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.

Jacob's Transgression and Rome

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:9

In fact, our ancestors grappled with it too. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, and see how Jacob faced a simila...

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Jacob and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:10

We pick up the story in Genesis 32:4, where it says: "Jacob sent messengers." But before we get to that, Genesis 32:3 tells us something crucial: "Jacob said, when he saw them: [Th...

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Birth of Esau and Blessings

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:11

We're looking at section 75, which deals with the moment Jacob prepares to meet his brother Esau after years of estrangement. Jacob, remember, is about to face his brother Esau, fr...

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Jacob: Joseph and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:12

Our ancestor Jacob certainly did. When he sends messengers ahead to his brother Esau, the report they bring back plunges him into fear. But within that fear, we find a fascinating ...

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Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:13

That’s the kind of tension simmering in our portion today, as we delve into Bereshit Rabbah 75, a midrashic exploration of Jacob's anxieties before his fateful encounter with Esau....

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Moses: Jacob and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:1

It turns out, even our greatest heroes struggled with this. We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah 76, a section of the ancient rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The scene ...

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Wisdom of Jacob of Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:2

It’s a uniquely human experience, and it's exactly the kind of layered emotion we find in the story of Jacob's reunion with Esau. In Genesis 32:8, it says "Jacob was very frightene...

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Kingdom of Jacob of Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:3

But what if I told you the Torah itself offers some pretty practical advice about diversifying your... well, everything? It's tucked away in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbin...

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Esau: Jacob's Prayer

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:4

We're looking at section 76, which grapples with Jacob's prayer as he prepares to meet his brother Esau after years of separation (Genesis 32:10). Remember the setup: Jacob is unde...

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