Bereshith

/bɛˈreɪʃɪθ/ noun

Definition

The Hebrew word meaning 'in the beginning,' which opens the Torah and is the traditional name for the Book of Genesis in Hebrew tradition.

Etymology

From Hebrew 'בְרֵאשִׁית' (berēʾšīt), literally 'in the beginning' or 'at the head.' It comes from 'rosh' (head) with the prepositional prefix, and has been used as the Hebrew title for Genesis since ancient times.

Kelly Says

The fact that the entire Jewish scriptures begin with a word meaning 'in the beginning' is intentional—it creates a sense of cosmic origin, and throughout Jewish tradition, scholars have obsessed over the mystical properties of these very first words.

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