Parshat Bereshit

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Covers the creation of the world in six days, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the first sin, Cain and Abel, and the generations from Adam to Noah. Genesis 1:1-6:8.

Rabbi Shimon and the Ark of Yaakov

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 7:2

Jewish tradition is full of these moments, and they often happen in the most unexpected ways. Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of r...

Noah & FloodTorahRepentanceSabbath

Jacob: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:7

to a fascinating comparison between Abraham and Jacob, two of our patriarchs, and see what Bereshit Rabbah 11 has to tell us. The key? Shabbat. Yes, that's right, the Sabbath. Rabb...

CreationPatriarchsSabbathShabbat

Elijah and Noah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 13:8

We take it for granted, but the ancient rabbis saw something profound in that simple act of nature, something deeply connected to humanity's purpose. Bereshit Rabbah, that incredib...

Noah & FloodElijahJobTorah

Enosh and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 26:4

In the Torah, the word heḥel (הֵחֵל), meaning "began," is one of those words. It pops up in some pretty unsettling contexts. In Bereshit Rabbah 26, a classic collection of rabbinic...

Creation

Blessing of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 29:3

We often think of God as all-knowing, all-seeing, but the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of early Jewish interpretations of Genesis, dare to imagine a divine experience of...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsKing DavidProphecy

Noah's Transgression and the Wilderness

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 31:4

It's easy to point to general "wickedness," but the details, as always, are far more interesting, and speak to timeless human failings. Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection ...

Noah & FloodKing DavidJob

After the Flood

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 31:5

It’s easy to focus on the sheer scale of the destruction, but the rabbis of the Midrash, those ancient interpreters of scripture, dug deeper. They asked: what exactly was so awful ...

Noah & FloodMosesJobTorah

The Great Flood and Their

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 34:3

And there's a powerful lesson hidden in the story of Noah and the Flood. Rabbi Yudan, quoting Rabbi Aivu, kicks us off with a verse from Proverbs: "In the transgression of the lips...

Noah & FloodSolomonRepentance

Yefet and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 37:1

We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah 37, grappling with the descendants of Noah, specifically the lineage of Yefet. Genesis 10:2 lays it out: “The sons of Yefet: Gomer, and Magog, ...

CreationElijahHoly Land