While the Torah is often viewed as a book of laws, Rashi questions why it begins with the story of creation rather than the first commandment given to Israel in Exodus: “This month shall mark for you the beginning… (Exodus 12:2). Rashi explains that starting with Genesis establishes God's sovereignty over the earth; since He created it, He has the right to give the Land of Israel to whomever He deems right. This response provides a justification against claims that Israel "robbed" the land from other nations.
Beyond this legalistic view, Rashi’s words suggest that Israel must connect its faith in God with political realization within its land. In parallel, the Ramban posits that "the deeds of the fathers are a sign for their sons", meaning the patriarchs' experiences foreshadow the historical challenges their descendants will face. For example, Abraham's descent into Egypt prefigures the later national exile.
Israel and the World: A Global Mission
I would suggest a third interpretation: that the central theme of Genesis is the relationship between Israel and the world. While other books of the Torah focus on internal Israelite laws and distinctiveness, Genesis is saturated with global interfaces. It establishes God's relationship with the entire world and describes how the patriarchs - as bearers of His name - interact with diverse peoples and empires. The book presents the moral, economic, and political complexities inherent in these encounters.
This narrative identifies a mission rather than a mere right: the people of Israel are charged with interacting, communicating and trading with global empires to spread God’s blessings both ethically and economically. This challenges the notion of being "a people that dwells alone". Instead, the patriarchs engaged in negotiations and grappled with international crises, setting a precedent for national engagement with the world.
The Multiple Systems of Genesis
The book of Genesis can be read as a structured account of evolving systems that shape human existence and history.
• Physical systems: Chapter 1 describes creation and humanity’s mandate to master the earth. The “spirit of God,” or ruach Elohim, reflects the human capacity to plan, organize and sustain complex systems.
• Spiritual and psychological systems: Chapter 2, through the story of Eden, explores the human inner world. It introduces direct dialogue with God and the tension between moral choice, temptation and initiative.
• Environmental and social interaction: Chapters 3 and 4 move outward, portraying interaction with the other and with the human environment. The conflict between Cain and Abel highlights rivalry, responsibility and the consequences of violence.
• Intergenerational systems: The extensive genealogies that follow show how individual actions and family lines shape long term outcomes, gradually reshaping the world across generations.
• Human society: The Noah narrative examines societal systems. It begins with widespread corruption and lawlessness that lead to the Flood, and continues with the Tower of Babel, where centralized power seeks to engineer uniform human consciousness.
The Abrahamic Breakthrough and Joseph’s Legacy
Abraham’s arrival approximately 2,000 years after creation marks a return to the primordial blessing given to humanity at creation: “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it…” (Genesis 1:28) as he was commanded to "be a blessing" to all the families of the earth. His journeys brought him into contact with the great powers of his era, including Egypt and the nations of Canaan, where he spread divine values. This legacy continues through the patriarchs, who were often granted wealth - a resource meant to be used for engagement rather than isolation .
The book ends with Joseph, who utilized the "spirit of God" to organize economic systems that saved Egypt from famine. Though Genesis ends with Joseph in a coffin in Egypt, symbolizing human fleetingness, his life demonstrates the potential to organize systems based on justice and goodness. However, the ability to spread blessing from exile is limited, necessitating the eventual establishment of an exemplary nation in its own land.
The Call to Contemporary Israel
The geography described in the beginning of Genesis in the story about the Garden of Eden - the four rivers going far north-east and south-west, and the lands of various Abrahams’ descendants like Ishmael, Esau, and Lot - highlights the international scope of the narrative. The ultimate mission is to use the politics and economic diplomacy and partnership to return the region to a state resembling the "Garden of Eden".
The Torah does not want the people of Israel to close themselves off in their land or study halls. Instead, they are called to see international challenges as opportunities to spread blessing. After 2,000 years of exile, instead of being part of what happens in other nations and operating under their leadership, the modern people of Israel can finally engage in trade and diplomacy. This involvement is more vital than ever. Despite the inevitable mistakes and hardships of a nation newly returned to the global stage, the goal remains clear: to unite as a people not just for internal success, but to help other nations succeed through the moral path of Abraham and the values of God.