1,056 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bereshit Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 10 of 22.
It all starts with God promising Abraham countless descendants: "Look now to the heavens, and count the stars, if you can count them… So will your offspring be." But it's the phras...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Abraham and Creation of Chaldeans. Well, that's where things get interesting. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bereshit Rabbah,...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to God's Covenant with Abraham Under the Stars. The verse in question is (Genesis 15:8): “He said: My Lord God, how can I know that I will inherit it?” It’s a...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, we find a fascinating take on Abraham’s covenant with God. Remember the scene where God...
The Torah uses powerful imagery to describe just such a feeling in (Genesis 15:11): “Birds of prey descended upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.” What does it really mea...
That liminal space is rich with meaning, according to Jewish tradition. And it all starts with a single verse. In (Genesis 15:12), we read: "It was as the sun was setting, and a sl...
"Know with certainty that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved to them and they will oppress them, four hundred years.” That's...
One such verse, rich with meaning and implication. In (Genesis 15:14), God tells Abraham, "And also that nation that they will serve, I will judge, and after that they will go out ...
Sometimes, a single letter can unlock a whole new world of understanding. Take the verse from (Genesis 15:14), promising that the Israelites would leave Egypt with "great property....
What in the world is going on here? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those ancient interpreters of scripture, were just as captivated by this verse as ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to What God Revealed to Abraham in the Covenant. Rabbi Yudan brings us a fascinating debate between Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai and Rabbi Akiva. One sage believ...
The Torah is often remembered as a clear-cut set of instructions, but sometimes, things get a little… complicated. Take the story of God's promise to Abraham in (Genesis 15:19-21)....
The Torah touches on this very issue, and the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those ancient interpreters of scripture, offer some pretty fascinating expla...
It centers on Sarai (later Sarah) and Abram (later Abraham), a couple whose journey to parenthood was anything but straightforward. We find them facing a heartbreaking reality: Sar...
They were promised descendants as numerous as the stars, yet years went by in the land of Canaan, barren and seemingly forgotten by destiny. The Torah tells us, “Sarai, Abram’s wif...
Meanwhile, weeds seem to sprout up effortlessly, choking everything in their path. Jewish tradition grapples with this very question, especially when it comes to something as funda...
Our story centers on Sarai (later Sarah) and Abram (later Abraham), a couple facing the heartbreaking reality of childlessness. Sarai, in a desperate attempt to fulfill the divine ...
It's not always the idyllic picture we might imagine. to a fascinating, and frankly, a bit uncomfortable, passage from Bereshit Rabbah 45, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commen...
That's where our story begins, drawn from the ancient wisdom of Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. "The angel of the Lord found her i...
In Jewish tradition, it's more than just a label. It can be a destiny, a prophecy, a divine decree. names echo through generations, carrying stories and meanings. But what about th...
” What does it mean to be a "wild man?" The Rabbis of old certainly wrestled with this very question. The ancient commentary, Bereshit Rabbah, explores this verse, offering various...
Bereshit Rabbah 45, a fascinating passage from the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that grapples with just that. The verse in question is from (Genesis 16:13), when Haga...
It says, "Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram; He said to him: I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be faultless.” Ninety-nine years old. It’s never t...
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." The familiar version gives us the famous line from Ecclesiastes (3:1). But have you ever stopped to c...
The scene: God, in (Genesis 17:1), reveals Himself to Abraham, saying "I am God Almighty [Shadai]." But what does Shadai really mean? The Rabbis, in Bereshit Rabbah 46, unpack this...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explored this very human feeling when confronting God's command to Abraham to be circumcised. In (Genesis 17:1), God tel...
What does it truly signify? And why there? In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, we find a fascinating discussion between Rabbi Yishmael ...
It's never accidental. Jewish tradition teaches us that repetitions often hold profound significance, echoing through generations. Take Abraham, for example, our patriarch. We find...
The rabbis of the Midrash loved finding secrets inside the first letters of things. Bereshit Rabbah 46 preserves one of those moments, the rabbis puzzling over something quite prof...
The Torah tells us in (Genesis 17:5), "Your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." Seems But...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Joshua and Creation of Land. In (Genesis 17:8), God says, "I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, the entire l...
In Bereshit Rabbah, that foundational midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, the rabbis unpack layers of meaning from even a single word. The verse uses the Hebrew word...
It's a fascinating, and sometimes complex, corner of Jewish law. Our guide for today is Bereshit Rabbah, a classic Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text – meaning, a co...
Our journey begins with the powerful words from (Genesis 17:13): “You shall surely circumcise those born in your house, or those purchased with your silver, and My covenant shall b...
It centers around a single verse, (Genesis 17:14), which deals with brit milah, the covenant of circumcision. The verse reads: “And the uncircumcised male who shall not circumcise ...
The Torah portion Lekh Lekha is full of such hidden power, especially when we look at the transformation of Sarai into Sarah, and how that reflects her changing role. "God said to ...
The Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw so much more. The Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, dedicates a whole section to unpacki...
It's right there in (Genesis 17:17): "Abraham fell upon his face, and he laughed. He said in his heart: Shall a child be born to one who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, ...
It's right there in the Torah: "Abraham said to God: 'Would that Ishmael might live before You.'" (Genesis 17:18). Seems straightforward. But like so much in our tradition, there's...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Covenant of Ishmael. So, who gets what blessing? That's where the rabbinic interpretations come in, offering multiple readings. Rabbi Yoḥanan, quoting Rabb...
Our story revolves around a verse from (Genesis 17:22): "He concluded speaking with him, and God ascended from upon Abraham." This simple line, as interpreted by the sages in Beres...
(Genesis 17:23) tells us that Abraham, obedient to God's command, circumcised his son Ishmael and all the males in his household. “Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born ...
Take the story of Abraham, for instance. The familiar version gives us he was commanded to circumcise himself and his household. But did you ever stop to consider the details of th...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Covenant of Circumcision of Abraham. (Genesis 17:26) tells us, “On that very day, Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son.” Simple. But that “very day...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Lakish — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation. The rabbis ask: how far is too far? The text poses a scenario: Can you go to an idolatrous fair – that is, a fair...
Like a flash of light and a booming voice. But maybe, just maybe, it's something a little more… intimate. The source turns to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collecti...
" Now, Abraham takes center stage. He interprets this verse in light of his own life, specifically his circumcision. He says that after he circumcised himself, many proselytes, con...
It all starts with a verse from Exodus, "You shall make for Me an altar of earth…[I will come to you and I will bless you]" (Exodus 20:21). Rabbi Yitzḥak takes this to heart. He im...
