The Torah begins with Ma’aseh Bereishit — the creation of the world by HaKadosh Baruch Hu. In six days, Hashem brought forth light and darkness, heaven and earth, sea and land, vegetation and trees, the celestial lights, and every living creature. On the sixth day, He created Adam HaRishon, the first human, b’tzelem Elokim (in the image of G-d). On the seventh day, Yom HaShabbat, Hashem rested and sanctified it as a day of holiness.

Hashem placed Adam in Gan Eden, a garden of delight, to serve and guard it, permitting him to eat from all its trees except the Eitz HaDa’at Tov VaRa (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). When Hashem saw that it was not good for man to be alone, He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and formed Chavah from his side to be his companion.

The nachash (serpent), cunning among all creatures, persuaded Chavah to eat from the forbidden tree. She shared its fruit with Adam, and their eyes were opened, realizing their nakedness. As a result, Hashem pronounced judgment: the serpent was cursed, Chavah was given the pain of childbirth, and Adam would toil for his sustenance. They were then sent forth from Gan Eden to live and labor upon the earth.

Outside the Garden, Chavah bore Kayin and Hevel. Each brought a korban (offering) before Hashem—Hevel’s was accepted, while Kayin’s was not. Overcome by jealousy, Kayin slew his brother, committing the first murder. Hashem marked Kayin as a wanderer, sparing his life but binding him with guilt and exile.

The generations that followed are recorded—descendants of Kayin, including Lemech, who bore sons skilled in crafts and music. Adam and Chavah were blessed again with a son, Sheit (Seth), through whom the righteous lineage would continue. From Seth came Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Yered, and Chanoch (Enoch), who “walked with G-d” and was taken before his time in holiness.

The lineage continues through Metushelach and Lemech, culminating in the birth of Noach—the tenth generation from Adam. As mankind descended into corruption and moral decay, Noach alone “found favor in the eyes of Hashem,” setting the stage for the story of the Mabul (Flood) in the next Parsha.

In a world overcome by chamas (corruption and moral decay), only Noach HaTzaddik remained steadfast in his righteousness, walking with Elokim amidst the darkness of his generation. Hashem revealed to Noach that He would bring a Mabul (Flood) to cleanse the earth of its violence, commanding him to build a Teivah (Ark) of specific dimensions and to bring within it his family and living pairs of all creatures — male and female — so that life might continue after the destruction. Hashem also commanded Noach to prepare provisions for all who would dwell in the Teivah.

From every species, two of each entered the Ark, while of behemot tehorot (pure animals) and ofot tehorim (pure birds), seven pairs were brought. When the appointed time arrived, the mayanot tehom rabbah (fountains of the great deep) burst forth and the arubot hashamayim (windows of heaven) were opened. Rain poured for forty days and nights until even the highest mountains were submerged. All life outside the Teivah perished; only Noach, his family, and the creatures within the Ark remained.

After one hundred and fifty days, Hashem caused a ruach (wind) to pass over the earth, and the waters began to subside. The Teivah came to rest upon the harerei Ararat (mountains of Ararat), and in time, the mountain peaks appeared. Noach opened the window of the Teivah and sent forth a orev (raven), which circled without returning. He then sent out a yonah (dove); at first it found no rest, but on the second attempt, it returned with an olive leaf in its mouth — a sign that the world had begun to renew. On the third mission, the dove did not return, and Noach understood that the land had dried. After a full solar year within the Teivah, Hashem commanded Noach, his family, and all living beings to emerge once again upon the earth.

Noach built a mizbeach (altar) and offered korbanot of thanksgiving. Hashem accepted the offering and declared that never again would He curse the earth as He had done. The natural order — seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night — would continue unbroken. Hashem blessed Noach and his sons, commanding them to “peru urvu” (be fruitful and multiply), to establish justice, and to preserve the sanctity of life. Humanity was now permitted to eat meat, but forbidden to consume the limb of a living creature or to shed innocent blood.

Hashem then established an eternal bris (covenant) with Noach and all living beings, promising never again to bring a flood to destroy the world. The keshet (rainbow) in the cloud was set as the sign of this covenant — a reminder of Divine mercy amid judgment.

