Vayomer Lo Ayekah

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — the week the whole world begins, and the Torah begins with it.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 1

There was nothing you could stand on,

only darkness on the deep.

And then a voice said one thing —

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light, and there was light.

Rashi says the world was almost built on judgment alone,

but He saw it could not last that way,

so He put mercy first, and joined the justice to it.

That is the world you woke up in.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 2

Day after day He spoke it —

sky and sea and seed and star,

the fish, the birds, the animals,

and after each one, כִּי־טוֹב —

that it was good, that it was good.

Sforno says that finishing one part well is one thing;

holding every part together, complete —

that is why the word is not just טוֹב,

that is why He said מְאֹד.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 3

Six days of building, and it still was not done.

Rashi asks what the world was missing.

Rest. It was missing rest.

שַׁבָּת came — and the rest came with it,

and only then the work was finished.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹקִים אֶת־יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי —

He blessed the seventh day

and He made it holy.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 4

He took dust up off the ground

and made a man out of the floor,

וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים —

and breathed the breath of life into him.

He put him in the garden with one job,

לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ —

to work it and to guard it.

The man fell, and the brothers fell after him.

But before any of it, He had already said to Kayin:

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it.

And Rashi says, in five plain words:

if you want to, you can win.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Outro

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — the week the whole world begins, and the Torah begins with it.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 1

There was nothing you could stand on,

only darkness on the deep.

And then a voice said one thing —

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light, and there was light.

Rashi says the world was almost built on judgment alone,

but He saw it could not last that way,

so He put mercy first, and joined the justice to it.

That is the world you woke up in.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 2

Day after day He spoke it —

sky and sea and seed and star,

the fish, the birds, the animals,

and after each one, כִּי־טוֹב —

that it was good, that it was good.

Sforno says that finishing one part well is one thing;

holding every part together, complete —

that is why the word is not just טוֹב,

that is why He said מְאֹד.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 3

Six days of building, and it still was not done.

Rashi asks what the world was missing.

Rest. It was missing rest.

שַׁבָּת came — and the rest came with it,

and only then the work was finished.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹקִים אֶת־יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי —

He blessed the seventh day

and He made it holy.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Verse 4

He took dust up off the ground

and made a man out of the floor,

וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים —

and breathed the breath of life into him.

He put him in the garden with one job,

לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ —

to work it and to guard it.

The man fell, and the brothers fell after him.

But before any of it, He had already said to Kayin:

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it.

And Rashi says, in five plain words:

if you want to, you can win.

Chorus

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

He looked at all of it at once,

and called the whole world good.

Outro

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good.

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — from the very first word to the very last, here we go.

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Verse 1

Day one, He splits the light from the dark, (from the dark!)

He calls them day and night. (day and night!)

Day two, a canopy inside the water, (in the water!)

waters under, waters over. (under and over!)

Day three, the sea runs to one place,

וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה —

and the dry land shows its face! (shows its face!)

Grass and herbs and fruit trees,

every seed inside its own.

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Verse 2

Day four, two great lights up in the sky, (up in the sky!)

the big one for the day, the small one for the night,

and all the stars beside them. (and all the stars!)

Day five, the water swarms with living things

and the birds go up on the wind. (up on the wind!)

Day six, every animal out of the ground,

and then — נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם —

let us make a man! (let us make a man!)

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good!

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Verse 3

A garden in עֵדֶן, a river in four,

לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ —

work it and guard it, and eat from every tree but one. (but one!)

The snake talked. They ate. They hid.

אַיֶּכָּה —

where are you? He called into the trees.

Out of the garden, into the thorns,

בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ —

bread by the sweat of your face.

Verse 4

Two brothers and two offerings, and one of them went wrong,

and He said it straight to Kayin before a thing was done:

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it! (you can rule over it!)

Then tents and flocks, כִּנּוֹר וְעוּגָב —

the harp and the flute, the first music in the world! (the first music!)

Ten generations counted out,

and חֲנוֹךְ walked with Hashem.

The world went wrong, and the parsha holds one door:

וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן —

and Noach found favor. (found favor!)

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Outro

He said one word and the world was born! (the world was born!)

יְהִי אוֹר — and there was light!

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — from the very first word to the very last, here we go.

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Verse 1

Day one, He splits the light from the dark, (from the dark!)

He calls them day and night. (day and night!)

Day two, a canopy inside the water, (in the water!)

waters under, waters over. (under and over!)

Day three, the sea runs to one place,

וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה —

and the dry land shows its face! (shows its face!)

Grass and herbs and fruit trees,

every seed inside its own.

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Verse 2

Day four, two great lights up in the sky, (up in the sky!)

the big one for the day, the small one for the night,

and all the stars beside them. (and all the stars!)

