Bereshit (Genesis) Parasha Summaries
Bereshit
Summary: In this first parasha of the Torah, it all begins, and then almost ends. In the beginning, the Torah describes how the Eternal One created the Universe day by day, beginning with the Heavens and the Earth and culminating with humanity. After six days, God ceases from the acts of creation and sanctifies the seventh day as the crown jewel of creation - the Sabbath. The parasha continues with the stories of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the conflict between their sons Cain and Abel, and then a review of all the generation from Adam to Noah. The portion concludes with God's regret over the wickedness of human beings, and the decision to destroy everything on earth.
Noah
Summary: Parashat Noach is a new creation story, or a story of re-creation. It tells how, ten generations after creation, the earth had become corrupt and wicked. Therefore, the Holy One decides to destroy the earth with a flood and begin anew. Only one man, Noah, is deemed to be righteous enough to be saved. He, his family and pairs of each kind of creature are herded together in a large boat - an ark. The earth is flooded, and only those on the ark survive. After the flood, they leave the ark and begin to repopulate the earth. God then establishes a covenant, promising never to destroy the earth with a flood again. Some time later, the story is told of how the descendants of the generation of the flood decided to build a great city with a tower reaching all the way to heaven. God sees what they are doing and decided to thwart their efforts by scattering them all over the earth and causing them to speak different languages. The parasha concludes with the listing of the next generations from Noah to Abram (Abraham).
Lech Lecha
Summary: After explaining the origins of the universe and of humanity, in Lech Lecha the Torah now turns to the origins of what became known as the Jewish people. We are introduced to the powerful characters of Abraham and Sarah (originally known as Avram and Sarai before God changes their names) who are asked by God to leave their home in Haran and "go" to the land that would be shown to them. In an act of great faith, they do go, with Lot their nephew and a large entourage, and arrive in Canaan, the land that God promises to Abraham and his descendants. But, due to famine, they are soon forced to leave Canaan. They go down to Egypt and then back again to Canaan, encountering adventure and adversity all along the way. God enters into a formal covenantal relationship with Abraham, promising to give him land and to make of his descendants a great people. Sarah and Abraham seem unable to conceive a child, and so, keeping with the custom of time, Sarah offers Hagar, her maidservant, to bear Abraham a son. Hagar does conceive, and gives birth to Ishmael, but this causes great jealousy in Sarah. As the portion closes, God instructs Abraham to circumcise himself and his son and all future male descendants as a sign of the eternal covenant.
VaYera
Summary: This is one of the most complex parashiyot in the Torah. As it opens, Abraham is sitting at the opening of his tent, when he notices three "men" approaching. The men, who are actually messengers from God, accept Abraham's offer of hospitality and then announce to Abraham and Sarah that Sarah will bear a child in her old age. Sarah (as would most 90 year old women) responds to this news by laughing. Afterwards, Abraham accompanies the three visitors as they proceeded on their journey. Two of the divine messengers make their way toward Sodom, while God makes known to Abraham the plan to destroy the sinful city. Abraham debates with God, earnestly interceding on behalf of the doomed city. But after protracted haggling, when not even ten righteous people are found in Sodom, God proceeds with the city's destruction. Abraham's nephew Lot, who tried to protect the messengers from the Sodomites' abuse, escapes the destruction with his two daughters. Later, hidden in a cave, thinking that they are the only ones left in the world, Lot's daughter's ply him with drink and sleep with him, hoping to repopulate the world. Abraham then moves southward, and settles near Gerar. Here, with Abimelech the King of Gerar, there is a repeat of the earlier wife/sister deception with Pharaoh (Gen 20). Soon after this event, Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham, who is now a hundred years old, circumcises his new son with great celebration. But Sarah now becomes deeply jealous of Hagar and her son Ishmael, and insists that Abraham send them away. Abraham consults with God, who assures him that Ishmael too will become the father of a great nation. Next, after a gap of many years, we see Abraham put to his greatest test. God appears to Abraham and commands him to go and offer Isaac as a sacrifice. They travel together to Mount Moriah (later to be the site of the Temple in Jerusalem) where Abraham binds up Isaac and raises his knife to slaughter him. But he is stopped by God, who provides a ram as a substitute. Abraham then returns to his home at Beer Sheba.
Chaye Sarah
Summary: Chayei Sara - the "life of Sarah"- begins with Sarah's death. Abraham negotiates with Ephron the Hitite to purchase the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron as a place to bury her. Abraham then sends Eliezer, his trusted servant, to Aram Naharayim, to find a wife for his son Isaac. When Eliezer arrives at his destination, he rests by a well, and there he devises a test so that he will know the appropriate woman. Rebecca, Isaac's first cousin once removed, passes the test, and Eliezer presents her with gifts. The servant then goes to meet her family, who agree to the match, but only after confirming Rebecca's own agreement. Before she departs, Rebecca's family bless her, and then Eliezer brings her to Canaan. Isaac and Rebecca fall immediately in love, and are married. We are then told that, in his old ages, Abraham is married again to Keturah (some say she was Hagar) and has 6 more sons. At the end of the portion we are told of Abraham's death and that his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, bury him together in the Cave of Machpelah. As a postscript, we are also told of the descendants of Ishmael, and of his death.
