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    Three beginnings – No’ach

    In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light.

    God saw that it was good, and there was evening and morning, one day.

    God divided the upper realms from the lower, and there was evening and morning, a second day. God created the sea, land and vegetation, and there was evening and morning, a third day.

    God created the sun, moon and stars to give light, and there was evening and morning, a fourth day. God created the fishes and birds, and there was evening and morning, a fifth day.

    God created the land animals; the angels begged Him not to create man, who would endanger the work of creation: but God said that man would have mind, heart and conscience and the creation would be safe, and there was evening and morning, a sixth day.

    By the seventh day God’s work was completed and God made man His partner in making the world function and beautifying the Garden of Eden.

    In the beginning man rejoiced in the privilege God had given him.

    Then man said, “Who is God? I am God!” And he pushed the guidelines aside and polluted the creation with injustice.

    God saw the deeds of man but said, “Man is still immature; I will give him time”. And there was evening and morning, one day.

    And man polluted the creation with violence to humans and animals; God saw the deeds of man but said, “Man is still young upon the earth; I will give him time”. And there was evening and morning, a second day.

    And man polluted the creation with falsehood; God saw the deeds of man but said, “Man is still finding his way; I will give him time”. And there was evening and morning, a third day.

    And man polluted the creation with robbery; God saw the deeds of man but said, “He will learn respect”. And there was evening and morning, a fourth day.

    And man polluted the creation with fanaticism; God saw the deeds of man but said, “He will calm down”. And there was evening and morning, a fifth day.

    Man polluted the creation with cruelty to children; God saw the deeds of man and said sadly, “Man seems to be getting worse: how much more time can I give him?” And there was evening and morning, a sixth day.

    By the seventh day God’s patience was sorely tried and He could no longer rest.

    And God said, “Shall I destroy the creation? But it is not the creation that has sinned.

    Shall I destroy man, and make some other being My trusted partner? But man is not one man; there are men, however few, who have opposed the work of evil and stood courageously for conscience and morality.

    If I destroy man I will make their faithfulness seem of no account. No: out of them I will build a new human race.”

    In the beginning God spoke to them lovingly and said, “It will take time, but you will be My partners in restoring the Garden of Eden”. There was evening and morning, one day.

    God said, “Love your neighbour as yourself”. There was evening and morning, a second day.

    God said, “Let justice well up like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream”. There was evening and morning, a third day.

    God said, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain”. There was evening and morning, a fourth day.

    God said, “Keep far from a false word”. There was evening and morning, a fifth day.

    God said, “Do not sin against the child”. There was evening and morning, a sixth day.

    And by the seventh day the still small voice of human conscience had increased and decency was growing amongst men. And God said, “It is good – ki tov“.

    And God said, “There were wicked people on earth and I considered destroying them. But it is not the sinner that needs to be destroyed, but the sin.

    “My hand will strengthen the doers of good, and uphold the champions of justice and right. Love will overtake hatred, kindness will overwhelm unrighteousness, truth will prevail against falsehood.

    “Every creature will live and help live, humans will sit under their own vine and fig tree with none to make them afraid, nation will not lift up sword against nation nor learn war any more. My creation will at last become a Garden of the Lord!”

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