Tales of the Torah
Bereshit (Genesis)


Noah's ark, after the great flood.


Hey Torah Kid Talmidim, it's time to learn Torah!

Moses wrote five books. They are the five books of the Torah. What is the name of the first book? Do you know?

Here are the names of all five books in English.

1. Genesis (Bereshit)
2. Exodus (Shemot)
3. Leviticus (Viyikra)
4. Numbers (B'Midbar)
5. Deuteronomy (Debarim)

The first book of the Torah is the book of Genesis. In Hebrew it is called the book of Bereshit. Bereshit means, "In the beginning." It is the very first Hebrew word of the Torah. So the first words of the Torah are "In the beginning."

Look up Genesis 1:1 and read it in your bible. What does the first sentence say?

The Torah starts in the beginning of the whole world. It tells the story of how God made the heavens and the earth, the sky, the water, the sun, moon and stars, the land and the sea, the plants and the animals and even human beings. It tells the story of Adam and Eve, the very first man and woman.

When God made Adam, what kind of animal was he? Click here to find out.

Are People Vegetable, Animal or Mineral? Click here to find out.

The Book of Bereshit is full of famous stories about Torah people. It tells the story of Noah and the ark and the great flood. Do you remember that story? It is a story from the book of Bereshit, the first book of the Torah!

Why didn't Noah play board games on the ark? Click here to find out.

What did the cheetah say when Noah accused him of cheating? Click here to find out.

In the Book of Bereshit is the story of the tower of Babel. We also read the stories of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah had a son named Isaac, so Bereshit tells the stories of Isaac. Remember when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as an offering? Isaac had two sons named Jacob and Esau, so Bereshit tells the stories of Jacob and Esau. Remember how Jacob tricked Esau and Isaac? Jacob had twelve sons. One of the sons was named Joseph. Bereshit tells the story of how Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and sold him into Egypt as a slave. Remember how Joseph's brothers were in for a surprise when they went to buy grain in Egypt? All of these great stories are in the book of Bereshit.

The book of Bereshit is full of stories that are fun to read and study. Best of all, its' a mitzvah to learn the book of Bereshit, because Bereshit is a book of the Torah! Learning Torah is a Mitzvah for Talmidim.

Kehilat Sar Shalom

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