1,056 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bereshit Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 21 of 22.
The ones that make you think, "Wait, how did that happen?" to a fascinating little corner of the Joseph story, found in Bereshit Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations o...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, we find a powerful exploration of Joseph's role during the famine. It all starts with Jacob not...
That’s kind of what happened to Jacob after Joseph disappeared, according to the ancient commentary, Bereshit Rabbah. The Torah tells us, "Jacob saw that there was grain [shever] i...
The Bible is full of them, and the story of Joseph and his brothers is no exception. It's a tale of betrayal, forgiveness, and ultimately, reconciliation. But what about the subtle...
The Torah portion of Vayigash gives us a glimpse into their complex relationship, and the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), particularly in Bereshit Rabbah ...
It's a deep dive into the story of Jacob's sons and their trip to Egypt, and it's full of anxiety, suspicion, and loss. The passage begins with a recap from Genesis 42. Joseph, now...
The scene: a devastating famine grips the land. Jacob's sons have returned from Egypt with grain, but it’s gone. They need to go back, but the mysterious Egyptian ruler, who we, th...
Our ancestors certainly did. This week, Specifically, we'll be looking at the moment when Jacob, now known as Israel, sends his sons back to Egypt. Famine grips the land, and they ...
Our tradition grapples with this too, offering perspectives that might surprise you. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the ...
The ancient rabbis pondered this very question. In Bereshit Rabbah 92, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, we find a fascinating glimpse into the last words, ...
It's also so much more. It’s a roadmap, a history book, a mystical text. And it's all wrapped up together, often needing a little… unpacking. That's where commentaries like Bereshi...
Specifically, The verse sets the scene: "The men took that gift, and they took in their hand double the silver, and Benjamin, and they arose, and they went down to Egypt, and stood...
The scene: Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, is reunited with his brothers, though they don't recognize him. He asks them, "Is all well with your father? Is the elder whom yo...
Take the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. We know Joseph, now a powerful Egyptian official, tests his brothers after years of separation. He orders his steward to fill th...
Here, the rabbis are exploring the verse in (Genesis 44:8), where Joseph's brothers, completely innocent of any wrongdoing, exclaim, "Behold, silver that we found in the opening of...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Trial of Benjamin. Remember the setup? Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt seeking food during a famine. They don't recognize Joseph, who they sold into slaver...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Joseph and Creation of Judah. The Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah don't just read the surface; they dive deep into the layers of meaning. Judah's words become a ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they found wisdom in the story of Judah and Joseph in the book of Genesis to guide us. Our story begins with a tense encounter. Judah, pleadin...
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers. readers often focus on the grand reconciliation, the forgiveness, the happy ending in Egypt. But what about the really prickly parts? Bere...
That’s where Judah found himself in the biblical story of Joseph. to a powerful moment from that saga, as illuminated by the ancient commentary of Bereshit Rabbah. The verse (Genes...
It quickly expands into a sweeping allegorical landscape using the words of the prophet Amos. The verse from Amos (9:13) speaks of a future time when "the plowman will encounter th...
Our guide? None other than Bereshit Rabbah 93, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, Now, that word "approached"… it's loaded. What kin...
This moment, fraught with tension and brotherly love disguised as animosity, is explored in a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 93. The story opens with a quote from Ecclesi...
The scene is intense. Joseph, after years of separation and playing a cat-and-mouse game with his brothers, is about to reveal his true identity. But let’s back up a little. Rememb...
It’s a story we think we know, but the rabbis found layers of meaning hidden within. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, a sage of the Talmudic era, offers a fascinating insight into the crucial...
The verse says, "He raised his voice in weeping…. And his brothers could not answer him" (Genesis 45:2-3). It's a powerful moment! But what does it really mean? Well, Abba Kohen (a...
He says, "Woe unto us from the Day of Judgment; woe unto us from the day of rebuke!" It's a powerful statement, isn't it? He uses Joseph as an example. Joseph, a man of flesh and b...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Pharaoh Rejoices When Joseph's Brothers Arrive. The verse in (Genesis 45:16) tells us, "The news was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying: Joseph's brothers ha...
So, Pharaoh tells Joseph: "Say to your brothers: Do this: Load your animals, and go, and come to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I...
Out of the blue, his sons return from Egypt with news that Joseph is not only alive, but a powerful ruler! It's a moment of incredible joy, but also… disbelief. The Torah tells us ...
Jewish tradition is just teeming with those kinds of moments. Take Jacob, for instance, as he's about to head down to Egypt to reunite with his son Joseph. The Torah tells us, "Isr...
It centers around the verse: "He slaughtered feast-offerings to the God of his father Isaac" (Genesis 46:1). Why Isaac? Why not Abraham, the patriarch of them all? Rabbi Yehoshua b...
It all begins with Jacob, now also known as Israel, standing at a crossroads. God speaks to him "in the visions of the night," a phrase that already sets a mystical tone. "Jacob, J...
I was reading in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, and I stumbled across just such a moment. It revolves around a rather pointed exc...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Benjamin's Sons Named After the Brother He Never Met. Consider the passage in (Genesis 46:21): "And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Bekher, and Ashbel, Ger...
Serah, daughter of Asher, one of Jacob's sons. We find her name nestled in the list of those who went down to Egypt with Jacob to escape the famine. You can find it in (Genesis 46:...
The verses state, "All the people who were coming with Jacob to Egypt, the products of his loins, aside from the wives of Jacob's sons; all the people were sixty-six" (Genesis 46:2...
They found hints of it in the most unexpected places – like the story of Jacob sending Judah ahead to Joseph in Goshen (Genesis 46:28). The verse says, "He sent Judah before him to...
The verse in Isaiah (11:13) says, "The jealousy of Ephraim will cease." Now, Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, sees a connection h...
Take the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. In (Genesis 47:2), we read, "From among his brothers he took five men, and he presented them before Pharaoh." Okay, But the rabb...
It's even woven into the very fabric of the Torah. we read in (Genesis 47:28), "Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one...
What it means to truly come "home?" The Torah touches on this very human longing as Jacob, nearing the end of his life, makes a heartfelt request of his son, Joseph. "The time for ...
The ancient Rabbis certainly noticed it. They saw it woven into the very fabric of the Torah, these moments where authority seems to… loosen. Our story today comes from Bereshit Ra...
Take Jacob, for example. The Torah tells us, “The time for Israel to die approached” (Genesis 47:29). Now, At first, that seems But Reish Lakish, a prominent scholar of the Talmud,...
It seems like a strange thing to worry about when, well, we're no longer around to worry about anything. But the story of Jacob, as he nears the end of his life in Egypt, gives us ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob's Deathbed Blessing Comparing God to a Shepherd. The scene: Jacob, nearing the end of his life, blesses Joseph, saying, "The God before whom my fathe...
The Torah portion Vayechi, at the very end of Genesis, gives us a glimpse into that very idea. Jacob, on his deathbed, blesses his sons. And when he blesses Joseph, it says, "He bl...
Our Sages, delving deep into the Torah, confront this very idea in Bereshit Rabbah 97, a section of the ancient Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary). They begin with a verse ...