Day five, the water swarms with living things

and the birds go up on the wind. (up on the wind!)

Day six, every animal out of the ground,

and then — נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם —

let us make a man! (let us make a man!)

וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד —

and behold, it was very good!

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Verse 3

A garden in עֵדֶן, a river in four,

לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ —

work it and guard it, and eat from every tree but one. (but one!)

The snake talked. They ate. They hid.

אַיֶּכָּה —

where are you? He called into the trees.

Out of the garden, into the thorns,

בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ —

bread by the sweat of your face.

Verse 4

Two brothers and two offerings, and one of them went wrong,

and He said it straight to Kayin before a thing was done:

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it! (you can rule over it!)

Then tents and flocks, כִּנּוֹר וְעוּגָב —

the harp and the flute, the first music in the world! (the first music!)

Ten generations counted out,

and חֲנוֹךְ walked with Hashem.

The world went wrong, and the parsha holds one door:

וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן —

and Noach found favor. (found favor!)

Chorus

יְהִי אוֹר —

let there be light! (let there be light!)

וַיְהִי־אוֹר —

and there was light! (and there was light!)

He said one word and the dark broke open,

He said one word and the world was born!

Outro

He said one word and the world was born! (the world was born!)

יְהִי אוֹר — and there was light!

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — sit down. This is where all of it starts.

Chorus

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים —

in the beginning He made the world,

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ —

the heavens and the earth.

He spoke, and there was something.

He looked, and it was good.

Spoken Word

At the start there was nothing you could stand on. Unformed, desolate, darkness over the face of the deep, and the breath of God moving above the water. And then a voice. יְהִי אוֹר — let there be light. And there was light. He saw the light was good and He separated it from the dark and gave them both names. Evening, morning, day one. Then a canopy inside the waters. Then the sea pulled back to one place so the dry land could be seen. Then grass, and herbs with seed in them, and fruit trees carrying their own seed inside the fruit. Every time, the same line: וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים כִּי־טוֹב — and God saw that it was good.

Spoken Word

Two great lights in the sky, the big one to rule the day and the small one the night, and the stars with them. Water swarming with living creatures, birds across the face of the sky, and a blessing on all of it — פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ — be fruitful and multiply. Animals out of the ground, every one of its own kind. And then, on the sixth day, a sentence He had not used all week: נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ — let us make man in our image. Male and female He created them, blessed them, and handed them the whole world for food. Then He looked at everything together and said something new: וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד — and behold, it was very good.

Spoken Word

The heavens and the earth were finished, and on the seventh day He stopped, and He blessed that day and made it holy. He formed the man out of dust from the earth, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים — and blew into his nostrils the breath of life — and man became a living soul. A garden in Eden, the Tree of Life in the middle and the Tree of Knowledge beside it, one job, לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ — to work it and to guard it — and one rule. Every tree but that one.

Chorus

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים —

in the beginning He made the world,

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ —

the heavens and the earth.

He spoke, and there was something.

He looked, and it was good.

Spoken Word

לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ — it is not good for the man to be alone. Every animal came to be named, and none of them was a helper for him, so his wife was built from his own side. The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field. She saw the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes; she took, and ate, and gave to her husband, and he ate. And the first question God asked a human being was אַיֶּכָּה — where are you? Each one passed the blame along, and each one heard what would follow: the serpent on its belly, pain in bearing children, and for the man a ground that grows thorns, בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם — bread by the sweat of your face, until you return to the dust you were taken from. And then, before He sends them out of the garden, He makes them coats of leather Himself and clothes them.

Spoken Word

Kayin brings from the fruit of the ground; Hevel brings from the firstborn of his flock and from the best of them, and Hevel's offering is regarded and Kayin's is not, and his face falls. God speaks to him first, while there is still a choice: הֲלוֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת — if you improve there is forgiveness — and if not, sin is crouching at the opening, its desire toward you, וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ — but you can rule over it. He did not, and in the field his brother was killed, and God asked him where his brother was, and he said he did not know. Then six words hold the door open for next week: וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן — and Noach found favor.

Chorus

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים —

in the beginning He made the world,

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ —

the heavens and the earth.

He spoke, and there was something.

He looked, and it was good.

Outro

He spoke, and there was something. He looked, and it was good.

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — sit down. This is where all of it starts.

Chorus

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים —

in the beginning He made the world,

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ —

the heavens and the earth.

He spoke, and there was something.

He looked, and it was good.

Spoken Word

At the start there was nothing you could stand on. Unformed, desolate, darkness over the face of the deep, and the breath of God moving above the water. And then a voice. יְהִי אוֹר — let there be light. And there was light. He saw the light was good and He separated it from the dark and gave them both names. Evening, morning, day one. Then a canopy inside the waters. Then the sea pulled back to one place so the dry land could be seen. Then grass, and herbs with seed in them, and fruit trees carrying their own seed inside the fruit. Every time, the same line: וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים כִּי־טוֹב — and God saw that it was good.

