1,056 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bereshit Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 11 of 22.
Who among us can live with eternal conflagrations?" The text then presents different rabbinic interpretations of this verse, each offering a unique lens through which to understand...
(Genesis 18:1) tells us, "He was sitting [yoshev] at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day." But there's more to it than meets the eye. Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi...
It opens with the seemingly simple phrase: "At the entrance [petaḥ] of the tent [ohel]." This refers to Abraham sitting at the entrance of his tent, welcoming guests. But, as is so...
The Rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of Rabbinic interpretations on Genesis, find layers of meaning we might otherwise miss. In Bereshit Rabbah, Abraham was co...
It all starts with Abraham, of course, and his legendary hospitality. Who is Abraham addressing here? The verse continues, "My lords [adonai], please, if I have found favor in your...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Abraham Welcomes Three Angels with Bread. What's so special about bread? Rabbi Yitzḥak points out a fascinating pattern: Scripture consistently links bread...
I've been pondering just that as I was reading through Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 48, which elaborates on a seemingly simple verse: (Genesis 18:6). It reads, "Abraham hu...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to The Young Bull Abraham Gave Ishmael to Prepare. Remember when three divine guests show up at Abraham's tent in the heat of the day (Genesis 18)? He springs...
The Rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah – that amazing collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis – see so much more. First, that "butter and milk" bit. What kind of butter are we tal...
The three angels, disguised as men, are visiting Abraham, and they ask him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" He replies, "Behold, in the tent.” Simple enough. But here’s the thing: in s...
The verse in question? "He said: I will return to you at this time next year and, behold, a son for Sarah your wife. And Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, and it was...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Kingdom of Sarah of Abraham. Bereshit Rabbah explores this laughter, specifically referencing a moment in history when the Torah was translated into Greek ...
Sounds wild. to it. The story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Remember the scene? Sarah, eavesdropping near the...
Because today's little story from Bereshit Rabbah, the great commentary on the Book of Genesis, is all about the power of the seemingly impossible. The verse At the time, I will re...
The verse in question is (Genesis 18:15): "Sarah denied, saying: I did not laugh, for she was afraid. He said: No, but you did laugh.” It's a simple exchange. But Rabbi Yehuda ben ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Did Hagar Speak Directly to God or an Angel. He points to the story of Hagar, who, after encountering an angel, "called the name of the Lord who spoke with...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to God Teaches Torah In The World To Come. Well, imagine this: God, the ultimate teacher, personally instructing all of Israel in Torah. Not just reading it, ...
How do you BECOME ready? Our exploration starts in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Here, in section 49, we find a fascinat...
Our sages certainly did. And they found a fascinating answer, tucked away in the very words God used when speaking to Abraham. The passage It's a treasure trove of wisdom, allegory...
The Torah portion Vayera, and specifically (Genesis 18:19), offers a glimpse into this very idea: "For I love him, so that he will command his children and his household after him,...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to How the Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah Grew Greater. We find it in (Genesis 18:20): "The Lord said: Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and becaus...
That’s kind of the vibe we get from a fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah (49), a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. It centers around the verse in (...
(Genesis 18:22) tells us, "The men turned from there and went to Sodom, and Abraham was still standing before the Lord.” Seems straightforward. But hold on... The opening phrase, "...
What does it mean to approach God? That's precisely what the Rabbis confront in Bereshit Rabbah 49. The text opens with that powerful line from Genesis, "Abraham approached, and he...
The story of Abraham's negotiation with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, found in the book of Genesis, is a powerful exploration of justice, compassion, and the courage to ...
The familiar story is this: God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. But Abraham, ever the righteous advocate, steps in. He challenges God, asking, "...
We'll be looking at Bereshit Rabbah 49, which unpacks Abraham's famous negotiation with God over the fate of Sodom. Remember the story? God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah b...
Abraham, our patriarch, certainly did. In (Genesis 18:27), during that intense negotiation with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham says, “Behold now, I have presumed to speak to ...
Our ancestor Abraham certainly did. We find him in a tense back-and-forth with God in Genesis, pleading for the city of Sodom. It's a story The familiar version gives us. God's abo...
The story of Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah is more than just a negotiation; it’s a glimpse into the very nature of divine justice and collective responsibil...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw echoes of legal proceedings in the very interactions between God and Abraham, and their interpretations offer us a fascinating glimpse in...
Seriously, Do they zip around at the speed of light? Or do they… well, dawdle a bit? Our story begins, as so many do, in the Book of Genesis, chapter 19, verse 1: “The two angels c...
His soul desires and He performs." This verse sparked a debate: Does it imply a strict one-angel-one-mission policy? Our sages in Bereshit Rabbah (50) dig into this very question. ...
It's like a linguistic puzzle, where sometimes a single letter can shift the whole meaning of a word. And that brings us to a curious little detail in the Torah, one that our sages...
The Torah, in its infinite wisdom, gives us a glimpse into this very idea through the contrasting actions of Abraham and Lot. We find ourselves in Genesis chapter 19, where Lot enc...
The story of Sodom, as recounted in Bereshit (Genesis), is full of chilling moments, but one particular exchange, elaborated upon in Bereshit Rabbah 50, really gets to the heart of...
It's a tough story, full of uncomfortable choices, and the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of early commentary, don't shy away from wrestling with it. Remember the s...
The story, of course, is from (Genesis 19:9). Lot, Abraham's nephew, has welcomed two angelic guests into his home. The men of Sodom, consumed by lust and cruelty, surround the hou...
We see this principle vividly illustrated in the story of Sodom, particularly in the events surrounding Lot and his angelic visitors. The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 19:10), “The m...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Angels Who Boasted and Were Punished for It. The Bereshit Rabbah suggests that the angels who revealed God's plan to destroy Sodom paid a steep price: they...
Jewish tradition is rich with insights into these liminal spaces, and one passage in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah) 50, really caught my attention. It's all about Lot's escape fr...
The story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom, as explored in Bereshit Rabbah 50, is a stark reminder of how attachment to material possessions can cloud our judgment and even enda...
The story revolves around the destruction of Sodom, a city known for its wickedness. Lot, Abraham's nephew, is being led to safety, and the angel says to him, "Hurry; escape there,...
The Book of Genesis (19:24) tells us plainly: "And the Lord rained down brimstone and fire upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah from the Lord, from the heavens." But the rabbis, in their e...
The verse But the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) weren't just interested in the visual. They wanted to understand the why behind the what. The Midrash beg...
Ever catch a whiff of sulfur and feel a little. uneasy? There's a reason for that, according to ancient Jewish wisdom. It all circles back to the idea of divine justice and the con...
That feeling is at the heart of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The familiar story is this: wickedness, fire, brimstone. But what about the sheer, physical devastation? How did it...
It's one of those stories from Genesis that's always felt a little... abrupt. "His wife looked behind him, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26). Poof! Salt. But the Rab...
