of Adam:
https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.18.1?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en
If Eve was made from Adam's rib, that ...
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2answers
300 views
Why do English translations use the name “Eve” rather than “Chava”?
When the Bible is translated into English, most Hebrew names are simply transliterated into Roman characters.
In a few cases though, a completely different name is used.
In the case of Hadassah/...
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2answers
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The proposed killing of Yosef would have left 11 tribes
We know the Patriarchs and Matriarchs prophetically had knowledge there would be the Shevatim (12 tribes) descended through Ya'akov.
Source: (Bereshit Rabbah 72,5) concerning the fact that Ya'akov ...
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0answers
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Doubling the reason for the flood in the Torah
At the end of Parashat Bereishit (6,7) the Torah repeats two very similar statements twice - in a form of "ABAB" instead of "AABB":
Aוַיִּרְא֤וּ בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ ...וַיִּקְח֤וּ לָהֶם֙ נָשִׁ֔ים ...
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0answers
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What does “the tree of life” mean when G-d decides on life solely?
My question is maybe an elaboration on this question "How does the tree of life work?:
The Gemmorah says that G-d decides exclusively on a person’s lifespan. But the Torah says that G-d Himself is ...
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1answer
121 views
How can constant creation of new stars explained theologically?
"... we get on average about one new star per year, and one star dying each year as a planetary nebula in the Milky Way.... therefore there are about 275 million [born] per day, in the whole ...
3
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2answers
103 views
What does it mean to bless anything?
In the first chapter of the Torah G-d Himself blesses various things: people, animals, days.
What does it mean for G-d to bless anything after creating it?
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Why was the commandment on eating the fruit said in single?
The Torah says that G-d created "them":
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם ... זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם׃
And God created man ... male and female He created them.
Later He blesses them:
...
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What is so special about Taninim to be mentioned separately?
וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים וְאֵת כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם לְמִינֵהֶם וְאֵת כָּל־עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טוֹב׃
God created ...
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1answer
30 views
Redundancy in the commandment to multiply
וְאַתֶּם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ שִׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ וּרְבוּ־בָהּ׃
Be fertile, then, and increase; abound on the earth and increase on it.” (Ber 9)
Why the repetition of רבו - increase?
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How did animals get their soul?
We know that in the process of the creation of Man, his body was shaped from the earth but his soul (נשמה) was blown by G-d.
Animals, IIRC, appeared from the earth and from the water already with ...
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Torah confusion between “daylight” and “a day”
The Torah uses the same word יום in the same verse to denote both "daylight" and "24 hours":
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה
וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד׃
...
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1answer
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How did Adam and Chava know what's good or bad before eating from the tree? [duplicate]
Hashem Elohim allowed the human being to eat the product which was produced by every tree in Gan Eden, except from the tree of knowledge (understanding) of what’s good and bad. So with this knowledge ...
6
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0answers
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How did Noah react to being childless?
Rashi to Genesis 5:32 reads:
אמר רבי יודן מה טעם כל הדורות הולידו למאה שנה וזה לחמש מאות אמר הקב״ה אם רשעים הם יאבדו במים ורע לצדיק זה ואם צדיקים הם אטריח עליו לעשות תיבות הרבה כבש את מעיינו ולא ...
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Why did people under 100 die in the mabul?
On Bereishis 5:32, Rashi brings an explanation that Noach had children when he was 500
so that Japheth, his eldest son, should not be liable for punishment before the Flood, as it is written (Isa. 65:...
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What does it mean that G-d calls names to things?
In the process of Creation G-d eventually calls names of different things:
וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה ...׃
God called the light Day, and the darkness He called ...
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What does it mean “a man leaves his father and mother”?
Please help me understand the meaning of this phrase (Gen 2.24:
עַל־כֵּן יַעֲזָב־אִישׁ אֶת־אָבִיו וְאֶת־אִמּוֹ וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד׃
Hence a man leaves his father and ...
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Why should G-d correct His Creation as He goes?
THe Torah and the commentaries clearly suggest in several places that G-d corrected His Creation while still in the process:
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר ...
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Why should G-d look at the parts of His creation?
THis part of the story of the Creation seriously puzzles me: G-d looking at His creation and checking/judging/evaluating it. Examples:
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים ...
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1answer
144 views
Why no Torah or wisdom or knowledge is mentioned presented by G-d to Adam?
IIRC, the passing of the Tora/wisdom/divine knowledge in our tradition didn't start with Moses or even Abraham. Allegedly, the 19 generations of Tzadikim from Adam to Abraham studied/dealt with it ...
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2answers
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Why was the purpose of the creation of Man was so dull?
On the 6th day of the Creation, G-d consults angels (see my other question) and presents them with what looks like His vision of Man's goal on Earth:
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ ...