Toldot
Summary: Toldot is the only parasha in the Torah which puts Isaac at the centre of the action. Yet it jumps right into the next generation. The portion begins with the birth of Isaac and Rebecca's twin sons Jacob and Esau. Like Sarah before her, Rebecca is deemed to be barren, but then miraculously gives birth later in life. It's a difficult pregnancy. She "inquires of the Eternal" and finds out that she's carrying twins. The first child emerges all red and hairy, and is named Esau. The second boy comes out holding onto his brother's heel. He is named Jacob, from the Hebrew root meaning "heel." When they grow up, Esau becomes a hunter, "a man of the field." Jacob is described as a "mild man," who preferred to remain back in the camp. Isaac favoured Esau. Rebecca prefers Jacob. This context of parental favouritism and sibling rivalry serves as the back drop for the complex relations and tragic events that follow. Jacob takes advantage of a weakened Esau and gets him to sell his birthright for a bowl of lentils. Later, famine forces the family to leave Canaan and travel to Gerar. Isaac and Rebecca repeat (third time - second with Abimelech) the wife/sister confusion of Abraham and Sarah, and then they must deal with some issues of water rights left over from Abraham. Now wealthy, they end up settling in Beer Sheva, where God appears to Isaac, and Abimelech, the King of Gerar, established a treaty with him. This section ends with the news that Esau, at the age of forty, marrying two Hittite women. They are described as being a "source of bitterness to Isaac and Rebecca." The story continues some time later when Isaac is old and blind. Fearing the end of his days is near, he called his oldest son Esau to receive his final blessing. But first he asks Esau to hunt and prepare him some game. Rebecca overhears this request and, while Esau is out is the field, she prepares the food and dresses Jacob like his brother and sends him in to receive the special blessing in Esau's place. Esau comes in later, and it is then that he and his father Isaac realize they have been tricked. Isaac offers Esau a secondary blessing, but it is not enough. Having now been tricked out of both his birthright and his blessing, Esau declares his hatred for Jacob and his intention to kill him. Rebecca hears of the plot and arranges for Jacob to flee to Haran, to the home of her brother Laban.
VaYetze
Summary: In this week's parasha, Jacob begins his long journey, both physically and spiritually, from his home and family. Shortly after he leaves home, God appears to Jacob in a dream, presenting the image of the ladder from heaven to earth. God speaks to Jacob and promises him protection, offspring, and the land on which he lay. Jacob then travels on to Haran, where he meets and falls in love with his cousin Rachel, the daughter of his mother's brother Laban. Jacob arranges with Laban to work seven years to marry Rachel. However Laban, who has something of a shady reputation, substitutes his older daughter Leah for Rachel on her wedding night. Jacob confronts Laban, but is told, ironically, that the older has precedent over the younger. Jacob agrees to work seven more years for Rachel as well. Years pass and the sisters, as well as their servants who are given to Jacob as concubines, bear Jacob twelve sons and a daughter. These sons will become the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. At the end of the portion, Jacob and his family depart from Haran and from Laban, and begin their journey back to Canaan.
VaYishlach
Summary: The saga of Jacob continues in this week's parasha. It begins with Jacob sending messengers ahead to greet his brother Esau, who swore to kill Jacob when they last parted some twenty years before. Jacob is informed that Esau has a large assembly of men coming toward Jacob, seemingly prepared for battle. Jacob responds with a three pronged strategy in preparation for the confrontation: Prayer, Diplomacy and War. But the night before he confronts his brother, Jacob spends the night wrestling with the angel and, in the end, has his name changed by God to Israel. The next morning, much to his surprise, the encounter with Esau goes peacefully, and again they part. Esau returns to Seir and Jacob settles outside of the city of Shechem. There, Jacob's daughter Dinah is raped by a prince of the town, and, in retaliation, Jacob's sons go on a violent rampage, killing the entire male population of Shechem. At the end of the portion, both Rachel and Isaac die and are buried. The parshah ends with a review of all Isaac's descendants.
VaYeshev
Summary: The parasha begins the concluding drama of the book of Genesis, the story of Joseph and his 11 brothers, their estrangement and eventual reunion. Jacob is now settled in Canaan with all his family around him. Joseph is the favoured son, and to show his favour Jacob presents him with the multi-colored coat. Because of his haughty attitude, and their own jealousy, Joseph's brothers conspire to kill him. But big brother Reuben intervenes, and they decide instead to sell him into slavery. They grab him, throw him into a pit, and then sell him to a passing caravan en route to Egypt. They then tell their father Jacob that his beloved Joseph was attacked by a wild beast, presenting the bloody coat to him as proof. The Joseph narrative is then interrupted by the story of Jacob's son Judah, who is experiencing some problems of his own. His son has died, leaving his wife Tamar a childless widow. Following the tradition of Leverite marriage, he gives his next son to her to father a child, but the next son perishes childless as well. Having already lost two sons, Judah refuses to give his youngest son to Tamar to provide her with a child. Tamar then decides to take decisive action. She dresses like a prostitute, entices Judah to sleep with her, and thereby becomes pregnant. Judah is outraged when he finds out what has happened, but, in the end, Tamar is vindicated, and gives birth to twins. Joseph ends up in Egypt, serving in the home of Potiphar, the King's chief steward, and he quickly makes his way up the ranks of the servants to head up Potiphar's household. Potiphar's wife notices Joseph, and tries to seduce hum. When he refuses her advances, she has him thrown into prison, where he puts his skills as a dream interpreter to good use. He ends up interpreting the dreams of Pharoah's servants, which eventually brings him to the attention of Pharoah himself.