In the days that followed, Noach planted a vineyard, drank of its wine, and became intoxicated. Cham, his son, acted shamefully toward his father, while Shem and Yafet approached with modesty and covered him respectfully. When Noach awoke, he blessed Shem and Yafet and cursed Canaan, the son of Cham. The Torah then enumerates the seventy descendants of Noach, from whom emerged the shiv’im umot (seventy nations) that would inhabit the earth.

As humanity multiplied once again, unity turned to hubris in the story of the Migdal Bavel (Tower of Babel). The descendants of Noach gathered in the plain of Shinar, seeking to build a tower that would “reach the heavens.” Their intent was to defy Divine sovereignty. Hashem confused their language, scattering them across the earth and halting their rebellion. The Torah then recounts the generations descending from Shem, culminating with the birth of Avram (Avraham Avinu) and his wife Sarai (Sarah Imeinu) — the dawn of a new spiritual era for mankind.

Hashem spoke to Avram saying, “Lech lecha mei’artzecha, u’mi’moladetecha, u’mi’beit avicha” — “Go forth from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” With complete emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust), Avram departed from Charan, taking with him Sarai Imeinu and his nephew Lot, following the Divine call toward an unknown future. Hashem promised to make Avram into a great nation, to bless those who bless him, and to bestow through him blessing upon all the families of the earth.

Upon entering Eretz Canaan, Avram built a mizbeach (altar) and called upon the Name of Hashem. Soon, however, a famine struck the land, and Avram journeyed to Mitzrayim (Egypt). Fearing for his life because of Sarai’s beauty, he asked her to say she was his sister, lest the Egyptians kill him to take her. Pharaoh’s courtiers praised her to their king, and Sarai was brought to Pharaoh’s palace. Hashem afflicted Pharaoh and his household with plagues, protecting Sarai’s honor. Pharaoh returned Sarai to Avram with apologies and sent them away laden with wealth, servants, and cattle.

Back in the Land, Avram and Lot prospered greatly, until conflict arose between their shepherds. In humility and peace, Avram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between us, for we are brothers.” Lot chose to dwell in the lush but wicked plains of Sodom, while Avram remained in Chevron, near the holy city of Hevron, where he again built an altar to Hashem. There, Hashem renewed His promise that Avram’s descendants would inherit the land, numerous as the dust of the earth.

In time, the region was shaken by war — four mighty kings against five rebellious city-states. The invading coalition triumphed, seizing the people and possessions of Sodom, including Lot. When Avram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he gathered a small band of loyal men, pursued the kings by night, and miraculously defeated them, liberating Lot and restoring the captives. Upon his return, Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High, came forth to bless him: “Blessed be Avram to El Elyon, Maker of heaven and earth.” Avram refused any reward from the king of Sodom, declaring that his wealth and victory came solely from Hashem.

After these events, Hashem appeared to Avram in a vision, saying, “Al tira Avram, anochi magen lach” — “Do not fear, Avram, I am your shield.” Avram spoke of his longing for a child, asking how the covenant could continue without an heir. Hashem brought him outside and said, “Look toward the heavens and count the stars — so shall your offspring be.” Avram believed, and it was accounted to him as tzedakah (righteousness). Hashem then entered into the Brit bein HaBetarim (Covenant Between the Parts), revealing that Avram’s descendants would endure exile and oppression for four hundred years but would emerge with great wealth to inherit the Promised Land.

Years passed, and Sarai remained barren. Out of devotion to her husband’s mission, she offered her maidservant Hagar to Avram as a wife. Hagar conceived and, feeling elevated, mistreated Sarai. Sarai responded firmly, and Hagar fled into the wilderness. There, a malach (angel) of Hashem appeared to her, commanding her to return and promising that her son Yishmael would father a mighty nation. Hagar returned and gave birth to Yishmael, the first child of Avram.

When Avram reached ninety-nine years of age, Hashem appeared again and expanded the covenant. Avram’s name was changed to Avraham, signifying “Av hamon goyim” — “father of multitudes,” while Sarai became Sarah, “princess to all humanity.” Hashem commanded the eternal sign of the covenant — Brit Milah, circumcision — to be performed on every male descendant on the eighth day. Avraham immediately fulfilled the command, circumcising himself, Yishmael, and all the males of his household.

