Parshat Shemot

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The Israelites' enslavement in Egypt, the birth of Moses, Moses at the burning bush, and God's call to liberate His people. Exodus 1:1-6:1.

Joseph and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 90:4

Names aren't just labels; they're stories waiting to be unpacked. Take Joseph, for example, and the rather unusual name Pharaoh gives him: Tzafenat Paane’aḥ. What does it even mean...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Wisdom of Judah and Joseph

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 93:1

The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they found wisdom in the story of Judah and Joseph in the book of Genesis to guide us. Our story begins with a tense encounter. Judah, pleadin...

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Joseph: Abraham and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 94:1

We find a fascinating example of this in the story of Joseph and his brothers, a tale filled with drama, reconciliation, and the enduring strength of family. The verse in Genesis 4...

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Trials of Joseph and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 94:2

Specifically, we're going to look at section 94. So, Pharaoh tells Joseph: "Say to your brothers: Do this: Load your animals, and go, and come to the land of Canaan, and take your ...

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Joseph: Jacob's Vision

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 94:6

It all begins with Jacob, now also known as Israel, standing at a crossroads. God speaks to him "in the visions of the night," a phrase that already sets a mystical tone. "Jacob, J...

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Jacob's Journey and Yokheved

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 94:9

The verses state, "All the people who were coming with Jacob to Egypt, the products of his loins, aside from the wives of Jacob's sons; all the people were sixty-six" (Genesis 46:2...

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Trial of Joseph and Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 98:18

The Torah describes Joseph as a "fruitful tree, a fruitful tree alongside a spring; branches run over the wall" (Genesis 49:22). But what does that really mean? The rabbis in Beres...

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Birth of Reuben of Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:6

The story of Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, is a powerful illustration of just that – a tale of lost potential, impulsive actions, and the consequences that ripple through generations....

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Death of Jacob and Simeon

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 99:7

Today, we’re diving into one particularly intense moment: Jacob's words about Simeon and Levi. It all starts with the verse: "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of villainy are ...

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