MiKetz
Summary: The Joseph saga continues. Pharaoh has had two similar dreams and demands their interpretation. None of his advisors can determine their meaning, but his wine steward remembers Joseph from prison and his gift for dream interpretation. Joseph is brought from the prison before Pharaoh. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream as seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine that are about to fall upon Egypt. In addition, he suggests ways to manage the plenty to survive the famine. Impressed with his wisdom, Pharaoh appoints viceroy over all of Egypt. Joseph successfully implements his plan, and is married to the daughter of Potiphar and has two sons, Menashe and Ephrayim. As the seven years of famine begin, Jacob sends his sons down to Egypt to seek food. They come before Joseph, who recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him. Joseph decides to wait before he reveals himself to them. He demands that they return and bring his youngest brother Benjamin back to Egypt, and to make sure they return, he has Shimon held as a hostage. The brothers do return home and tell their father what happened in Egypt. At first he refuses to allow the remaining child of his beloved Rachel to leave him, but as the famine drags on, he is forced to concede. This time all the brothers return to Egypt. This time Joseph devises a final plot against his brothers. He sends them all back to their home with plenty of food and riches, but he has his personal chalice planted in the Benjamin's bag. After their departure, Joseph sends his steward to accuse them of the theft and bring them back. With a classic cliff-hanger, the parasha ends with the brothers fearfully confronting the angry Egyptian viceroy, not knowing he is their brother.
VaYigash
Summary: Picking up directly from where last week's portion ends, Benjamin stands before Joseph accused of the theft of a chalice. In a very moving plea on behalf of his youngest brother, Judah offers himself in place of Benjamin, so that Jacob should not be bereft of both of his two youngest sons, the only sons of his beloved Rachel. Moved by this act of selflessness, Joseph clears the room and emotionally reveals himself to his brothers. He alleviates their guilt over their past actions by revealing God's hand in all that has happened. Joseph arranges for the entire family to be reunited under his protection in Egypt. The brothers are provided with generous provisions and sent back to Canaan to tell Jacob about Joseph. Jacob decides he must go see his lost son immediately, and he and his entire family, a total of 70 people. along with all their livestock and possessions, go down to Egypt, where Jacob and Joseph are reunited after 22 years. Jacob and some of his sons are introduced to Pharaoh, who settles the family in the Egyptian region of Goshen. The portion concludes with a review of the story of Joseph's experience in Egypt.
VaYechi
Summary: This final section of the Joseph cycle of stories, and this final parasha of the Book of Bereshit, begins seventeen years after Jacob's arrival in Egypt, when he was 147 years old. Jacob is close to death, so he summons Joseph to his bedside and has him pledge solemnly that he will not bury him in Egypt. He wants to be interred at the family burial place at the Cave of Machpelah, in Hebron. As Jacob's condition worsens, Joseph brings his two sons, Ephraim and Menasseh to see his father. Jacob blesses Joseph's two boys, effectively adopting them as his own sons and giving their future descendants the status of tribes. To receive the blessing, Joseph positions his older son Menasseh at Jacob's right hand, the hand of preference, and the younger son Ephraim at Jacob's left. But, following the trend of his own life where he, the younger brother, usurped the blessing of his older brother, Jacob reverses his hands so that the younger brother receives the blessing of the older. The boys are blessed together with the words that are used to this day by parents to bless a son (48:20). Jacob then calls all his sons to his deathbed and gives them his final words, an "ethical will" of sorts that is a blend of assessment, prophecy, warning, prayer and blessing. Jacob then reiterates to all the sons that he is to be buried in Canaan, at Machpelah, next to Leah. Having said all he has to say, Jacob then dies, is embalmed and then mourned in Egypt for seventy days. With Pharaoh's approval, Jacob is taken by his family to be buried in the Land of Israel. With Jacob gone, the brothers become concerned that Joseph might now take revenge against them for having sold him into slavery. The brothers throw themselves on Joseph's mercy. In tears, Joseph assures them that he bears no grudge against them. He reminds them that God has brought them all to Egypt for a reason. The parasha concludes with Joseph's death at the age of 110. He is embalmed and buried in Egypt. But, prior to his death, Joseph also asks to have his bones taken up to Israel when the Israelite nation eventually leaves Egypt.
