Parshat Balak

535 related texts · Page 50 of 60

King Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel, the talking donkey, and Balaam's blessings instead of curses. Numbers 22:2-25:9.

Esau: Isaac's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 67:2

The story of Isaac blessing Jacob instead of Esau is one that resonates with that feeling, and the Rabbis of the Midrash grappled with it intensely. What was going on in Isaac’s mi...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsSolomon

Isaac's Transgression and Behold

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 67:5

Take the tale of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. We all know the basics: Jacob deceives his father, Isaac, and steals Esau's blessing. But what happens after? What was Isaac really thinkin...

CreationPatriarchsJosephTemple

Esau's Transgression and Daniel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 67:8

That feeling is at the heart of our story today, a story about brothers, blessings, and a whole lot of bad blood. We're diving into Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 67, a Midr...

CreationPatriarchsKing DavidDaniel

Cosmic Origins of Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 69:5

We're looking at Genesis 28:14, a blessing given to Jacob: "Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west, and to the east, and to the nor...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsMoses

Abraham's Legacy and Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 70:6

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, shares a profound idea: God took the conversations of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – and transformed them into the very...

PatriarchsMessiahProphecyHoly Land

Rachel's Transgression and Benjamin

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 73:4

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...

PatriarchsMatriarchsJosephKing David

Birth of Rachel and Aviya

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 73:5

The verse we're looking at is Genesis 30:23, where Rachel, finally blessed with a son, exclaims, "God has removed my disgrace!" But what exactly is this "disgrace" she's referring ...

CreationMatriarchsJosephProphecy

Light of the First Day and Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:6

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...

CreationKing DavidMessiahProphecy

Jacob: Isaac at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:8

The passage begins with Jacob, poised to meet his brother Esau after years of separation. “Jacob sent messengers” (Genesis 32:4). But it's not just a simple act of diplomacy. The R...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMoses