Parshat Behar

958 related texts · Page 62 of 107

The sabbatical year, the jubilee year, laws of land ownership, and the prohibition against usury. Leviticus 25:1-26:2.

Jacob: Joseph at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 91:9

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...

CreationPatriarchsJosephJob

Death of Jacob of Benjamin

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 91:10

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, the...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMessiah

Kingdom of Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 91:11

Our ancestors certainly did. This week, we're diving into Bereshit Rabbah 91, a section of the great Midrashic collection that unpacks the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we'll be l...

CreationPatriarchsPrayerMiracles

Joseph's Transgression and Shabbat

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 92:4

Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're l...

CreationJosephMosesMysticism

Joseph: Jacob's Vision

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 94:6

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...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Issachar: Rabbi Meir at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 94:7

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...

CreationPatriarchsJosephHoly Land

Death of Judah and Makhir

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 98:8

Beyond being one of the twelve tribes of Israel, it carries a unique promise, a prophecy intertwined with leadership, lineage, and ultimately, the coming of the Messiah. to a fasci...

CreationKing DavidSolomonElijah

Dan's Transgression of Samson

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:11

We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, wrestling with Jacob's final blessings to his sons. And when he gets to D...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsElijah

Jacob and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 100:1

Psalm 100:3 declares, "Know that the Lord is God." But it's the next part that really sparked their interest: "He made us, and we are His" (Psalm 100:3). Or is it? See, the Hebrew ...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David