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Our story begins with Abraham. "Abraham traveled from there," the verse tells us (Genesis 20:1). But where was he going, and why? Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic ...
It’s a question that bubbles to the surface when we delve into the story of Abraham and Lot in Bereshit Rabbah, the great Rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The text opens...
It’s a question that's been wrestled with for millennia, and Jewish tradition offers some fascinating, layered answers. to one such exploration, found in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic...
"Avimelekh had not approached her; he said: My Lord, will You kill a nation that is also innocent?" Now, that’s quite the opening gambit. Avimelekh, in his defense, cries out to Go...
The Torah portion Vayera, and specifically (Genesis 20:6), offers a fascinating take on this. God speaks to Avimelech, king of Gerar, in a dream after Avimelech takes Sarah, Abraha...
It wasn't just about seeing the future; it was about holding life and death in their hands. to a fascinating little story from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, to see how the ancients grappled with the unexpected. The story unfolds in Ge...
Specifically, we're diving into Bereshit Rabbah 52, which unpacks a tricky moment in Abraham's story. Remember when Abraham and Sarah are traveling, and Abraham introduces Sarah as...
to one of those moments, a scene ripe with intrigue, involving Abraham, Sarah, and Avimelekh, king of Gerar. The story unfolds in Genesis 20. Avimelekh, deceived by Abraham’s claim...
In Jewish tradition, we find moments like that too, and they often lead to powerful breakthroughs. Take the story of Abraham and Sarah in the land of Avimelekh. As the Book of Gene...
It all comes down to remembering, and more importantly, acting. to a story about just that, found in Bereshit Rabbah 53, a section of the ancient midrash (rabbinic interpretive com...
Like something ripped straight from the pages of a philosophical thriller. But the question, "Will a person be more just than God? Will a man be purer than his Maker?" isn’t new. I...
We’re going to do just that, diving into a fascinating interpretation from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. It all starts with a...
(Psalm 119:89) declares, “Forever, Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.” But does this mean it doesn’t stand firm here, with us? Our sages grappled with this, finding an ans...
The Torah, and the rabbinic tradition that blossoms from it, is obsessed with this very question. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 53, a midrash – a rabbinic interpret...
to a beautiful passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, to explore just such a moment: the birth of Isaac. The verse we’re loo...
It's more than just a label; it's a key to understanding a person’s essence and their role in the grand tapestry of existence. Take the name ISAAC, Yitzḥak in Hebrew. It's so much ...
After decades of barrenness, at a very, very advanced age, she miraculously conceives and gives birth to Isaac. In (Genesis 21:6), she exclaims, "God has made laughter for me; ever...
The verse we're looking at is (Genesis 21:7): "She said: Who would have announced to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I bore a son for his old age.” It's Sarah, speakin...
Our story begins with a simple line from (Genesis 21:8): “The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.” Simple enough. But the Rabbis, in ...
The Torah tells us Sarah saw Ishmael "playing" (Genesis 21:9), and it was enough for her to demand, in no uncertain terms, that Hagar and Ishmael be banished. But what exactly did ...
The Torah tells us, "The matter was greatly distressing in Abraham’s eyes, regarding his son" (Genesis 21:11). This refers to the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. But why was Abraha...
Let’s look at one of those now, a fraught and painful scene from Genesis, chapter 21. We're talking about the expulsion of Hagar and her son Yishmael. The verse tells us, "Abraham ...
Even King David, the sweet singer of Israel, felt that way sometimes. And the ancient rabbis grappled with this very question too. In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homi...
Turns out, sometimes those tiny words hold enormous secrets. Take the story of Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, in (Genesis 21:20): “God was with [et] the lad, and he grew. He li...
Like something’s not quite adding up. Well, our sages grappled with that very idea, digging deep into a verse in Genesis and a proverb from the Book of Proverbs to uncover some sur...
The passage opens with Avimelekh and Pikhol approaching Abraham. Now, who exactly was Pikhol? Rabbi Yehuda says Pikhol was his actual name. But Rabbi Nehemya offers a fascinating a...
The story revolves around Abraham and Avimelekh in Genesis 21. Abraham, as the verse tells us, "reprimanded Avimelekh regarding the well of water that Avimelekh's servants had stol...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so. to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, to see just how much weight our Sa...
That's the scene we find ourselves in with Abraham and Avimelech, as retold in Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The verse in question is (Ge...
It might be more surprising – and down-to-earth – than you think. Our text from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, dives into...
Jewish tradition wrestles with this question constantly, and one powerful lens through which we explore it is the story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah. Genesis 22...
And Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, offers a fascinating perspective. It's found in Bereshit Rabbah 55 and it all st...
The idea of being tested, especially by a higher power, is a central theme in Jewish tradition. And one of the most profound examples of this is the story of Abraham. Bereshit Rabb...
Our story begins with the seemingly simple phrase, “After these matters [devarim]…”. The Hebrew word devarim can mean both "matters" and "words," and as we delve into Bereshit Rabb...
The passage comes from Bereshit Rabbah 55, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. It all starts with a verse from the prophet Micah (6:6): “With what ...
The story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah, is a powerful lens through which to explore this idea. Our text today comes from Bereshit Rabbah 55, a collection of rab...
to a fascinating example from Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 55, which deals with one of the most challenging stories in the Torah: the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah. The ve...
to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, specifically section 55, and see what wisdom we can unearth. The pas...
Jewish tradition is full of stories that remind us that sometimes, salvation comes on the third day. It’s a recurring motif, a whisper of hope that echoes through our texts. Think ...
The Bible tells us the bare bones of the story, but the Rabbis, in their endless quest to understand God's word, delve deeper, seeking hidden meanings and profound truths. In Beres...
We're looking at (Genesis 22:6), that agonizing verse leading up to the Akeidah, the Binding of Isaac. "Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and placed it upon Isaac his son...
We know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. But what about the whispers, the doubts, the anxieties that surely must have plagued them both? The Book of Ge...
We all know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. Abraham, with unwavering faith, prepares to fulfill this divine decree. "They came to the place tha...
We all know the story: Abraham, tested by God, is asked to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. He obeys, bringing Isaac to Mount Moriah. Just as Abraham raises his knife, an angel in...
The story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah, is a cornerstone of Jewish tradition, and within it, a tiny detail holds profound meaning. It's in the repetition of Abr...
We all know the story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac – the Akeidah, as it's known in Hebrew. But what about Isaac? Was he just a passive participant in this earth-shattering m...
We know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. Abraham, unflinchingly faithful, prepares to follow through. But at the last moment, an angel intervene...