Thus was sealed the everlasting bond between Avraham, Sarah, and their descendants — a covenant of emunah, moral purpose, and holiness that would shape all generations to come.

Hashem appeared to Avraham as he sat at the entrance of his tent, recovering from his circumcision. Lifting his eyes, he saw three travelers approaching and ran to greet them, offering water, shade, and food. Sarah Imeinu joined in preparing a lavish meal, embodying hachnasat orchim — the mitzvah of welcoming guests. The visitors, angels in human form, revealed that within a year Sarah would bear a son, despite her old age. Hearing this, she laughed inwardly, and Hashem responded, “Is anything beyond G-d?” affirming that the covenantal promise would soon be fulfilled.

When the angels departed toward Sodom, Avraham escorted them. Hashem then disclosed His plan to destroy the cities of the plain for their corruption. In one of the Torah’s most daring prayers, Avraham pleaded for mercy, asking that the city be spared for the sake of the righteous. From fifty to ten, he reasoned and bargained — but not even ten could be found.

The angels arrived in Sodom, where Lot welcomed them into his home despite the danger. When the townspeople surrounded the house demanding the guests be handed over, the angels struck them with blindness and urged Lot to flee. Lot, his wife, and two daughters escaped; yet Lot’s wife looked back and was transformed into a pillar of salt. Hashem then rained fire and sulfur upon Sodom and Gomorrah, overturning the entire region. Believing the world destroyed, Lot’s daughters later bore children who became the ancestors of Ammon and Moav.

Meanwhile, Avraham journeyed to Gerar, where King Avimelech took Sarah, believing her to be Avraham’s sister. Hashem struck Avimelech’s household with affliction and appeared to him in a dream, commanding Sarah’s release. Avimelech returned her with honor, bestowing gifts and acknowledging the divine protection surrounding Avraham. Soon after, the promise was fulfilled — Sarah conceived and gave birth to Yitzchak. On the eighth day, Avraham circumcised his son, sealing the covenant in flesh and faith.

As Yitzchak grew, Sarah discerned Yishmael’s influence as spiritually harmful and urged Avraham to send him away. Though distressed, Avraham obeyed Hashem’s command: “Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice.” Wandering in the wilderness, Hagar and Yishmael ran out of water, and Yishmael nearly perished. A malach (angel) revealed a well, preserving them and promising that Yishmael would father a great nation.

Later, Avimelech approached Avraham seeking a covenant of peace. Avraham reproved him regarding a stolen well, and they established a pact at Be’er Sheva. There, Avraham planted an eshel and proclaimed the Name of Hashem, extending kindness to travelers and sanctifying G-d’s presence in the world.

The parsha culminates in the Akeidah — the Binding of Yitzchak. Hashem commanded Avraham to offer his beloved son upon Mount Moriah. Rising early, Avraham journeyed for three days, built an altar, and bound Yitzchak. As he lifted the knife, an angel called from heaven to stay his hand. A ram caught in the thicket was offered in Yitzchak’s place. Through this act, Avraham’s faith reached perfection — love expressed through surrender, and covenant sealed through obedience. Hashem swore blessing upon him: “Because you have not withheld your son, your only one, I will bless you greatly.”

Sarah Imeinu passed away at the age of 127 in Chevron. Avraham mourned her deeply and rose to secure a proper burial site. He approached the Bnei Cheis to purchase the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite. Though Ephron offered it as a gift, Avraham insisted on paying the full price — four hundred silver shekels — establishing the first eternal Jewish holding in Eretz Yisrael.

After burying Sarah in Machpelah, Avraham turned to the future of his covenant. He called his faithful servant Eliezer and made him swear to find a wife for Yitzchak from Avraham’s own family, not from the Canaanites among whom they dwelled. With blessings and prayer, Eliezer departed for Aram Naharayim to search for a bride became an act not only of loyalty but of spiritual continuity.

