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.

Kingdom of Jacob and Akiva

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 81:2

Jewish tradition has some pretty insightful things to say about that, especially when it comes to knowledge and humility. Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic midrashic ...

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Jacob's Transgression and Mishna

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 81:3

The verse we're focusing on is from Genesis 35:2: "Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him: Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and purify yourselves,...

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Israelites: Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 81:4

Jewish tradition tells us that the descendants of Jacob experienced just that – divine protection in the face of overwhelming odds. to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah (81), a classi...

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Death of Jacob and Deborah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 81:5

The Torah, in its concise way, captures this very human experience. We find ourselves in Genesis, Chapter 35. Jacob is returning home, a journey laden with its own emotional baggag...

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Jacob Wrestles the Angel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 82:1

Our ancestors certainly did. And sometimes, just sometimes, they got one. Take Jacob, for instance. He's been through the wringer, hasn't he? Deception, exile, wrestling angels… yo...

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Jacob's Transgression and Yosef

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 82:2

The passage begins by quoting Psalm 24:3-5: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand…? He who has clean hands…. He will receive the blessing from the Lord…” The Rabb...

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Jacob and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 82:3

We find him at a crucial point in his life, facing a Divine encounter that echoes a previous one. The text in Bereshit Rabbah 82: “God appeared…again.” That little word "again" is ...

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Jacob's Transgression and Avner

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 82:4

We find ourselves doing just that in this week's story, wrestling with an ancient blessing and its surprising recipients. Our tale begins with God speaking to Jacob, saying, "I am ...

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Jacob: Elijah and the Patriarchs

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 82:5

One fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, dives right into this thorny issue. Specifically, it tackles Jacob's bl...

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