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2answers
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Why so much genealogical detail in Bereshit?
I'm looking for reasons (Pshat, but not only) in giving so much detail in Bereshit regarding the sons of Adam, Kain, and so on. Some of the characters born and die, and have no clear role, at least in ...
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1answer
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Why did Da'as Zekeinim leave out the mitzvah to procreate?
Da'as Zekeinim (compilations of teachings from the Ba'alei Tosafos) to Genesis 1:1 ask a question on one of the first comments of Rashi:
ועוד פרש"י א"ר יצחק לא היה צריך להתחיל התורה וכו', וקשה שהרי ...
2
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1answer
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What's so bad about Kayin's flax?
Rashi (Bereishis 4:3) says
מפרי האדמה. מִן הַגָּרוּעַ, וְיֵשׁ אַגָּדָה שֶׁאוֹמֶרֶת זֶרַע
פִּשְׁתָּן הָיָה:
OF THE FRUIT OF THE GROUND —of the worst fruits (Genesis
Rabbah 22:5); there is an Agada ...
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Beracha and Kedusha referring to the generation of the desert
Rashi in his commentary on Bereishis 2:3 explains that the beracha of shabbos is in the future when the mannah fell during the week and an extra portion fell on Friday and kedusha is also in the ...
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2answers
451 views
Do any commentators say that Adam was not literally the first human being?
Bereshis seems to imply that Adam was literally the first human being (at least according to the normal translation). Do any commentators (preferably not modern ones) disagree with this?
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171 views
Shadal Gen.2,24.1
Please can anyone give me an English translation (does not exist) of Shadal Gen.2,24.1?
על כן יעזב איש: על כן אינו משמש אלא על מה שעבר ועל מה שהוא עתה, ולכן על העתיד, לפיכך אין אלה דברי אדם, אלא ...
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1answer
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Contesting the line between Torah and secular knowledge [closed]
Isn't it the case that the Rambam, for one, thought that astronomy, medicine, mathematics, for examples, were a part of Torah knowledge? At least the line for him is not simple and clear cut (eg see ...
2
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1answer
130 views
Genesis 6.4: Nephilim, Gibborim and Benei ha’Elohim
The question I’ve asked is not centered on the identity of the benei ha’Elohim but on the text itself and whether the text has sufficient grammatical support to identify the subject with respect to “...
1
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1answer
66 views
and daughters were born to them (bereishis 6:1)
There is a strange way of saying that the human population increase on parsha Bereishis (6:1). The pasuk says:
וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־הֵחֵ֣ל הָֽאָדָ֔ם לָרֹ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה
וּבָנ֖וֹת יֻלְּד֥וּ ...
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0answers
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Zohar's interpretation of Bereshit 1
The Zohar's interpretation of the words 'Bereshit bara Elohim', usually translated as 'In the beginning G-d created', seems not to understand the word Elohim to be the subject of the verb bara, but ...
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0answers
38 views
Two beginnings related to heavens and earth
IIRC, there is a medrash conecting the first letter of torah (beit) + the word reshit by saying that with 2 beginnings (meaning the heavens and earth) the world came into existence. Does anyone happen ...
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1answer
193 views
Arguments against evolution
In trying to find the best, most factually based argument against evolution, I found this which said that it just doesn't make sense because why would a creator take so long.
Are there any other ...
4
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0answers
83 views
Rashi on Adam and on the Snake cunningness
The snake was able to speak from its creation (Likutei Sichos (10) p. 13) so why is man singled out as being capable of speech (דעה ודבור acc. to Rashi) if the snake already had it?
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2answers
130 views
What time of day was the world first created?
It's well known that the world was created on the 25th of Elul, but what time of day? Yes it says "and it was evening, and it was morning, one day", implying it was created during the night, but what ...
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0answers
23 views
Why is the term “Know” used between Adam and Chava? [duplicate]
Why does the Torah refer to the process of Adam having children with Chava as "knowing" her? (Bereishis 4:1)
וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת־חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד אֶת־קַיִן
וַתֹּאמֶר קָנִיתִי ...
6
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2answers
218 views
Who is more truthful in the Garden of Eden Story, God or the Serpent?
The Garden of Eden Story is very complex and it seems to me that both the Serpent and God fall short of telling the absolute truth.
Genesis 2:16-17
טז וַיְצַו יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, עַל-הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר:...
3
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0answers
43 views
Is man really more similar to HaShem now or did the nachash just lie?
The snake claimed that once you eat from the tree, ‘Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'
The commentators (I believe the Ramchal) explain that before the sin ...
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0answers
124 views
How do Jews view the word “han·nā·ḥāš” in Genesis 3:1?
Genesis 3:1 a. Now THE serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made
b. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden?'"
...
