Midrash Rabbah

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The great Midrash Rabbah, a collection of aggadic midrashim on the Torah and the Five Megillot. These rabbinic commentaries explore the deeper meanings of Scripture through parable, allegory, and legend.

Birth of Isaac and Yitz

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:7

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 ...

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Birth of Sarah and Esther

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:8

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; everyo...

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Birth of Sarah and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:9

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, speaking ...

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Evil Inclination and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:10

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 th...

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Ishmael in Exile

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:11

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 ...

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Abraham's Transgression of Isaac

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:12

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...

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Kingdom of Hagar and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:13

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 ...

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David's Transgression and Hagar

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:14

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...

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Ishmael and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:15

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 live...

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