Parshat Toldot

1,998 related texts · Page 196 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.

Papus and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 64:10

The story of Isaac and the Philistines in Genesis is a powerful reminder that even in moments of apparent peace, the seeds of conflict can still be sown. And the rabbis, in their i...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsTorah

Kingdom of David and Chronicles

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 70:2

The verse in question comes from 1 Chronicles 29:9: “The people rejoiced in their donation, because they donated to the Lord wholeheartedly, and King David too rejoiced with great ...

PatriarchsKing DavidHoly Land

Rabbi Abbahu and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 70:4

Specifically, Bereshit Rabbah 70 wrestles with a tricky part of Jacob's story. After his dream of the ladder, Jacob makes a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me i...

CreationPatriarchsJosephSolomon

Leah and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:2

Jewish tradition offers comfort and hope in those moments. It reminds us that even in the depths of despair, we are noticed, and our fortunes can change. The verse in Psalms (145:1...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Leah's Journey

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:3

Our journey begins with Leah, one of the matriarchs of the Jewish people. Genesis 29:32 tells us, "Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; she said: Because ...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMatriarchs

Leah: Rachel and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:6

The Torah tells us, "Rachel saw that she did not bear children for Jacob; Rachel envied her sister and she said to Jacob: Give me children, and if not, I am dead" (Genesis 30:1). B...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Birth of Elijah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:9

We often have these grand ideas of lineage, of destiny woven into our very DNA. But what if the story is more…complicated? to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah 71 and wrestle with jus...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsMoses

Birth of Asher

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:10

Sometimes, the answer lies hidden in the stories of our ancestors, like the tale of Asher, one of Jacob's twelve sons. In Genesis 30:12, we read, "Zilpa the maidservant of Leah gav...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsMessiah

Leah: Rachel at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 72:3

It all comes to mind when we look at the story of Rachel and Leah, and those fateful dudaim, the mandrakes. The scene is set in Genesis 30:15. Rachel, unable to conceive, is desper...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsDeath