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.

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 48:10

It all starts with Abraham, of course, and his legendary hospitality. The passage opens with Abraham's plea: "My Lord, please, if I have found favor in Your eyes, please do not dep...

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Wonders of Genesis and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 48:11

We find an intriguing exploration of just that in Bereshit Rabbah 48, a section of the ancient midrashic collection on the book of Genesis. It all stems from Genesis 18:5, where Ab...

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Kingdom of Sarah of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 48:17

We're looking at the story of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, when she overhears that she's going to have a child at the ripe old age of 90. Her reaction? A little chuckle to herself. As Ge...

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Sarah's Transgression and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 48:19

Because today's little story from Bereshit Rabbah, the great commentary on the Book of Genesis, is all about the power of the seemingly impossible. The verse we’re focusing on is G...

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Wisdom of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 49:3

Our sages certainly did. And they found a fascinating answer, tucked away in the very words God used when speaking to Abraham. The passage we're looking at comes from Bereshit Rabb...

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When God Created of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 49:4

The Torah portion Vayera, and specifically Genesis 18:19, offers a glimpse into this very idea: "For I love him, so that he will command his children and his household after him, t...

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Abraham: Mikhael and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 50:2

It’s a question that the ancient rabbis grappled with, and their answers are, well, The Book of Job (23:13) gives us a starting point: "He acts through one, and who can respond to ...

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Lot and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 50:6

It's a tough story, full of uncomfortable choices, and the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of early commentary, don't shy away from wrestling with it. Remember the s...

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Abraham and the Angels of Sodom

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 50:7

The story, of course, is from Genesis 19:9. Lot, Abraham's nephew, has welcomed two angelic guests into his home. The men of Sodom, consumed by lust and cruelty, surround the house...

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