Arriving at evening time beside a well, Eliezer prayed for Divine guidance. He asked Hashem for a sign — that the young woman who would offer water to both him and his camels would be the one destined for Yitzchak. Before he had even finished his prayer, Rivkah appeared — a young woman radiant in kindness and purity. She fulfilled every detail of the sign, acting with generosity before being asked, revealing her inner righteousness before her lineage. Upon inquiry, Eliezer discovered she was Avraham’s great-niece, daughter of Betuel, and thus of the very family he sought.

Rivkah ran to tell her family, and her brother Lavan welcomed the traveler with warmth and honor. Eliezer recounted his mission and the miracle that had guided him to their home. Recognizing that this match was decreed from Heaven, the family consented, saying, “This matter has come from Hashem.”

When the time came to leave, Rivkah agreed to go immediately, accompanied not only by Eliezer but also by her nurse, Devorah, and other maidservants — a mark of dignity and preparation for her new life in the covenantal household.

As Rivkah approached Canaan, Yitzchak was meditating in the field, returning from Beer Lachai Roi, the place where Hagar once encountered the angel of Hashem. Midrash teaches that Yitzchak had gone there to bring Hagar back to Avraham, leading to her later reappearance under the name Keturah — symbolizing reconciliation and renewed righteousness. Lifting her eyes, Rivkah saw Yitzchak, descended from her camel, and veiled herself in modesty. Yitzchak brought her into Sarah’s tent, where the spiritual light of his mother’s presence returned through Rivkah. In her, the legacy of Sarah’s faith and Avraham’s mission was reborn.

In his later years, Avraham remarried Keturah, who according to tradition was Hagar, purified and restored. Together they had six sons — Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midian, Yishbak, and Shuach — ancestors of nations that would carry echoes of Avraham’s faith eastward. Avraham gave them gifts and sent them away, while his inheritance remained with Yitzchak.

Avraham lived to 175 years, “old and content,” seeing the covenant secured and his lineage continued. He was buried by Yitzchak and Yishmael beside Sarah in Machpelah, the cave he had purchased in faith and foresight.

The parsha concludes with the generations of Yishmael, listing his twelve sons, who became princes of nations, fulfilling Hashem’s promise that he, too, would father greatness. Yishmael passed away at 137 years, and his descendants settled from Chavilah to Shur, spanning the breadth of the desert — a living echo of the covenant’s far-reaching influence.

Parashat Toldot continues the covenantal story through Yitzchak and Rivkah, exploring the tension between destiny and human choice within G-d’s unfolding plan.

Rivkah, after years of childlessness, conceives following the heartfelt prayers of both parents. Her difficult pregnancy reveals a divine mystery: “Two nations are in your womb.” The twins who emerge—Eisav, a man of the hunt, and Yaakov, a dweller of tents devoted to Torah—represent divergent paths of strength and spirit. Eisav sells his birthright for a bowl of lentils, showing his disregard for the spiritual inheritance that Yaakov treasures.

When famine strikes, Yitzchak is commanded by G-d to remain in the Land and not descend to Egypt. Settling among the Philistines, he prospers greatly, reopening Avraham’s wells and digging new ones despite jealousy and obstruction from the locals. His persistence embodies faith and covenantal claim to the Land.

Yitzchak’s growing influence leads Avimelech, king of the Philistines, to seek a peace treaty. Yet within his own household, conflict deepens. Eisav marries Hittite women whose idolatry grieves his parents. Later, as Yitzchak’s eyesight fades, he prepares to bestow his blessing upon Eisav. Acting on divine insight, Rivkah instructs Yaakov to present himself before his father, clothed in his brother’s garments. Yaakov receives the blessing—“the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth”—establishing him as the bearer of the covenant.

When Eisav returns and discovers the deception, his anguish turns to fury. To protect Yaakov, Rivkah urges his departure to Charan, where he will find a wife from her brother Lavan’s family. Yitzchak blesses him once more before he leaves, confirming that the legacy of Avraham will continue through him. Eisav, seeking to regain favor, takes an additional wife from the family of Yishmael.

Parashat Toldot thus closes with separation and continuity—the twin sons walking different roads, one toward vengeance and one toward covenantal destiny—revealing how G-d’s promises advance through moral testing, spiritual discernment, and the shaping of future generations.

