Parshat Shoftim

2,634 related texts · Page 229 of 293

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

Rabbi Elazar's Vision

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 89:8

Jewish tradition certainly has. There's a fascinating story in Bereshit Rabbah 89 that makes you think twice about speaking carelessly. The story begins simply enough. A woman appr...

CreationJosephTorahProphecy

Pharaoh: Joseph at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 89:9

Talk about a whirlwind! As we read in Genesis 41:14, "Pharaoh sent and summoned Joseph, [and they rushed him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his garments, and came to Pharaoh]...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Egypt: Jacob's Journey

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 91:3

Our journey begins with a seemingly simple verse from Genesis 42:5: "The sons of Israel came to acquire grain among [betokh] those who came, as the famine was in the land of Canaan...

CreationJosephSolomonTorah

Hidden Secrets of Creation and Behold

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 92:7

Here, the rabbis are exploring the verse in Genesis 44:8, where Joseph's brothers, completely innocent of any wrongdoing, exclaim, "Behold, silver that we found in the opening of o...

CreationHeavenMosesSolomon

Covenant of Jacob and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 96:5

It seems like a strange thing to worry about when, well, we're no longer around to worry about anything. But the story of Jacob, as he nears the end of his life in Egypt, gives us ...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsJoseph

Death of Jacob and Ephraim

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 97:4

The Torah tells us, "Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and it displeased him; he supported his father’s hand, to remove it from the he...

CreationJosephProphecy

Samson and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 98:14

In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, they dig deep into this verse, connecting it to the story of Samson, the legendary strongman from t...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsJoseph

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...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Marriage of Joseph and Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 98:20

We all know the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife, but the ancient rabbis saw layers of complexity there, hints of struggle just beneath the surface. to a fascinating passage fro...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph