1,056 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bereshit Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 12 of 22.
(Genesis 19:30) tells us, "Lot ascended from Tzoar and settled on the mountain, and his two daughters with him, because he feared to live in Tzoar. He lived in a cave, he and his t...
The story, as told in (Genesis 19:31), has Lot’s daughters deeply concerned. "Our father is old," they say, "and there is no man on earth to consort with us in the way of the world...
The verse that kicks it all off: "Lot's two daughters conceived from their father" (Genesis 19:36). Simple enough The first reading. But immediately, the rabbis of the Midrash (rab...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Moav's Transgression. Rabbi Huna bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon offer differing perspectives on this thorny question. Rabbi Huna, as recorded in Bereshit Rabbah...
The story, as you might recall, is…well, let’s just say it’s complicated. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his daughters are living in a cave. The daughters, be...
That feeling isn't new. Our ancestors knew it well. Take Abraham, for instance. The Torah tells us, "Abraham traveled from there to the region of the south; he lived between Kadesh...
The story of Lot, Abraham's nephew, is a powerful example of this very idea. We find a fascinating, if somewhat harsh, interpretation of Lot's choices in Bereshit Rabbah 52, a coll...
Our story begins with Abraham. "Abraham traveled from there," the verse tells us (Genesis 20:1). But where was he going, and why? Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic ...
” But why did he leave? Bereshit Rabbah 52 doesn’t shy away from the gritty details. It suggests Abraham turned away because of the stench, not a literal one, but "the foul atmosph...
Our story begins with Avimelekh, a Philistine king, who, as we read in (Genesis 20:3), receives a nighttime visit from God in a dream. God warns him: "Behold, you will die because ...
"Avimelekh had not approached her; he said: My Lord, will You kill a nation that is also innocent?" That’s quite the opening gambit. Avimelekh, in his defense, cries out to God. "W...
The Torah portion Vayera, and specifically (Genesis 20:6), offers a fascinating take on this. God speaks to Avimelech, king of Gerar, in a dream after Avimelech takes Sarah, Abraha...
It wasn't just about seeing the future; it was about holding life and death in their hands. to a fascinating little story from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
The story unfolds in Genesis 20, after Abraham and Sarah arrive in Gerar, ruled by Avimelekh. Abraham, fearing for his life, tells Avimelekh that Sarah is his sister. Avimelekh the...
Remember when Abraham and Sarah are traveling, and Abraham introduces Sarah as his sister to protect himself? (Genesis 20:11). He says, "Because I said: Surely there is no fear of ...
The story unfolds in Genesis 20. Avimelekh, deceived by Abraham’s claim that Sarah is his sister, takes her into his harem. God intervenes, revealing the truth in a dream. A terrif...
In Jewish tradition, we find moments like that too, and they often lead to powerful breakthroughs. Take the story of Abraham and Sarah in the land of Avimelekh. As the Book of Gene...
It all comes down to remembering, and more importantly, acting. to a story about just that, found in Bereshit Rabbah 53, a section of the ancient midrashic (rabbinic interpretive c...
Like something ripped straight from the pages of a philosophical thriller. But the question, "Will a person be more just than God? Will a man be purer than his Maker?" isn’t new. I...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Sarah — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation. Hold on. What if these aren't just descriptions of barren fields? What if they're allusions to something much more...
(Psalm 119:89) declares, “Forever, Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.” But does this mean it doesn’t stand firm here, with us? Our sages grappled with this, finding an ans...
The Torah, and the rabbinic tradition that blossoms from it, is obsessed with this very question. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 53, a midrash – a rabbinic interpret...
The familiar story is this: Abraham and Sarah, finally blessed with a child in their old age. But what if there was more to the story than meets the eye? What if, as some ancient t...
The verse It But Rabbi Yitzchak sees something much deeper here. He draws a parallel to the ordeal of a suspected adulteress described in (Numbers 5:28). There, it says, "If the wo...
Take the name ISAAC, Yitzḥak in Hebrew. It's so much more than just a name. (Genesis 21:3) tells us, "Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him...
After decades of barrenness, at a very, very advanced age, she miraculously conceives and gives birth to Isaac. In (Genesis 21:6), she exclaims, "God has made laughter for me; ever...
The verse But I bore a son for his old age.” It's Sarah, speaking after the miraculous birth of Isaac at an age when such a thing seemed utterly, impossibly beyond comprehension. T...
Our story begins with a simple line from (Genesis 21:8): “The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.” Simple enough. But the Rabbis, in ...
The Torah tells us Sarah saw Ishmael "playing" (Genesis 21:9), and it was enough for her to demand, in no uncertain terms, that Hagar and Ishmael be banished. But what exactly did ...
The Torah tells us, "The matter was greatly distressing in Abraham’s eyes, regarding his son" (Genesis 21:11). This refers to the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. But why was Abraha...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Abraham Sends Hagar and Ishmael into the Desert. The verse tells us, "Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave them ...
Even King David, the sweet singer of Israel, felt that way sometimes. And the ancient rabbis grappled with this very question too. In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homi...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to The Tiny Hebrew Word That Reveals Ishmael's Fate. That little word, et. What's it doing there? Rabbi Yishmael had the same question. He went straight to th...
Like something’s not quite adding up. Well, our sages grappled with that very idea, digging deep into a verse in Genesis and a proverb from the Book of Proverbs to uncover some sur...
Who exactly was Pikhol? Rabbi Yehuda says Pikhol was his actual name. But Rabbi Nehemya offers a fascinating alternative: he suggests it's an acronym! Peh shekol – "the mouth [peh]...
The story revolves around Abraham and Avimelekh in Genesis 21. Abraham, as the verse tells us, "reprimanded Avimelekh regarding the well of water that Avimelekh's servants had stol...
The story begins with Abraham making a covenant with Avimelekh, a Philistine king. As (Genesis 21:27) tells us, "Abraham took flocks and cattle, and gave them to Avimelekh, and the...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Avimelech — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation. The verse in question is (Genesis 21:30): "He said: It is so that you shall take the seven ewes from me, so th...
It might be more surprising – and down-to-earth – than you think. Our text from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, dives into...
Genesis 22 opens with a stark pronouncement: "It was after these things that God tested Abraham." (Genesis 22:1). Then comes the impossible command: "Take your son, your only son, ...
Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, offers a fascinating perspective. It's found in Bereshit Rabbah 55 and it all starts...
The idea of being tested, especially by a higher power, is a central theme in Jewish tradition. And one of the most profound examples of this is the story of Abraham. Bereshit Rabb...
Our story begins with the seemingly simple phrase, “After these matters [devarim]…”. The Hebrew word devarim can mean both "matters" and "words," and as we explore Bereshit Rabbah ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Should a Father Sacrifice His Son for Redemption. The first reading, this verse seems to be about Meisha, the king of Moab. As we read in II (Kings 3:27), ...
The story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah, is a powerful lens through which to explore this idea. Our text today comes from Bereshit Rabbah 55, a collection of rab...
The verse in (Genesis 22:2) reads, "Please take your son..." Notice something? God doesn't immediately say, "Take Isaac." The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) picks up on...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Abraham Saddles His Donkey for the Binding of Isaac. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent figure in the Talmudic era, makes a striking observation. He says ...
The third day keeps returning as a day of rescue, from Abraham's journey to Sinai and beyond. Think about Abraham. In (Genesis 22:4), we read, "On the third day, Abraham lifted his...
