Parshat Bechukotai

1,508 related texts · Page 124 of 168

The blessings for following God's laws, the curses for disobedience, and laws of vows and valuations. Leviticus 26:3-27:34.

Jacob's Transgression and Laban

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 74:10

Our ancestors wrestled with that very question. Let's delve into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, specif...

CreationPatriarchsKing DavidTorah

Jacob and Creation of Arise

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:1

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...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsKing David

Joseph: Jacob and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:4

The text opens with a discussion about "messengers" (malakhim). Were they ordinary people, or something more? Some Rabbis suggest they were actual angels! It blurs the lines betwee...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsMatriarchs

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

Kingdom of Jacob of Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:3

But what if I told you the Torah itself offers some pretty practical advice about diversifying your... well, everything? It's tucked away in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbin...

CreationPatriarchsElijahTorah

Jacob: Esau at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:7

Take the story of Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau after years of estrangement. He sends Esau a lavish gift, described in detail in Genesis 32. But is it just a gift list, ...

CreationPatriarchsTorah

Jacob Wrestles the Angel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 77:3

Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina suggests that Jacob wasn't wrestling just anyone; he was battling Esau’s guardian angel! Remember when Jacob says, "For therefore I have seen your face,...

CreationHeavenAngelsPatriarchs

Jacob's Transgression and Manoah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:4

It all starts with Jacob, that famous figure from the Book of Genesis. Remember when Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure all night long? After this epic struggle, Jacob asks hi...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsKing David

Jacob: Shekhem and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 79:1

The Torah is full of stories of resilience, and one that particularly resonates with this idea is Jacob's return to Canaan. In Genesis 33:18, we read: "Jacob arrived intact to the ...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsJob