Parshat Masei

199 related texts · Page 14 of 23

A review of the Israelites' forty-two journeys through the wilderness, the borders of the Promised Land, and cities of refuge. Numbers 33:1-36:13.

The Garden of Eden and Cain

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 21:9

At least, that's what we learn from Bereshit Rabbah 21, a fascinating passage in the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis. Rav tells us that "in every place, the eastern directio...

CreationHeavenAngelsAdam & Eve

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 41:3

The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. They saw echoes of the Exodus, the defining moment of Jewish liberation, shimmering even in the life of Abraham. We find this idea beautifu...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Marriage of Isaac of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 59:11

The Torah is full of incredible journeys, and sometimes, the distance covered seems almost impossible. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah (59) about Eliezer, Abraham's s...

CreationCreaturesPatriarchsKing David

Life of Moses and Shulamite

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 66:2

But Jewish tradition, in its beautiful and often poetic way, offers a compelling answer: the people of Israel. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbin...

MosesKing DavidSolomonDaniel

Jonah: Zebulun at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 98:11

We're going to explore a verse about the tribe of Zebulun and how it unexpectedly leads us to... the prophet Jonah. The verse in question is Genesis 49:13: "Zebulun will dwell at t...

CreationElijahTorahProphecy

Acts of Creation and Joshua

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 98:15

The story begins with the tribes of Reuben and Gad. As Israel was in the process of conquering and dividing the land, these tribes, as the midrash tells it, had left young children...

CreationPatriarchsMosesPrayer

Naphtali at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 98:17

First, "Naphtali is a doe let loose [sheluḥa]." The Rabbis connect this to the land of Naphtali being full of irrigated fields [beit hashelaḥin]. They point to Deuteronomy 3:17, wh...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Death of Jacob and Atad

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 100:6

The Torah portion of Vayechi recounts the death of Jacob and the journey to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah. We read in Genesis (50:10-11): “They came to the threshing floor of A...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsJoseph

Humility of Moses and Akiva

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 2:6

Today, we’re diving into a passage from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, that explores exactly that. We'll be unpacking a single word:...

Adam & EveMosesTorahRepentance