1,056 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bereshit Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 14 of 22.
The familiar story centers on Rebecca at the well, her kindness, and the divinely ordained meeting. But what about her family? Were they as thrilled about this match as we might th...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Rebecca's Family Blesses Her Before the Journey. Sounds lovely. A heartfelt send-off? Well, The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), e...
The verse tells us, "Rebecca and her maids rose, and rode upon the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebecca and went” (Genesis 24:61). Okay, camels. But why camels? T...
The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those ancient interpreters of scripture, certainly had some thoughts. to their fascinating explanations from Bereshit ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Sarah's Tent. The tradition says while Sarah was alive, four miracles were constant features of her tent. These signs weren't just random occurrences; they...
The Torah gives us a glimpse, a tantalizing hint, when describing Isaac bringing Rebecca into his mother Sarah’s tent. (Genesis 24:67) tells us, “Isaac brought her into the tent of...
"Happy is the man who has not walked…" – and then it lists the paths we should avoid: the counsel of the wicked, the way of sinners, the company of the insolent. In Bereshit Rabbah...
He shows us that even in old age, we can still blossom and bear fruit. It all starts with a beautiful verse from Psalms (92:14-15): "Planted in the House of the Lord, they blossom ...
Guess what? It offers some pretty profound, and surprisingly practical, advice. Our jumping-off point is the book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) and its rather cryptic verse: "In the mo...
The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is so concise, that every word, every phrase, even a name, can hold layers of meaning. Take Ketura, for example. Who was she, r...
Bereshit Rabbah treats the names of Keturah's sons as clues to the character of their descendants. The passage tells us these were the sons born to Abraham through Keturah. And rig...
In Bereshit Rabbah, the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) (interpretive) text on Genesis, we find a fascinating discussion, a divergence of opinions on the natur...
This story, found in Bereshit Rabbah 61, takes us right into the middle of just such a scene. The verse that sparks this whole episode is from (Genesis 25:6): "But to the sons of t...
The Torah, and later rabbinic texts, offer some fascinating, and comforting, glimpses. (Genesis 25:7) tells us, "These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, on...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Ishmael and Creation of Abraham. "Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Makhpela, in the field of Efron, son of Tzohar the Hittite, that is ...
Our story begins with the verse: "It was after the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son, and Isaac lived beside Be’er Laḥai Ro’i" (Genesis 25:11). Be’er Laḥai Ro’i, meaning ...
Take Ishmael, for example. (Genesis 25:12) starts out: "These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham." Okay, f...
We begin with a simple verse from (Genesis 25:19): "This is the legacy of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot Isaac." Seemingly straightforward. But the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabb...
It’s a beautiful, cyclical relationship, one that Jewish tradition explores in fascinating ways. Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Ge...
They saw more than just stories; they saw patterns, echoes, and hidden depths. to one of those fascinating explorations, found in Bereshit Rabbah, the great collection of rabbinic ...
Often, these repetitions are little clues, hints that there's something deeper going on, something we need to pay close attention to. Take the story of Isaac and Rebecca. (Genesis ...
The verse in Genesis (25:21) tells us, "Isaac entreated the Lord opposite his wife, because she was barren, and the Lord acceded to his entreaty, and Rebecca his wife conceived." S...
The verse in (Genesis 25:22) tells us "The children were agitated within her, and she said: If this is so, why do I exist? She went to inquire of the Lord." But what exactly does "...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, specifically in section 63, we find a discussion around the verse, "The Lord said to her" (Genesis 25:23), ...
Take the birth of Jacob and Esau, for example. Seems straightforward. But Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis, dives deep, revealing layers of interpretatio...
Our story today comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, These twin brothers, locked in competition even before bi...
It all boils down to a pot of stew. (Genesis 25:29) tells us, "Jacob cooked a stew, and Esau came from the field and he was weary." Simple enough. But within that weariness, and wi...
Take lentils, for example. Humble, unassuming… yet, in Jewish tradition, they're deeply tied to mourning and sorrow. Why lentils? The tradition tells us that when Cain killed Abel,...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Five Years Stolen from Isaac Because of Esau's Sin. In Rabbi Yudan, Rabbi Pinḥas, and Rabbi Simon, something was…off. The Holy One, blessed be He, original...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob Buys One Day of Esau's Birthright Privilege. The Torah tells us in (Genesis 25:31), "Jacob said: Sell me your birthright this day." Now, listen to ho...
Take the story of Jacob and Esau and that fateful bowl of lentil stew. it is often remembered as a simple transaction, a hungry Esau trading away his birthright for a quick meal. B...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Isaac Faces the Same Famine Abraham Once Endured. So, what does Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, have to say...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Righteousness of Isaac. The Rabbis identify ten distinct famines that have struck the world throughout history. Ten! That's a lot of empty plates.* One dur...
Our ancestor Isaac certainly did. The Torah tells us that Isaac went to Avimelekh, king of the Philistines, in Gerar (Genesis 26:1). But where exactly was Gerar? Bereshit Rabbah, t...
Did he just follow the big commandments, the obvious ones? Or was there something more? (Genesis 26:5) tells us that Abraham "heeded My voice, and observed My commission, My comman...
Jewish tradition recognizes that life throws curveballs. But it also offers a comforting perspective: time can be a healer. Our story today comes from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabb...
The scene: Isaac is hanging out in the land of the Philistines, near Gerar. Remember, his father Abraham had his own…issues there. And wouldn’t you know it, history seems to be rep...
It seems that this feeling, envy, is as old as the hills – or at least as old as the stories in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Ou...
Take the story of Isaac, son of Abraham, diligently re-digging wells in Beersheba. It's a quick mention in (Genesis 26:18): "Isaac again dug the wells of water that they had dug in...
The Torah tells us Avimelekh went to him "from Gerar, and a group of his associates, and Fikhol the captain of his guard" (Genesis 26:26). Simple enough. But the Rabbis, bless thei...
The story of Isaac and the Philistines in Genesis is a powerful reminder that even in moments of apparent peace, the seeds of conflict can still be sown. And the rabbis, in their i...
It tackles a seemingly simple verse: "Esau was forty years old, and he took as a wife Yehudit, daughter of Be'eri the Hitite, and Basmat, daughter of Elon the Hitite" (Genesis 26:3...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Esau and the Patriarchs of Yehuda. That's where this fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 65 comes in. In this particular section, the rabbis are confr...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to How a Starling Helped Determine Kosher Bird Species. Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba doesn’t just consult a book. He uses a bit of practical ornithology, a dash of ancie...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bereshit Rabbah 65, really digs into why that bitterness is directed at Isaac first. Why Isaac first? That's the questi...
The Torah tells us, "It was when Isaac was old, and his eyes dimmed from seeing, he summoned Esau his elder son, and said to him: My son, and he said to him: Here I am" (Genesis 27...
The Torah, and the wisdom of our Sages, are deeply concerned with justice, with making sure the scales are balanced. And the story of Isaac and his sons, Jacob and Esau, is a power...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Isaac's Failing Eyes Served a Hidden Divine Purpose. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa opens a fascinating door into this idea, stating, "Much, Lord my God, You have ...
