Parshat Toldot

1,998 related texts · Page 191 of 222

The birth of Jacob and Esau, Esau sells his birthright, Isaac and the Philistines, and Jacob receives Isaac's blessing through deception. Genesis 25:19-28:9.

Balak's Transgression and Bilam

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:17

The scene opens with Balak, the king of Moab, terrified by the Israelites. He’s hired Bilam, a non-Jewish prophet known for the power of his blessings and curses, to, well, curse I...

CreationPatriarchsSoul

Balak: Bilam at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:19

The story of Bilam, found in the Book of Numbers, is one wild ride. But the real juicy stuff? It's in the Midrash, specifically Bamidbar Rabbah, which offers a fascinating peek beh...

CreationHell/GehennaAdam & EvePatriarchs

Moses and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:8

The Torah is full of promises, both of blessings and of curses. And sometimes, it seems like things don't quite line up. In Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on t...

CreationPatriarchsMosesHoly Land

Adam's Transgression and Samlai

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 8:13

We get glimpses, little whispers, from our tradition that paint a picture far grander than we might imagine. The Torah tells us, plainly enough, "God blessed them" (Genesis 1:28). ...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsPrayer

Righteousness of Adam and Shall

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 19:12

It contrasts Adam, the first man, with Job, the righteous sufferer, highlighting their very different responses to adversity. The text begins with Adam's infamous excuse: "The woma...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsKing David

Antoninos and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 34:10

Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, tackles this very question, and it turns out, it's a battle as old as time. The text starts with a...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsKing David

Covenant of Abraham and Curses

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 39:12

The text opens with a powerful promise from God to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and one who curses you, I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be bles...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsJoseph

Abraham's Offering and Behold

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:1

It's easy to imagine them springing forth, fully formed, ready to face any challenge. But what about the times before the heroism, the moments of vulnerability, the struggles that ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephKing David

Abraham's Song and Yehoshua

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:2

Like, you're on your path, feeling good, and then BAM! Suddenly, everything changes. Maybe it's a job loss, a health scare, or just a general feeling of being lost. How do we react...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsJoseph