3,279 texts · Page 23 of 69
Names hold power, history, and sometimes, the very essence of a place. Take Jerusalem, for example. Its story, according to the ancient Rabbis, is far more intricate than you might...
We know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Abraham, after a terrible internal struggle, obeys. At the last moment, an angel intervenes, and a ram is sacr...
He's stood on Mount Moriah, knife raised, ready to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. The tension is almost unbearable. And then? (Genesis 22:20) tells us, "It was after these matter...
It’s a beautiful image, isn't it? But what does it really mean? Our sages, grappling with this very verse, connected it to something we say every day: a blessing. Specifically, the...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they explored this question through stories, through midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) – those beautiful, imaginative expansions on t...
And while there aren't easy answers, Jewish tradition grapples with this in profound ways. Today, we're diving into a fascinating Midrash – a rabbinic interpretation – from Bereshi...
It's rarely a mistake. More often, it’s a little breadcrumb, a hint that there's something deeper going on. Take the verse in (Genesis 23:1): "Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred year...
Jewish tradition teaches us to see endings not as final stops, but as vital transitions. Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, puts it simply: "The sun rises and the sun sets." (Ecclesiastes 1:5)...
Rabbi Akiva knew the feeling well! The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tells us he was once teaching, and noticed his audience starting to nod off. So, being the quick-w...
The Torah tells us, "Abraham came to lament for Sarah, and to weep for her" (Genesis 23:2). Simple enough. But where did he come from? That's where things get interesting. The sage...
The story of Abraham burying Sarah in the book of Genesis, specifically as explored in Bereshit Rabbah 58, really brings that feeling to life. "Abraham arose from before his dead, ...
He needs to acquire a burial plot. And what unfolds is a fascinating negotiation, a real estate transaction steeped in cultural nuance, as recorded in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabb...
Our focus is (Genesis 23:17-18), describing how Abraham acquired the field of Ephron, including the cave of Makhpela, as a burial place. "The field of Ephron that was in Makhpela t...
The Torah, as it often does, gives us clues, and this time it’s wrapped up in the story of Abraham burying his beloved Sarah. In (Genesis 23:19), we read, “Then, Abraham buried Sar...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those brilliant interpreters of our sacred texts, really dug into this. Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbin...
Our sages, in the ancient collection of rabbinic homilies known as Bereshit Rabbah, delve deep into this very question. They find an answer woven into the fabric of Torah itself. T...
The Psalmist certainly pondered this. "Even when I am old and gray, God, do not forsake me" (Psalms 71:18). A simple plea. But Rabbi Aḥa, in Bereshit Rabbah, asks a deceptively sim...
This one, found in Bereshit Rabbah 59, a compilation of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, definitely did that for me. It's a story about a rabbi, a myrtle branch, and a fie...
It might sound surprising, but the ancient Rabbis certainly thought so! The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bereshit Rabbah 59, delves into a fascinating i...
The Torah tells us that Abraham was old, zaken (Genesis 24:1). But the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah 59 ask, what does that really signify? The rabbis dig deep, finding layers of meani...
We often think of blessings as material wealth, good health, maybe even a long life. But what if the true blessing is something far deeper, something almost…invisible? Let’s turn t...
It begins, "Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household, who was in charge of everything that was his: Please, place your hand under my thigh" (Genesis 24:2). Under his...
We often focus on practicalities, but sometimes, the ancient texts remind us that there’s much more at stake than meets the eye. Take the story of Abraham sending his servant to fi...
In the Torah, we find Abraham, the patriarch, facing just such a moment when sending his servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for his son, Isaac. It's a journey fraught with responsibi...
The Torah is full of incredible journeys, and sometimes, the distance covered seems almost impossible. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah (59) about Eliezer, Abraham's s...
And sometimes, those signs came from the most unexpected places… even from barking dogs. I know, it sounds a little out there. But bear with me. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive ...
The story of Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, gives us a powerful glimpse. In (Genesis 24:12), we find Eliezer on a crucial mission: to find a wife for Isaac. He prays, "Lord, God of my...
Take Eliezer, for instance, Abraham's trusted servant. He might seem like a supporting player, but Bereshit Rabbah 60 reveals a depth of understanding that's truly remarkable. The ...
And as we learn in Bereshit Rabbah 60, it's a theme that runs through some pretty significant stories in our tradition. The passage opens by quoting (Genesis 24:13-15), the story o...
Talk about divine connection! Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a towering figure in Jewish mysticism, points to three individuals who experienced this incredible immediacy. He says there ar...
Sometimes, the really juicy stuff is hidden in between the lines, prompting the Rabbis to fill in the gaps with their own interpretations. Take the story of Rebecca, for instance, ...
It's a story packed with subtle cues and divine hints, all swirling around a well in Aram Naharaim. The servant arrives and asks Rebecca for a sip of water: "Please allow me to sip...
The story begins with Rebecca, who, upon meeting Eliezer at the well, "ran and told her mother’s household all about these matters" (Genesis 24:28). Now, Rabbi Yoḥanan makes an int...
We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah 60, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, wrestling with just that. The verse in question, (Genesis 24:33), desc...
The story unfolds in Genesis chapter 24. Abraham has tasked his most trusted servant (traditionally identified as Eliezer) with a monumental mission: to find a wife for his son, Is...
The story kicks off in (Genesis 24:50-51), where Laban and Betuel, Rebecca's brother and father, respond to Abraham's servant's request for Rebecca's hand in marriage for Isaac. Th...
We often think of gold, jewels, maybe the perfect outfit. But what if the Torah suggests something far simpler? Let's turn to (Genesis 24:53), the story of Abraham's servant securi...
We all know the story of Rebecca at the well, her kindness, and the divinely ordained meeting. But what about her family? Were they as thrilled about this match as we might think? ...
We pick up with Rebecca, about to leave her family to marry Isaac. (Genesis 24:59) tells us, “They sent Rebecca their sister, and her nursemaid, and Abraham’s servant, and his men....
to one such passage from Genesis, chapter 24, where we find Rebecca on her way to meet Isaac. The verse tells us, "Rebecca and her maids rose, and rode upon the camels, and followe...
The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those ancient interpreters of scripture, certainly had some thoughts. to their fascinating explanations from Bereshit ...
The Torah gives us a glimpse, a tantalizing hint, when describing Isaac bringing Rebecca into his mother Sarah’s tent. (Genesis 24:67) tells us, “Isaac brought her into the tent of...
"Happy is the man who has not walked…" – and then it lists the paths we should avoid: the counsel of the wicked, the way of sinners, the company of the insolent. According to Beres...
He shows us that even in old age, we can still blossom and bear fruit. It all starts with a beautiful verse from Psalms (92:14-15): "Planted in the House of the Lord, they blossom ...
And guess what? It offers some pretty profound, and surprisingly practical, advice. Our jumping-off point is the book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) and its rather cryptic verse: "In th...
The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is so concise, that every word, every phrase, even a name, can hold layers of meaning. Take Ketura, for example. Who was she, r...
But trust me, there's more than meets the eye. These names, tucked away in (Genesis 25:2), are actually bursting with hidden meanings. The passage tells us these were the sons born...
In Bereshit Rabbah, the classic midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic (interpretive) text on Genesis, we find a fascinating discussion, a divergence of opinions on the natur...
