This week we begin the yearly Torah-reading cycle anew with Bereishis (Genesis), the first of the five books that comprise the Torah.

The Torah portion starts with the beginning of time, when  G-d created the world in six days. He rested on the seventh day, which we remember by resting on the seventh day of each week, Shabbat. Thus, Shabbat plays an important role in Judaism - one who observes it affirms his belief that G-d is the One who created the world.

G-d creates Adam and Eve and warns them not to eat from the Etz Hada’as – the Tree of Knowledge. The serpent convinces Eve to eat from it anyway, and she then gives some to Adam. Both are punished. Instead of the idyllic existence they had been enjoying in the Garden of Eden, they will now have to work for a living, childbearing will be painful, and they will eventually die.

Eve gives birth to Cain and Abel. Both offer sacrifices to G-d. G-d accepts Abel’s but not Cain’s. Cain then kills Abel in a fit of jealousy. He is sentenced to exile.

The Torah then lists the genealogy of the first ten generations of the world, beginning at Adam and ending at Noah.  By the days of Noah, humanity had distanced itself from G-d.  It worshipped idols and created immoral societies.   G-d ‘regretted creating humanity’ and decided to destroy all of civilization - except for Noah and his family who were righteous.