Search results for: ""Bereishit""

The First Halachot
The first commandment given to the Jewish people as a nation was about establishing the new moon. But, there were three commandments given before that (as written in Bereishit/Genesis):
  • P'ru u'rvu (to have children);
  • Brit mila; 
  • Gid ha'nasheh (not eating the sciatic nerve of animals).
 
Introduction to Firsts (Reishit)
Jews thank God for His blessings by giving Him the “first” (reishit) of various products (as well as a tenth/ma'aser of agricultural and other wealth). 
“First” applies to:
  • First-Born/Petter Rechem
    • First-born male children/petter rechem (redeemed with money; see Introduction to Pidyon HaBein).
    • First-born male kosher domestic animals (calf, lamb, kid)/petter rechem (in Temple times: sacrificed on altar; now, permanent holy status--see Selling Mother Animal before Birth of Petter Rechem.
    • First-born male donkeys/petter rechem chamor (redeemed with sheep/goat; holiness of both the donkey and the sheep or goat then disappears).
  • Dough/Challa
In Temple times, given to cohen; now, see When To Separate Challa (Hafrashat Challa).
  • First Fruits/Bikurim
In Temple times, the Jew (man or woman) brought the bikurim fruits to the area between altar and Temple building; only the man said the
  • First Shearing/Reishit HaGeiz
Portion of sheep's wool (reishit ha'geiz) (given to cohen).
Note All of the above have holy status except for the wool and the human petter rechem.
Blessings: Meteors: How Often
Say oseh ma'aseh v'reishit once per night.
Blessings: Comets: How Often
Say oseh ma'aseh v'reishit only once per comet.
Blessings: Lightning
Start saying the blessing oseh ma'aseh v'reishit within 2 ½ seconds of seeing a lightning flash; otherwise, do not say the blessing at all.
Note You do not need to see the actual lightning bolt--you must just see the light from lightning, even if reflected from something. 
Note The lightning must be from a rainstorm, but you may say the blessing on lightning even if it is not raining where you are, as long as you can hear thunder first. (See Blessings: Thunder/Lightning: Which First and Blessings: Thunder/Lightning: How Often)
Blessings: Mountains Renown for Their Height
Say oseh ma'aseh v'reishit once per month on mountains, but only on very large mountains that are famous for their height and that you have not seen within 30 days.  
Blessings: Earthquakes: Cycle of Earthquakes
Say she'kocho u'gvurato malei olam or oseh ma'aseh v'reishit (either is correct) once per earthquake. Don't say the blessing on aftershocks.
Note One cycle of quakes and aftershocks is still considered just one earthquake, even if it lasts more than one day.
Blessings: Thunder/Lightning: How Often
Say she'kocho u'gvurato malei olam (on thunder) and oseh ma'aseh v'reishit (on lightning) only once per storm. If you hear thunder over telephone or microphone, you may not say kocho u'gvurato.
Note If the storm clouds clear and another storm comes along, you may say blessings again, even on the same day.
 
Blessings: Thunder/Lightning: Which First
Always say she'kocho u'gvurato malei olam (on thunder) before oseh ma'aseh v'reishit (on lightning.) 
If you see lighting but don't hear thunder, do not say oseh ma'aseh v'reishit at all.
Introduction to Agriculture
All of the Jewish festival holidays had an agricultural element to them.
 
Agricultural laws include Kilayim, Orla, Reishit, Teruma/Ma'aser, Shmita, and Yashan, as well as special laws applying only to fruit trees. Some of these laws still apply today by Torah law (d'oraita) while others, such as First Fruits (bikurim), only apply when the Jerusalem Temple stands and so are not practiced now. Others are observed today as "practice" for when the Temple is rebuilt.
Tum'a: Missing Opportunity To Say Blessing

Situation

You wake up after sleeping for more than 30 minutes and need to say a blessing immediately or else you might lose the opportunity to do so.

What To Do

Even though you have not washed your hands after sleep, you should say the blessing.

Example

Situation

You are in bed and hear thunder.

What To Do

You should immediately say kocho u'gvurato even though you did not wash your hands (but you should quickly rub your hands on cloth or clothing first). If you then see lightning, you say oseh ma'aseh vreishit.