Parshat Toldot

1,998 related texts · Page 193 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.

Kingdom of Abraham and Avimelekh

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 52:12

to one of those moments, a scene ripe with intrigue, involving Abraham, Sarah, and Avimelekh, king of Gerar. The story unfolds in Genesis 20. Avimelekh, deceived by Abraham’s claim...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Sarah's Prayer

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:5

The Torah, and the rabbinic tradition that blossoms from it, is obsessed with this very question. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 53, a midrash – a rabbinic interpret...

CreationHell/GehennaAngelsPatriarchs

Birth of Sarah and Esther

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:8

After decades of barrenness, at a very, very advanced age, she miraculously conceives and gives birth to Isaac. In Genesis 21:6, she exclaims, "God has made laughter for me; everyo...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsEsther

Birth of Sarah and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:9

The verse we're looking at is Genesis 21:7: "She said: Who would have announced to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I bore a son for his old age.” It's Sarah, speaking ...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMatriarchs

Evil Inclination and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:10

Our story begins with a simple line from Genesis 21:8: “The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.” Simple enough. But the Rabbis, in th...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Abraham: Avimelekh and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 54:2

The passage opens with Avimelekh and Pikhol approaching Abraham. Now, who exactly was Pikhol? Rabbi Yehuda says Pikhol was his actual name. But Rabbi Nehemya offers a fascinating a...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Abraham's Offering and Bilam

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 55:8

to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, specifically section 55, and see what wisdom we can unearth. The pas...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Abraham's Journey and Ezra

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 56:1

Jewish tradition is full of stories that remind us that sometimes, salvation comes on the third day. It’s a recurring motif, a whisper of hope that echoes through our texts. Think ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Pillars of Existence and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 56:2

The Bible tells us the bare bones of the story, but the Rabbis, in their endless quest to understand God's word, delve deeper, seeking hidden meanings and profound truths. In Beres...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph