The Thick Kinship of Genesis

It is in Genesis that we lay the foundation for everything.

In Genesis, we learn to speak.

In Genesis, we learn we fail.

In Genesis, we learn we fail those most important to us -

In Genesis, we learn that we can be forgiven.

In Genesis, we learn that we are all from the same dust.

In Genesis, we learn that some humans forget that.

In Genesis - we learn that we are Jews.

In Genesis, we learn that we are kin.

To be kin is not to be in community - it is to be in covenant.

To be covenanted to all of humanity - yes.

And Genesis also teaches us that our own kin teach us what it means to belong to each other.

Ben Azzai says - this is the fundamental teaching of our tradition -

:זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם, זֶה כְּלַל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה

That Torah is the”sefer toldot” the book of the generations of humanity - the book of kinship

This is the principle of what the rest of Torah relies on

Our story begins with one person - each of us - in all our diversity - in all our beauty and chaos comes from that one

So all of us - are kin

This is the “thin kinship” of Genesis - that each of us is made in that sacred image

Each of us - is worthy of, and must work to remind others of that inherent dignity given by dint of being created

And - Genesis is also the book of Thick Kinship

That there are a people - with whom we make ourselves proximate to, and have shared purpose with - our relations - those also from Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel, and Leah

Our kinship is about who we come from - about what we give to each other, and what do together

Genesis begins the Human Project

Which, i might be bold enough to make a small edit -

Perhaps is the Humanity Project, or Humans project

Because From the beginning we learn - לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ

It is not good for a single person to be alone

We are meant to be in kin- the human project is a group project.

And Genesis (and the other books) show us that yes, some times your partners are not who you might have chosen. And yes, sometimes they don’t do the work.

But we are what we have.

We must be each other’s עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃

Translated as “helpmate - or helper, companion

But really - Ezer - lifesaver

It is a life-saving counterpart.

We are created to be in kin. To be in kinship with our people. And with humanity.

The ones who stand “knegdo” against from us - pushing us towards better - either in our opposition or by their example

And the ones who care for us, save us.

This is what it might mean to be in kin -

To be each others counterparts -

K’nego - beside each other - In proximity-

And to know that we are from each other.

We belong to each other.

That the I must always be in service of the we.

Genesis begins with the one. And ends with the multitude. Begins with one promise. Ends with the promise given to a people.