Genesis · Weekly Torah portion
Parashat Bereshitבְּרֵאשִׁית
Torah reading
Genesis 1:1-6:8
Haftarah
Isaiah 42:5-43:10
Sephardic: Isaiah 42:5-21
What happens in Bereshit
The Torah opens with creation itself: light and darkness, sea and sky, plants, animals, and finally human beings, made b'tzelem Elohim — in the image of God. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden until eating from the Tree of Knowledge changes everything. Outside the garden, their son Cain kills his brother Abel, and humanity begins its long, complicated story. By the parsha's end, people have grown so corrupt that God regrets creating them — except for one man, Noah, who finds favor in God's eyes.
Big themes
- Creation and new beginnings
- Human responsibility and choice
- The dignity of every person
If this is your bar or bat mitzvah portion
Bereshit hands you the biggest opening line in history — and one of the Torah's biggest ideas: every person carries the image of God. A d'var Torah here can explore what it means to be responsible for a world you didn't create but get to shape.
Learning to chant Bereshit?
Ready 13 builds a verse-by-verse practice plan for this exact portion — chanted reference audio, karaoke highlighting, trope games, and a countdown that keeps the big day on track.
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