This week in Shorashim and Shteelim has been all about בְּרֵאשִׁית (Breishit– in the beginning), the name of first פָּרָשָׁה (parashah- portion) in the תורה (Torah) as well as the first ספר (sefer- book). Propelled by our boundless questions and curiosity about תורה from last week, we took on בְּרֵאשִׁית .
Can you see what we spelled?
Keep reading to see the exact story we’ve been listening to and how we’ve been exploring it!
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In the beginning, when God was creating the heaven and the earth, God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. God called the light Day. The darkness God called Night. אחד ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום (There was evening, there was morning, a first day.)
Using flashlights to find the אותיות (otiyot-letters) in our שמות (shemot-names)
God said, “Let there be a space in the middle of the water.” God called the space Sky. ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום שני (There was evening, there was morning, a second day.)
How much stuffing can we fit into a bag?
God said, “Let the waters be in one place, and let there be dry land. God called the dry land Earth, and the water God called Seas. God saw that it .טוב was God said, “Let the earth grow plants!” And God saw that it was טוב (good). שלישי ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום (There was evening, there was morning, a third day.)
Can you spy any אותיות in the sand?
God said, “Let there be lights in the sky!” God made the bigger light rule the day, and the smaller light to rule the night, and the stars. God saw that it was טוב. רביעי ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום (There was evening, there was morning, a fourth day.)
“This is the sun.”
God said, “Let the waters be filled with דגים (dagim-fish), and let צפורים (tziporim-birds) fly above the earth.” God saw that it was טוב. חמישי ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום (There was evening, there was morning, a fifth day.)
What happens when we shake those bottles?
God said, “Let there be animals on the earth.” God saw that it was טוב. God created people. God blessed them. God saw all that had been made, מאוד טוב והנה (and wow! it was very good). הששי ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום (There was evening, there was morning, a sixth day.)
“Did God make cars?” “God made people and people drive cars.” “God didn’t make electronics.”
The sky and the earth and all their parts were finished. On the seventh day, God finished all the work of creation and rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.
Making ת – the last letter in בראש׳ת – yoga poses and counting to שבע (sheva-seven), one second for every day in our story.
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“What does God look like?” “He’s still in heaven.” “Heaven is over the sun.” “Do you have to fly over the sun to find God?” “We could do that to wake God up when he’s resting”.
Phew what a week- in our story and in Shorashim v’Shteelim!
