Parshat Lech Lecha

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God calls Abraham to leave his homeland for Canaan. Covers Abraham and Sarah in Egypt, the separation from Lot, the war of the kings, and the covenant between the pieces. Genesis 12:1-17:27.

Shammai at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 12:14

We find a fascinating discussion about this in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. The passage focuses on the verse, "On the d...

Creation

When God Created and the Crown

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 12:16

And their answer, as we find it in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, is surprisingly poetic. Imagine a king. A newly crowned king, b...

CreationKing David

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

Rabbi Eliezer and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 13:9

We see rivers flowing into the sea, day after day, year after year. Shouldn't the oceans be overflowing? It’s a question that puzzled even ancient rabbis, and it leads us to a fasc...

CreationNoah & FloodSolomonJob

David the Warrior and Shimon

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 13:11

But even the great rabbis of old disagreed about the answer! In fact, Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish – two towering figures of Jewish tradition – had a fascinating debat...

CreationKing DavidDaniel

Mystery of Suffering and Yehuda

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 13:15

And it turns out, the answer isn't so simple. Our sages debated this very point, delving into the nuances of the first rain of the season versus the last. Rabbi Yosei, quoting Rabb...

SolomonJobSoulPrayer

First Book Unpacked and Abba

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 13:16

It's more than just relief from the heat; it's a deep, almost primal renewal. And according to our sages, that renewal touches everything. We find this idea beautifully illustrated...

Prophetic Calling and Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 13:17

Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon grappled with this very question. He observed that the land is watered primarily at its upper layer. But what then, he wondered, about the carob tree ...

Prophecy

Bond of the Soul and Zechariah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 14:4

The ancient rabbis grappled with this question, and their answers, tucked away in texts like Bereshit Rabbah, offer a fascinating glimpse into the human condition. The passage in B...

Soul