Parshat Shoftim

2,567 related texts · Page 226 of 286

Laws of judges and officers, the king, the Levitical priests, true and false prophets, cities of refuge, and warfare. Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9.

Birth of Jacob and Shmuel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:3

We’ve all been there. But what if I told you this very human tendency is reflected in the ancient commentaries on the Torah? Today, we’re diving into Bereshit Rabbah, a collection ...

PatriarchsSolomonProphecy

Jacob: Isaac at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 75:8

The passage begins with Jacob, poised to meet his brother Esau after years of separation. “Jacob sent messengers” (Genesis 32:4). But it's not just a simple act of diplomacy. The R...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMoses

Jacob's Journey and Jordan

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:5

Jacob, our patriarch, certainly did. In Genesis 32:11, after years of wandering and working, facing down tricksters and building a family, Jacob cries out, "I am unworthy of all th...

CreationPatriarchsKing DavidTorah

Jacob Wrestles the Angel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 77:3

Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina suggests that Jacob wasn't wrestling just anyone; he was battling Esau’s guardian angel! Remember when Jacob says, "For therefore I have seen your face,...

CreationHeavenAngelsPatriarchs

Jacob's Transgression and Manoah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:4

It all starts with Jacob, that famous figure from the Book of Genesis. Remember when Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure all night long? After this epic struggle, Jacob asks hi...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsKing David

Jacob: Moses and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:13

It's often through layers of interpretation, connecting seemingly unrelated verses to reveal deeper truths. Let's look at a fascinating example from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection o...

CreationMosesKing DavidSolomon

Birth of Dina

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 80:1

The verse tells us, "Dina, daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land." Seems simple enough. But the rabbis saw much more. The text im...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsSolomon

Jacob's Journey and Jeremiah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 81:1

The ancient rabbis wrestled with this idea, especially when it came to promises made to God. Let's turn to the book of Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretat...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonTemple

Jacob's Transgression and Yosef

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 82:2

The passage begins by quoting Psalm 24:3-5: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand…? He who has clean hands…. He will receive the blessing from the Lord…” The Rabb...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsMoses