Parshat Chayei Sarah

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The death and burial of Sarah, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac, and Rebekah joins the family. Genesis 23:1-25:18.

Abraham Isaac and Jacob of Egypt

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 48:14

We read the story every Passover, we sing the songs, but sometimes the sheer horror of it can get lost in the ritual. Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure in Jewish tradition, pulls no p...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsJosephMoses

Noah's Transgression and Ishmael

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 48:16

Not just any hand, mind you, but the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He. Rabbi Ishmael, in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (Chapter 48), unveils a fascinating idea: each finger on God's ri...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsMosesTorah

Michael Beyond the Firmament and Glory

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 48:18

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating work of aggadic literature, gives us a glimpse, a chilling, visceral snapshot of their suffering. Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure in Jewish tra...

HeavenAngelsMatriarchsJoseph

Reuven Among the Fathers and Israelites

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 48:21

We often think of the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea…miracles, plain and simple. But Jewish tradition, in its beautiful way, also emphasizes the human element. It wasn't just ...

PatriarchsJosephHoly LandEgypt

Esther: Mordecai and the Patriarchs

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 50:7

According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text, even kings aren't immune to those nights. The story centers on a pivotal moment in the Book of Esther, a mom...

PatriarchsEstherProphecyMysticism

Miriam and the Patriarchs

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 54:2

It sounds gross, I know, but stay with me. There’s a fascinating passage in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (chapter 54) that throws light on the number seven and its significance in Jewish...

PatriarchsMosesTorahHoly Land

Abraham and the First Humans

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 54:5

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of early Jewish stories and interpretations, grapples with just that. Chapter 54 gives us some intriguing food for thought. It's a ...

Adam & EvePatriarchsSolomonPrayer

Shem and the Ark of Peleg

Midrash Aggadah Seder Olam Zutta 3:1

It's not as well-known as its older sibling, Seder Olam Rabbah, but it offers us a peek into rabbinic understandings of history. In this particular section, the text lays out the l...

Noah & FloodPatriarchs

David's Transgression and the Covenant

Midrash Aggadah Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Rabbah 3:1

King David certainly did. In the ancient text Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Rabbah, we hear David, may his memory be a blessing, express this very sentiment: "My fear is within my joy, and m...

CreationHeavenDemonsNoah & Flood