In some ways, Bereshiet (Genesis, and “in the Beginning) is the most fundamental element in the Bible. Literally everything else builds, line-by-line, precept-by-precept, upon that Foundation.

Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship has often contended, that six chapters of Genesis in parsha Bereshiet (Genesis 1 through 6) is just too much to even try to do justice to, study-wise, in a single week, So, this cycle, we depart a bit from the “annual Torah reading” layout to do a bit deeper dive into this second half of the first parsha in the Book. Which actually ‘overlaps’ via the story of Noach, the Nephilim, and the Flood anyway.

The Erev Shabbat reading of the ‘next segment’, into the story of Noach and the Flood, in chapters four through 9 of Bereshiet/Genesis:

The Sabbath Day midrash is about Big, even “climactic” changes. And there are two that follow the logical sequence of the story: Noach, and the Flood, and – don’t forget – the Book of Joshua describes the events AFTER the five Books of the Torah, and the conquest of The Land. And that, too, was a time of Big Changes.

Which is true today.

And there are parallels, anti-parallels, and no shortage of warnings about what looks like “as it was in the days of Noach…”

The combined two-part teaching is here: