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The scene: Joseph, a handsome young man, working in the house of his Egyptian master, Potiphar. Potiphar's wife, overcome with desire, makes a move. (Genesis 39:12) tells us, "She ...
We all know the story: Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph, he resists, and then, scorned, she falsely accuses him, leading to his imprisonment. But the ancient rabbis, never on...
The story of Joseph in Egypt, as recounted in Bereshit Rabbah, offers a powerful, and surprisingly intimate, glimpse into just that. We all know the outlines of the story: Joseph, ...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, specifically section 88. The passage begins wi...
This particular passage, from section 88, tells us about the downfall of two unfortunate souls: the butler and the baker of the Egyptian Pharaoh. What did they do? Were they plotti...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw God's hand even in moments of anger, betrayal, and… well, poisoned drinks. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic rabbi...
Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic (interpretive) text that expands on the book of Genesis. We find Joseph, already a long...
The Torah is brimming with them, and Jewish tradition loves to unpack their layers of meaning. Take the dream of the chief butler in the Joseph story. In (Genesis 40:9), he recount...
Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classical Rabbinic text that intricately interprets the Book of Genesis. We're in chapter 40, where Joseph, languishing in ...
Remember the story? Joseph, wrongly imprisoned, interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's chief butler. He asks the butler, once restored to his position, to remember him and mention him ...
The book of Genesis tells us, "It was at the conclusion of two years, and Pharaoh was dreaming: and, behold, he stood at the Nile" (Genesis 41:1). But Bereshit Rabbah, that incredi...
We all have those moments where we feel like our efforts are fruitless. But what if even the most difficult experiences held a hidden benefit? Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabb...
It’s a question that echoes through the story of Joseph, as we find it explored in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. The passage ope...
It opens with a simple question: "And Pharaoh was dreaming" – do not all people dream? What’s so special about his? The answer, according to Rabbi Yoḥanan, is that a king’s dream p...
Pharaoh knew that feeling all too well. (Genesis 41:8) tells us, "It was in the morning and his spirit was troubled; he sent and summoned all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wi...
We're looking at the story of Pharaoh's dream and how Joseph, the ultimate dream interpreter, finally gets his shot. The text begins, "He sent and summoned…" referring to Pharaoh g...
And it seems that even in the hallowed pages of the Bible, we see echoes of this self-serving behavior. to the story of Joseph, the coat of many colors, and Pharaoh's dream. Rememb...
Jewish tradition certainly has. There's a fascinating story in Bereshit Rabbah 89 that makes you think twice about speaking carelessly. The story begins simply enough. A woman appr...
Talk about a whirlwind! As we read in (Genesis 41:14), "Pharaoh sent and summoned Joseph, [and they rushed him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his garments, and came to Pharao...
But Jewish tradition, with its beautiful layers of interpretation, sees something far deeper. The rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient and profound commentary on the Book of Genes...
Sometimes, it's from the most unexpected places. Take the story of Joseph in Egypt. He rises from prisoner to become second-in-command to Pharaoh. And within that rise, hidden in P...
The story of Joseph in Egypt is a classic tale of rags to riches, but the Rabbis see a deeper, more poetic justice at play. to a fascinating interpretation from Bereshit Rabbah 90,...
Names aren't just labels; they're stories waiting to be unpacked. Take Joseph, for example, and the rather unusual name Pharaoh gives him: Tzafenat Paane’aḥ. What does it even mean...
We get a glimpse into just how crazy things were from the ancient collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah. Specifically, Bereshit Rabbah 90 r...
One minute you're celebrating abundance, the next you're facing scarcity. The story of Joseph in Egypt gives us a powerful glimpse into this precarious balance, and the ancient rab...
Jacob, seeing a famine in the land, tells his sons, "Why do you make yourselves conspicuous?" (Genesis 42:1). Simple enough. But the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive co...
The story begins with Jacob observing his sons. "Why do you make yourselves conspicuous?" he asks them. But what exactly did he mean? According to this Midrash (rabbinic interpreti...
Our journey begins with a seemingly simple verse from (Genesis 42:5): "The sons of Israel came to acquire grain among [betokh] those who came, as the famine was in the land of Cana...
The ones that make you think, "Wait, how did that happen?" to a fascinating little corner of the Joseph story, found in Bereshit Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations o...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they found fascinating insights in the story of Joseph in Egypt. In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of G...
That’s kind of what happened to Jacob after Joseph disappeared, according to the ancient commentary, Bereshit Rabbah. The Torah tells us, "Jacob saw that there was grain [shever] i...
The Bible is full of them, and the story of Joseph and his brothers is no exception. It's a tale of betrayal, forgiveness, and ultimately, reconciliation. But what about the subtle...
The Torah portion of Vayigash gives us a glimpse into their complex relationship, and the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), particularly in Bereshit Rabbah ...
It's a deep dive into the story of Jacob's sons and their trip to Egypt, and it's full of anxiety, suspicion, and loss. The passage begins with a recap from Genesis 42. Joseph, now...
The scene: a devastating famine grips the land. Jacob's sons have returned from Egypt with grain, but it’s gone. They need to go back, but the mysterious Egyptian ruler—who we, the...
Our ancestors certainly did. This week, we're diving into Bereshit Rabbah 91, a section of the great Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection that unpacks the Book o...
Our tradition grapples with this too, offering perspectives that might surprise you. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the ...
The ancient rabbis pondered this very question. In Bereshit Rabbah 92, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, we find a fascinating glimpse into the last words, ...
But it's also so much more. It’s a roadmap, a history book, a mystical text. And it's all wrapped up together, often needing a little… unpacking. That's where commentaries like Ber...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're l...
to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, and see how it illuminates a poignant moment in the Joseph s...
Take the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. We know Joseph, now a powerful Egyptian official, tests his brothers after years of separation. He orders his steward to fill th...
Here, the rabbis are exploring the verse in (Genesis 44:8), where Joseph's brothers, completely innocent of any wrongdoing, exclaim, "Behold, silver that we found in the opening of...
We're diving into Genesis 44, where Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, is testing his brothers. Remember the setup? Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt seeking food during a famin...
We find ourselves in (Genesis 44:16), with Judah facing Joseph – though he doesn’t yet know it's Joseph – after the infamous silver goblet is found in Benjamin's sack. His desperat...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they found wisdom in the story of Judah and Joseph in the book of Genesis to guide us. Our story begins with a tense encounter. Judah, pleadin...
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers. We often focus on the grand reconciliation, the forgiveness, the happy ending in Egypt. But what about the really prickly parts? Bereshit ...
That’s where Judah found himself in the biblical story of Joseph. to a powerful moment from that saga, as illuminated by the ancient commentary of Bereshit Rabbah. The verse we’re ...