Vayeitzei opens with Yaakov’s departure from Be’er Sheva as he travels toward Charan to seek refuge with his maternal family. Along the way he encounters “the place”—identified by the Sages as Mount Moriah—where night suddenly falls, prompting him to sleep there. In a dream he beholds a ladder reaching toward the heavens, with angels ascending and descending upon it, and G-d standing above, reaffirming the Abrahamic covenant. G-d promises him the land upon which he lies, numerous descendants, and protection throughout his exile until his eventual return. Upon waking, Yaakov recognizes the sanctity of the site, erects a pillar, renames the location Beit El, and vows that upon his safe return he will dedicate a tenth of his possessions to G-d.

Continuing eastward, Yaakov arrives at a well outside Charan where shepherds are waiting to roll away a large stone that covers its mouth. When Rachel—Lavan’s younger daughter—approaches with her father’s flock, Yaakov removes the stone single-handedly and waters the sheep. Rachel rushes home to report the arrival of her kinsman, prompting Lavan to greet Yaakov warmly and invite him to stay. After a month, Lavan proposes formalizing Yaakov’s employment and asks him to set his own wages.

The narrative introduces Lavan’s two daughters: Leah, the elder, and Rachel, the younger, whom Yaakov loves. He offers to serve Lavan for seven years as a bride-price for Rachel, and Lavan agrees. When the seven years conclude, Lavan hosts a wedding feast but deceitfully substitutes Leah for Rachel under the bridal veil. When Yaakov discovers the deception the next morning, Lavan justifies the switch by citing local custom and offers Rachel as well—on the condition that Yaakov commit to another seven years of service. A week later Yaakov marries Rachel, and the extended years of work begin.

The household grows rapidly. Leah, unloved but divinely remembered, bears four sons in succession—Reuven, Shimon, Levi, and Yehudah—while Rachel remains childless. Each sister then gives her maidservant to Yaakov as a concubine: Bilhah bears Dan and Naftali; Zilpah bears Gad and Asher. Later, after an exchange involving dudaim (jasmine or mandrakes) collected by the young Reuven—where Rachel trades her night with Yaakov for some of the plants—Leah bears two more sons, Yissachar and Zevulun, and a daughter, Dinah. Finally, G-d “remembers” Rachel, granting her a son, Yosef.

With the birth of Yosef, Yaakov asks Lavan for permission to return to Canaan with his family. Lavan resists, explaining that divination has revealed his prosperity to be a direct consequence of Yaakov’s presence. He therefore urges Yaakov to name his wages. Yaakov proposes an arrangement: any future offspring born with streaked or spotted markings will be his compensation, while the current uniformly colored animals will remain Lavan’s. Lavan immediately removes the marked animals already in the flock to prevent any straightforward gain. Nevertheless, through a strategy involving peeled rods placed before the mating animals, and through divine assistance, Yaakov acquires large numbers of strong, marked offspring. Despite Lavan’s continual alterations of their agreement, Yaakov becomes exceedingly wealthy. After six additional years, G-d commands him to return home. Yaakov consults Rachel and Leah, who support his decision, noting their father’s exploitative behavior.

Taking advantage of Lavan’s absence, Yaakov departs secretly with his family and possessions. Before leaving, Rachel takes her father’s terafim—household idols—an act that becomes a point of contention later. When Lavan discovers their disappearance, he pursues Yaakov for seven days. The night before confronting him, G-d warns Lavan not to harm Yaakov. Nevertheless, when he overtakes the caravan in the hill country of Gilead, Lavan accuses Yaakov of fleeing without allowing a proper farewell and of stealing the idols. Yaakov denies any knowledge of the theft and allows Lavan to search the camp. Rachel hides the idols by placing them beneath her saddle and claiming she cannot rise due to her condition, and Lavan finds nothing.

The encounter concludes with reconciliation. Yaakov and Lavan establish a covenant, erecting a stone marker and a mound as testimony that neither will cross the boundary with hostile intent. After formalizing the pact, Lavan returns to Charan. Yaakov continues toward Canaan, where he encounters a welcoming delegation of angels—an indication that his long exile is ending and that divine presence accompanies him as he reenters the land of his fathers.