1,056 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bereshit Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 17 of 22.
The story of Rachel in the book of Genesis speaks directly to that feeling, and offers a powerful message of hope. The Torah tells us simply, "God remembered Rachel" (Genesis 30:22...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they found wisdom in the most unexpected places – even in the words of King David and the story of Jacob and Laban. to a fascinating passage f...
Our story begins with Rachel, one of the matriarchs of the Jewish people. She was barren, a source of immense sorrow in a time when children were seen as a woman's greatest blessin...
The verse But what exactly is this "disgrace" she's referring to? Rabbi Levi bar Zechariah offers a powerful insight. He suggests that before a woman has a child, societal blame te...
Take Rachel, for example. When she names her son Joseph, it’s more than just a sweet moment. It’s packed with layers of meaning, hinting at destinies yet to unfold. "She called his...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Joseph's Birth Gave Jacob Courage to Face Esau. What does Joseph’s birth have to do with Jacob wanting to leave Laban? Our sages see something deeper here....
The ancient rabbis certainly thought it was possible. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, spec...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob's Honest Wage Agreement Over Speckled Sheep. In (Genesis 30:33), Jacob declares, "My honesty will speak on my behalf on a future day, when you will r...
The Torah tells us, "Jacob took for himself rods of fresh poplar, and almond, and plane; he peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white that was in the rods” (Genesis 30:37). ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob — World to Come. (Genesis 30:43) tells us that Jacob, the patriarch, "became exceedingly prosperous." Now, "prosperous" is an understatement. Rabbi S...
The Torah, in the story of Jacob, gives us a masterclass in reading those unspoken cues. It all starts when Jacob, working for his less-than-honest father-in-law Laban, begins to p...
It’s a feeling as old as time, and it resonates deeply within the story of Jacob. We find him in (Genesis 31:3), receiving a direct message from the Almighty: "Return to the land o...
It turns out, this isn't just a modern consideration. The ancient rabbis were thinking about this too! Our story today comes from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a collection of ...
Jacob, our patriarch, knew that feeling all too well. He was working for his father-in-law, Laban, and things were…complicated. In Genesis 31, we hear Jacob expressing his frustrat...
The rabbis of the Talmud saw something more. Rabbi Yudan offers one explanation: Rachel died first "because she spoke before her sister." It's a fascinating idea, suggesting perhap...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Canaan — Jacob at the Dawn of Creation. Rabbi Yoḥanan, in the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), sees a deeper meaning in the order in which Jacob...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to How Laban Covered Three Days of Travel in a Single Day. Rabbi Abbahu, in Bereshit Rabbah, poses a fascinating question: what Jacob accomplished in three da...
A passage from Bereshit Rabbah 74, which explores the nature of prophecy and how God communicates with different people. ” This sets the stage for a deeper question: What's the dif...
The scene: Jacob, after years of service to his less-than-honest uncle Laban, has finally made his escape with his wives, children, and flocks. But Laban pursues him, catching up o...
The familiar story is this: Jacob, fleeing his father-in-law Laban, takes his wives and children and makes a run for it. But the book of Genesis (31:34) throws a curveball: "Rachel...
Something that maybe. came back to haunt you? In the Torah, Jacob certainly has a moment like that. We find ourselves in Genesis, chapter 31. Jacob is leaving his father-in-law Lab...
Our ancestors wrestled with that very question. Remember the story? Jacob, after years of hard labor for Laban, decides it’s time to return to his homeland with his wives and child...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Twenty Years of Faithful Shepherding for Laban. The passage focuses on Jacob’s words to Laban, recounting his two decades of dedicated service. "These twen...
Our ancestors did too. In fact, there's a fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, that digs into just that feeling....
In (Genesis 31:43), after Jacob decides to leave Laban and return to his homeland, Laban confronts him, saying, "The girls are my daughters, and the boys are my sons, and the flock...
The drama unfolds in (Genesis 31:47), where we read: “Laban called it Yegar Sahaduta and Jacob called it Galed.” Two names, two languages, one pile of stones. What's going on here?...
In (Genesis 31:51), we hear Laban say to Jacob, "Here is this pile and here is the monument that I have established between me and you.” Now, this might sound like a simple boundar...
The story centers around (Genesis 31:53), where we find the line: "The God of Abraham, and the god of Nahor, the god of their father, will judge between us. Jacob took an oath by t...
The Torah tells us, "Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God encountered him" (Genesis 32:2). Simple enough. But the Rabbis, never content with the surface level, dive deep in...
King David certainly did. In Psalms, he repeatedly begs God to rise up and intervene. But what does it really mean for God to "arise"? And when will that moment finally come? Our s...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, the rabbis explore this moment when Jacob sends messengers ahead. It opens with a power...
We’ve all been there. But what if I told you this very human tendency is reflected in the ancient commentaries on the Torah? Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretatio...
A discussion about "messengers" (malakhim). Were they ordinary people, or something more? Some Rabbis suggest they were actual angels! It blurs the lines between the mundane and th...
Jacob's upcoming encounter with his estranged brother Esau is a masterclass in diplomacy, and it holds surprising lessons even for emperors. In (Genesis 32:5), Jacob instructs his ...
In the Torah, seemingly straightforward words often ripple with hidden depths, revealing layers of symbolism that speak to our history, our hopes, and our ultimate destiny. Take Ja...
One that stings, and echoes through the ages. We see it play out in the story of Jacob and Esau. In (Genesis 32:7), Jacob's messengers return with a troubling report: "We came to y...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob — Isaac at the Dawn of Creation. In this, midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretation, King Solomon, with divine inspiration (ruach...
In fact, our ancestors grappled with it too. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, and see how Jacob faced a simila...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob Wrestled the Angel and Limped at Sunrise. Hold onto your hats, because According to Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob Hopes Esau Has Repented After All These Years. Jacob, remember, is about to face his brother Esau, from whom he'd essentially stolen a birthright and...
Our ancestor Jacob certainly did. When he sends messengers ahead to his brother Esau, the report they bring back plunges him into fear. But within that fear, we find a fascinating ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob's Terror Before Meeting Esau With Four Hundred Men. The scene is set. Jacob, returning to his homeland, learns that his estranged brother Esau is app...
It turns out, even our greatest heroes struggled with this. We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah 76, a section of the ancient rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The scene ...
It’s a uniquely human experience, and it's exactly the kind of layered emotion we find in the story of Jacob's reunion with Esau. In (Genesis 32:8), it says "Jacob was very frighte...
The Torah itself offers some pretty practical advice about diversifying your.. well, everything? It's tucked away in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of th...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Esau — Jacob's Prayer. He prays, "God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Lord, who says to me: Return to your land, and to the land of your b...
Jacob, our patriarch, certainly did. In (Genesis 32:11), after years of wandering and working, facing down tricksters and building a family, Jacob cries out, "I am unworthy of all ...
A reader can But when we explore the ancient commentaries, a much larger, almost cosmic, fear emerges. The verse in Genesis (32:12) says, “Deliver me, please, from the hand of my b...
