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.

Rebecca: Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 60:14

to one such passage from Genesis, chapter 24, where we find Rebecca on her way to meet Isaac. The verse tells us, "Rebecca and her maids rose, and rode upon the camels, and followe...

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Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:5

The verse in Genesis (25:21) tells us, "Isaac entreated the Lord opposite his wife, because she was barren, and the Lord acceded to his entreaty, and Rebecca his wife conceived." S...

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Esau: Rebecca at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:6

The verse in Genesis 25:22 tells us "The children were agitated within her, and she said: If this is so, why do I exist? She went to inquire of the Lord." But what exactly does "ag...

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Jacob: Nimrod and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:13

We often hear it as a simple transaction: Esau was hungry, Jacob offered food in exchange for the birthright, end of story. But, as always, the Rabbis see layers upon layers, depth...

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Isaac and Creation of Avimelech

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 64:6

The scene: Isaac is hanging out in the land of the Philistines, near Gerar. Remember, his father Abraham had his own…issues there. And wouldn’t you know it, history seems to be rep...

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Marriage of Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:1

to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. It tackles a seemingly simple verse: "Esau was forty years old, and ...

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Kingdom of Isaac and Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:7

The Torah, and the wisdom of our Sages, are deeply concerned with justice, with making sure the scales are balanced. And the story of Isaac and his sons, Jacob and Esau, is a power...

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Isaac in Heaven and Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:10

The ancient rabbis grappled with these questions constantly, poring over scripture for answers. One particularly poignant example comes from Bereshit Rabbah 65, as it tries to unde...

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Birth of Esau and Edom

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:11

Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're diving into chapter 65, which grapples with the character...

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