גַּן עֵדֶן
Gan Eden
The Garden of Eden
בְּרֵאשִׁית
Torah Portion 1 of 12 · Bereshit (Genesis) 1:1–6:8
Parashat Bereshit: the story, then the game.
The first portion of the Torah moves from the first word of creation to the edge of the flood. It holds the garden, its two named trees, the four rivers, the serpent, and the first family outside the gate. Gan Eden, our Torah RPG, opens here.
Bereshit: "In the beginning"
The Story of Parashat Bereshit
In the beginning
The Torah opens with six days of creation: light, sky, sea and land, then every living thing, then humankind. On the seventh day the work stops and the day is set apart. The first Shabbat comes before the first sin, the first city or the first family quarrel.
The garden
The story then narrows to one place. Adam is formed from the ground, the adamah, and set in Gan Eden to work it and guard it. A river waters the garden and divides into four. Every creature comes before him to be named, and none is the partner he needs, until Chavah stands beside him.
Outside the gate
The serpent asks a question, the fruit is eaten, and a voice calls out, "Ayekah?" Where are you? Adam and Chavah leave the garden, and keruvim guard the way back. Outside, the ground gives up its bread only by the sweat of the face. Kayin's offering is not accepted and Hevel's is, and Kayin rises against his brother. Ten generations pass from Adam to Noach, and the world grows dark enough that the portion ends with grief.
Read in synagogues on Shabbat, October 10, 2026.
What You Play
The part of the story we focus on.
Gan Eden starts here, and it's the first thing you play. You are Adam, walking the garden before anything has gone wrong.
לִפְנֵי הַשַּׁעַר
Before the Gate
Play as Adam in the garden. Name the animals, meet Chavah, gather fruit, and come to the tree in the middle of the garden.
Bereshit (Genesis) 2–3
בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ
By the Sweat of Your Face
Outside the gate at Kedem, sow and water the ground, gather stones, build an altar and bake bread.
Bereshit (Genesis) 3–4
קַיִן וְהֶבֶל
Two Brothers
Play as Kayin for the offering, then return as Adam to the first beasts and the first staff.
Bereshit (Genesis) 4
תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם
These Are the Generations
Follow the line from Adam through Chanoch to Noach, and see it kept.
Bereshit (Genesis) 5
This portion at a glance
- Six days of creation, then the first Shabbat1:1–2:3
- The garden, its trees and the four rivers2:8–14
- The man names every creature2:19–20
- The serpent's question and the way out of the garden3:1–24
- Kayin and Hevel, and the generations down to Noach4:1–5:32
Hebrew from Parashat Bereshit
עֵץ הַחַיִּים
Etz HaChayim
The Tree of Life
הַנָּחָשׁ
HaNachash
The serpent
כְּרוּבִים
Keruvim
Cherubim, guarding the way
Talk about it
- Why do you think naming the animals comes before anything else Adam does?
- When the question comes, "Where are you?", what is really being asked?
- What changes about work once Adam and Chavah are outside the garden?
About Parashat Bereshit
What is Parashat Bereshit about?
Creation, Gan Eden, the four rivers and the world outside the garden. The name, בְּרֵאשִׁית, means "In the beginning."
Where is Parashat Bereshit in the Bible?
It runs from Bereshit 1:1 to Bereshit 6:8, which is Genesis 1:1–6:8 in an English Bible. It's portion 1 of the 12 in the book.
Can I play Parashat Bereshit in Gan Eden?
This is where Gan Eden starts. You play as Adam in the garden, and it's free in your browser.
גַּן עֵדֶן
Be first into the next chapter.
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