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.

Adam and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 7:5

We often think of creation as a grand, sweeping act, but Jewish tradition also delves into the nitty-gritty details, the almost-missed deadlines, and the "oops, we'll get to that l...

CreationAdam & EveSoulSabbath

Foundations of Being and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 8:2

Our tradition acknowledges that feeling, especially when we consider the mysteries of creation. What was it like before the Big Bang of Genesis? What was God "doing"? The Rabbis of...

CreationKing DavidSolomonJob

Kingdom of He

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 8:3

Rabbi Yehoshua, speaking in the name of Rabbi Levi, offers a beautiful image. He suggests that God consulted with the "works of the heavens and the earth." It's like a king who has...

CreationWisdom

David the Warrior

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 8:6

And our sages, wrestling with the creation story itself, asked a very similar question. The Book of Psalms (8:5) asks, "What is a mortal that You remember him, a man that You take ...

AngelsKing David

Trial of Rabbi Samlai

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 8:9

The story centers on Rabbi Samlai, a sage known for his sharp wit and insightful responses. He found himself confronted by "heretics" – likely members of early Christian or Gnostic...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveDivine Names

Maker of Heaven and Earth of Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 10:1

Our sages pondered that very thing, and they found a fascinating exception. The Torah portion of Bereshit, Genesis, opens with the creation. And in Genesis 2:1, we read, "The heave...

CreationKing DavidJobTorah

Wisdom of Solomon

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 10:2

It's more than just setting the scene; it's about revealing the beauty hidden within creation itself. Rabbi Ḥama kicks things off with a powerful image, quoting Proverbs 25:4: “Rem...

CreationSolomon

Adam's Transgression and Sabbatical

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 10:4

Specifically, in Bereshit Rabbah 10, we find some pretty wild thoughts about the impact of Adam's sin. Rabbi Hoshaya, relaying an idea that Rabbi Afes expounded in Antioch, suggest...

HeavenAdam & EveProphecyExile

Maker of Heaven and Earth of Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 10:5

The rabbis of old certainly did. In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, they wrestle with the details of creation, offering us...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveJob