Summary
This week’s TorahRefers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, also called the Five Books of Moses, Pentateuch or the Hebrew equivalent, Humash. This is also called the Written Torah. The term may also refer to teachings that expound on Jewish tradition. Read more reading details the days of creation, the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the tale of Cain and Abel. We also read a genealogical account that culminates with the introduction of Noah.
Aliyah by Aliyah Summary
1st Aliyah: Genesis 1:1-2:3
The famous account of the first week of creation is entirely found in this one aliyah. Through the power of words, God turns the unformed void into the basis for the world in which we live.
On the first day, God created light and made the distinction between light (day) and darkness (night). On the second day, God separated “the waters above from the waters below,” which is understood both as referring to heaven and earth and as referring to the earth and its atmosphere.
On the third day, the lower waters were gathered together, revealing land which God made sprout with plants and trees of all sorts. Having started to populate the land, on the fourth day, God turned attention in the opposite direction and created the sun and the moon. God created the animals who live in water and fly in the air on the fifth day. Next, on the sixth day, God created the land animals and people.
On the seventh day, heaven and earth were declared finished, and God rested.
2nd Aliyah: Genesis 2:4 – 2:19
This aliyah contains an alternative description of the order of creation (with people preceding plants) and uses different language to describe God’s actions. God plants the Garden of Eden, places Adam in the garden to tend it, and instructs Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. God then decides to make a helper for Adam, because humans should not be alone. God creates the wild beasts and birds of the sky from the earth.
3rd Aliyah: Genesis 2:20 – 3:21
The animals are brought before Adam to be named, but since no fitting helper for Adam was among them, God put Adam to sleep, took one of his ribs (or possibly separated his side) to form a woman (who is called Eve only at the end of this portion). Adam and Eve feel no shame at being naked. The serpent approaches Eve and convinces her to eat the fruit from the one tree that had been forbidden. Eve gives a bite to Adam. Then they realize they are naked and fashion clothes for themselves.
Adam and Eve hear God in the Garden and try to hide, but God figures out quickly what they did. As punishment for eating the fruit against explicit instructions, God curses the serpent to crawl on its belly and become the enemy of people. Eve is forced to experience pain in childbirth, and Adam now has to work hard to grow food. God dresses the people.
4th Aliyah: Genesis 3:22 – 4:18
Adam is driven out of the Garden of Eden, and an angelic guard with a flaming sword is placed to protect the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve are intimate with one another, and she becomes pregnant and gives birth first to Cain and then to Abel.
Abel becomes a shepherd, and Cain becomes a farmer. They both brought offerings to God, but God only pays heed to Abel’s offering of a sheep from his flock. Cain is very distressed, and despite being warned by God and told he could do better, Cain sets upon Abel and kills him. God confronts Cain. Cain denies responsibility and asks God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain is forced to wander the earth, but God places a mark of protection on him before he sets out. Cain’s descendants are recorded as being Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methushael, and Lamech.
5th Aliyah: Genesis 4:19 – 4:26
Lamach’s marriages and offspring are listed. Adam and Eve have their third child, named Seth.
6th Aliyah: Genesis 5:1 – 5:24
Here, we find a listing of Seth’s descendants and the lifespan of Adam and his descendants through Seth’s line (most of whom lived to be more than 900 years old).
7th Aliyah: Genesis 5:25 – 6:8
The listing of Seth’s descendants culminates in the birth of Noah. Lemech, Noah’s father, sees him as one to provide relief from toil. At 500 years old, Noah is blessed with three sons. The divine beings see how beautiful human women are and marry them. God then limits the human lifespan to 120 years. (Maftir: Genesis 6:5-7) Seeing how wicked people have become, God regrets having made them and plans to destroy them.
Triennial Breakdown
Note: For more information about the tradition of spreading the Torah readings over a 3-year cycle, see here.
| Aliyah | Year 1: 1:1-2:3 | Year 2: 2:4-4:26 | Year 3: 5:1-6:8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:1 – 1:5 | 2:4 – 2:9 | 5:1 – 5:5 |
| 2 | 1:6 – 1:8 | 2:10 – 2:19 | 5:6 – 5:8 |
| 3 | 1:9 – 1:13 | 2:20 – 2:25 | 5:9 – 5:14 |
| 4 | 1:14 – 1:19 | 3:1 – 3:21 | 5:15 – 5:20 |
| 5 | 1:20 – 1:23 | 3:22 – 3:24 | 5:21 – 5:24 |
| 6 | 1:24 – 1:31 | 4:1 – 4:18 | 5:25 – 5:31 |
| 7 | 2:1 – 2:3 | 4:19 – 4:26 | 5:32 – 6:8 |
| Maftir | 2:1 – 2:3 | 4:23 – 4:26 | 6:5 – 6:8 |
Triennial Summaries
Year 1: See Aliyah 1
Year 2: See Aliyot 2-5
Year 3: See Aliyot 6-7
Haftarah Summary
Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5 – 43:10 (Ashkenazi) or Isaiah 42:5 – 42:21 (Sephardi)
After a reminder that God is the one who created and elevated us, all of us (people, animals, and geological features) are called upon to praise God. God then promises to go forth like a warrior and destroy those who worship idols. {Sephardic ends here.} We should not fear, however, because God has chosen us and is with us and will gather us together as one.
See our Haftarah breakdown here.
