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.

Death of Isaac

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:12

The ancients certainly did. And in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of Rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, we find a fascinating glimpse into their thoughts on death, destiny...

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Media at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:13

We're looking at Genesis 27:3, where Isaac tells his son Esau, "Now, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me." Seems simple e...

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Trial of Jacob and Rebecca

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:14

The story of Jacob and Esau, and their mother Rebecca, is definitely one for the ages. It's a story ripe with sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, and a mother's desperate attempt...

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Esau's Transgression and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:15

The scene: Jacob is about to deceive his father Isaac in order to receive the blessing meant for his brother Esau. He's understandably nervous. "Behold," he says to Rebecca, "Esau ...

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Rebecca: Esau and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:16

It turns out, even the clothes in the Torah have a tale to spin. to a fascinating Midrash about Esau's special garments, found in Bereshit Rabbah 65. In Genesis 27:15, we read, “Re...

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Jacob's Transgression and Land

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:17

Take the story of Jacob, disguised as Esau, receiving Isaac's blessing. It's a pivotal moment, full of deception and destiny. But let's zoom in on one specific detail: "And the hid...

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Birth of Jacob and Arise

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:18

The scene is set: Jacob, disguised as his brother Esau, deceives his aging and blind father Isaac to receive the blessing meant for the firstborn. The Torah tells us, "He came to h...

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Jacob's Transgression and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:19

That's the tightrope Jacob walked in the famous episode where he deceives his father, Isaac, to steal the blessing meant for his brother, Esau. The story, as we find it in Genesis ...

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Jacob's Transgression and Amalek

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:20

The Torah, in its infinite wisdom, actually speaks to this very feeling, using one of the most iconic scenes in Genesis. Think about Jacob and Esau. The story unfolds in Genesis 27...

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