Spoken Word

Two great lights in the sky, the big one to rule the day and the small one the night, and the stars with them. Water swarming with living creatures, birds across the face of the sky, and a blessing on all of it — פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ — be fruitful and multiply. Animals out of the ground, every one of its own kind. And then, on the sixth day, a sentence He had not used all week: נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ — let us make man in our image. Male and female He created them, blessed them, and handed them the whole world for food. Then He looked at everything together and said something new: וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד — and behold, it was very good.

Spoken Word

The heavens and the earth were finished, and on the seventh day He stopped, and He blessed that day and made it holy. He formed the man out of dust from the earth, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים — and blew into his nostrils the breath of life — and man became a living soul. A garden in Eden, the Tree of Life in the middle and the Tree of Knowledge beside it, one job, לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ — to work it and to guard it — and one rule. Every tree but that one.

Chorus

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים —

in the beginning He made the world,

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ —

the heavens and the earth.

He spoke, and there was something.

He looked, and it was good.

Spoken Word

לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ — it is not good for the man to be alone. Every animal came to be named, and none of them was a helper for him, so his wife was built from his own side. The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field. She saw the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes; she took, and ate, and gave to her husband, and he ate. And the first question God asked a human being was אַיֶּכָּה — where are you? Each one passed the blame along, and each one heard what would follow: the serpent on its belly, pain in bearing children, and for the man a ground that grows thorns, בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם — bread by the sweat of your face, until you return to the dust you were taken from. And then, before He sends them out of the garden, He makes them coats of leather Himself and clothes them.

Spoken Word

Kayin brings from the fruit of the ground; Hevel brings from the firstborn of his flock and from the best of them, and Hevel's offering is regarded and Kayin's is not, and his face falls. God speaks to him first, while there is still a choice: הֲלוֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת — if you improve there is forgiveness — and if not, sin is crouching at the opening, its desire toward you, וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ — but you can rule over it. He did not, and in the field his brother was killed, and God asked him where his brother was, and he said he did not know. Then six words hold the door open for next week: וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן — and Noach found favor.

Chorus

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים —

in the beginning He made the world,

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ —

the heavens and the earth.

He spoke, and there was something.

He looked, and it was good.

Outro

He spoke, and there was something. He looked, and it was good.

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — the first week of the world, and the first choice in it.

Verse 1

You made the light before You made the day.

You made the ground before You made me.

You took the dust up in Your hand

and breathed a living soul in me.

וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים —

You breathed the breath of life in me.

Pre-Chorus

And You said it to the first man's son,

before a single thing was done —

not after. Before.

Chorus

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Rashi says it in five words:

if you want to, you can win.

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Verse 2

Six days of building, and it was not done.

Rashi asks what the world was missing.

Rest. It was only missing rest.

שַׁבָּת came, and the work was finished.

וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ —

and He made that day holy.

Pre-Chorus

And You said it to the first man's son,

before a single thing was done —

not after. Before.

Chorus

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Rashi says it in five words:

if you want to, you can win.

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Bridge

He called into the trees, אַיֶּכָּה —

where are you?

He is still asking.

And Sforno says the whole world only got the word מְאֹד,

very good, when every part of it stood complete.

So stand.

So stand.

Chorus

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Rashi says it in five words:

if you want to, you can win.

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Outro

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it.

וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן —

and Noach found favor.

The door is still open.

Intro

פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית — the first week of the world, and the first choice in it.

Verse 1

You made the light before You made the day.

You made the ground before You made me.

You took the dust up in Your hand

and breathed a living soul in me.

וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים —

You breathed the breath of life in me.

Pre-Chorus

And You said it to the first man's son,

before a single thing was done —

not after. Before.

Chorus

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Rashi says it in five words:

if you want to, you can win.

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Verse 2

Six days of building, and it was not done.

Rashi asks what the world was missing.

Rest. It was only missing rest.

שַׁבָּת came, and the work was finished.

וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ —

and He made that day holy.

Pre-Chorus

And You said it to the first man's son,

before a single thing was done —

not after. Before.

Chorus

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Rashi says it in five words:

if you want to, you can win.

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Bridge

He called into the trees, אַיֶּכָּה —

where are you?

He is still asking.

And Sforno says the whole world only got the word מְאֹד,

very good, when every part of it stood complete.

So stand.

So stand.

Chorus

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Rashi says it in five words:

if you want to, you can win.

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it!

Outro

וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל־בּוֹ —

you can rule over it.

וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן —

and Noach found favor.

The door is still open.