B’raysheet begins with the beginning of creation. The first things made were heaven and earth. Did you think that that is a non-contestable statement? According to the Kabbalah, as well as Rashi, the Torah does not cover the REAL beginning.

In the The Infinite light contracted itself and purposely left a void. After that point the Torah picks up the narrative. Into that void … B’raysheet.

If the Torah REALLY were to describe the beginning of all actions, it would have had to read something like — “After the Great Contraction which left KHALLAL —חָלָל, the GREAT EMPTINESS — Elohim introduced a thread of light into the Residue of the Emptiness, and light appeared in the non-space.”

So the beginning suggested by B’raysheet is a relative one, not ail. absolute one. That is to say, it refers to the events following the setting up of a Khallal (חָלָל, void, emptiness), not to the absolute beginning of the currents within the Infinite which led up to those events.

The process of creation by God is detailed in progressive steps during six days of creation: Light, sky, land, heavenly constellations, fishes, insects, bacteria, viruses, birds, animals, and humans, male and female, and various other sexual arrangements.

The tree of mind consciousness (עֵץ הַדַּעַת – Etz Ha-da-at) was to remain taboo because mind is such a mixed blessing. Guided by the snake being, the early humanic forbears went for it anyway, causing them to leave the Edenic garden (brilliant idea!) and deal with fear of death and all the other aspects of harsh reality that the tree of mind can create and infinitely obsess over.

Competitive spirit was invented. What an experiment! What a boon to humankind! This new culture brought hatred between Cain and Abel who fought and brought murder into the world. Aberrations increased in their descendants causing a drift of purpose culminating with the flood of Noah. before this, Noah has children. So do the Titans, the Bible’s extraterrestrials. Things look bad for humanity at this stage.

Meta-theme of B’raysheet

The theme of Shabbat B’raysheet is climbing down from the mountain of extended Holyday celebration and getting ready to go back to work. You might say that Shabbat B’raysheet is the Jewish equivalent of Labor Day. On this Shabbat we begin to generate the focus to get into a lower gear, to apply the Holyday insights accrued through recent spiritual peaks to more practical day-to-day issues such as: nutritious eating; good driving; getting enough exercise; getting enough sleep; playing with the kids; and so on.