Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 159 of 325

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.

Ehud and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:3

Sometimes, a single verse can unlock a whole world of meaning, revealing connections between different figures and events throughout Jewish history. to one such verse from Genesis ...

CreationAngelsEstherTemple

Jacob's Transgression and Benjamin

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:4

The sages of the Midrash, particularly in Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of Genesis interpretations, weren't fond of repetition. They believed every word, every phrase, held ...

CreationAdam & EveSolomonPrayer

Death of Jacob of Isaac

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:5

In Jewish tradition, there are stories about those who tried, and what happened when they did. Our story today comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpre...

CreationPatriarchsMosesJob

Birth of Reuben of Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:6

The story of Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, is a powerful illustration of just that – a tale of lost potential, impulsive actions, and the consequences that ripple through generations....

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsMoses

Death of Jacob and Simeon

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:7

Today, we’re diving into one particularly intense moment: Jacob's words about Simeon and Levi. It all starts with the verse: "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of villainy are ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Death of Jacob and Tamar

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:8

It all goes back to Jacob's blessings to his sons on his deathbed, a scene fraught with emotion and anticipation. And within that scene, the blessing to Judah stands out, packed wi...

CreationPatriarchsJosephKing David

Zebulun's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:9

The Torah portion Vayechi gives us a glimpse into just that, through the blessings Jacob bestows upon his sons. to the unique dynamic between Zebulun and Issachar. Jacob, nearing t...

CreationMosesSolomonTorah

Issachar's Transgression and Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:10

to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 99, a midrashic commentary on the Book of Genesis, and unpack some of the hidden gems within Jacob's blessing to his son, Issachar. Th...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsKing David

Dan's Transgression of Samson

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:11

We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, wrestling with Jacob's final blessings to his sons. And when he gets to D...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsElijah