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 Elijah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:9

We often have these grand ideas of lineage, of destiny woven into our very DNA. But what if the story is more…complicated? to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah 71 and wrestle with jus...

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Birth of Asher

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:10

Sometimes, the answer lies hidden in the stories of our ancestors, like the tale of Asher, one of Jacob's twelve sons. In Genesis 30:12, we read, "Zilpa the maidservant of Leah gav...

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Faith of Rachel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 72:1

It all starts simply enough: "Reuben went during the days of wheat harvest, found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to Leah, his mother. Rachel said to Leah: Please give me ...

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Reuben and the Matriarchs

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 72:2

It’s truly fascinating. In Genesis 30:14, we read about Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son, finding dudaim (דּוּדָאִים) in the field. The verse states: "Reuben went during the days of whea...

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Leah: Rachel at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 72:3

It all comes to mind when we look at the story of Rachel and Leah, and those fateful dudaim, the mandrakes. The scene is set in Genesis 30:15. Rachel, unable to conceive, is desper...

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Jacob: Shabbat and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 72:4

Take the story of Jacob, Leah, and some very potent mandrakes in Genesis 30:16-17. Seems like a simple domestic scene. But the sages of the Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a clas...

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Birth of Leah and Issachar

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 72:5

The ancient rabbis certainly did. Let's delve into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, specifical...

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Leah: Zebulun at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 72:6

We’re talking about Leah, wife of Jacob. You remember Leah: first wife, given in a switcheroo by her father Laban! By this point, she’s already given Jacob a whole bunch of sons. B...

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Rachel: Sarah at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 73:1

Specifically, God remembering us. Our verse for today comes from Genesis 30:22: “God remembered Rachel, and God heeded her, and He opened her womb.” A simple verse. But like so muc...

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