Parshah through the Mediator’s Lens: Bereishit
Every year, as we begin the Torah anew with Bereishit—the opening portion of Genesis—we revisit the story of creation, human beginnings, and the first recorded conflict in history. It’s a story not just about disobedience, but about influence, persuasion, and the lasting consequences of a single conversation gone wrong.
The Story: The Serpent and the First Conflict
In Bereishit, G-d creates the heavens and the earth, separates light from darkness, and brings forth life. Adam and Eve are placed in the Garden of Eden, told they may eat from any tree except one: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Enter the serpent. Cunning, charismatic, and confident, the serpent persuades Eve to question G-d’s command. “You will not die,” it insists. “Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like G-d, knowing good and evil.” Eve eats the fruit, offers it to Adam, and the innocence of Eden is lost.
When confronted, Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. And so begins the human tendency to deflect responsibility, a dynamic every mediator knows too well.
Influence and Responsibility
The serpent doesn’t force Eve’s hand. It merely plants a seed of doubt, an idea that something withheld might be unfair or unnecessary. It is a powerful lesson about how subtle persuasion can change perceptions, create mistrust, and lead to conflict.
In the aftermath, G-d’s response underscores an essential truth of conflict: influence may explain behavior, but it does not absolve responsibility. Adam and Eve both face consequences, as does the serpent. Each actor plays a role in the breakdown of trust, and each bears accountability.
The Modern Parallel: Outside Influences in Mediation
In contemporary conflict resolution, “serpents” still whisper, though they often take more sophisticated forms. They may be:
- Well-meaning advisors who encourage a hardline stance.
- Friends or family who relive old wounds and urge “justice” over peace.
- Attorneys or adjusters who, intentionally or not, shape expectations through bias or interpretation.
- Internal voices (fear, pride, ego) that distort judgment as effectively as any outside force.
Just as in Bereishit, these influences can either help illuminate truth or obscure it. A skilled mediator must recognize when a party’s position has been swayed by something external—an opinion, a pressure, a fear—and gently bring the conversation back to each participant’s own needs, interests, and values.
When Influence Helps
Not all influence is destructive. In fact, the role of the mediator itself is one of constructive influence. By fostering clarity, empathy, and reflection, a mediator helps parties move from reaction to resolution.
Similarly, positive outside influences such as experienced counsel, supportive colleagues, faith-based guidance can anchor a person in perspective and moral grounding. The key is awareness: knowing the source and intention of influence.
When Influence Hurts
Problems arise when influence undermines autonomy. When a party feels pressured to act from pride, fear, or misinformation rather than understanding, they lose ownership of the resolution. The result is often resentment, delay, or collapse of trust, echoing Eden’s aftermath.
A mediator’s task, therefore, is to help each party recognize the “serpents” in their ear: Who or what is shaping your stance? What story are you telling yourself about this dispute? And is that story serving your goals—or someone else’s?
Returning to the Garden
The story of Bereishit reminds us that conflict resolution begins with self-awareness. Eve’s fateful choice is not just about temptation; it is about how we listen, whom we trust, and how we discern between truth and persuasion.
In mediation, peace comes when participants move beyond external influence and take ownership of their choices. In that moment, metaphorically speaking, they begin the process of returning to the Garden: a space of understanding, clarity, and renewed relationship.
Reflection for the Week:
In your next negotiation or difficult conversation, ask yourself: Who is the serpent whispering in my ear—and what truth do I risk losing if I listen?
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Each week, Ari Sliffman, a Jewish legal mediator in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discusses the week’s Parshah “through the lens of a mediator.” Ari focuses on one or two sections of the Parshah and discuss how a mediator could have assisted with the relevant conflict.
