Parshat Toldot

1,998 related texts · Page 31 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.

Jacob Among the Fathers and Magdiel

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 38:7

It paints a picture of a final transaction, a division of inheritance, that has echoes even today. The story goes that Esau took all that his father, Isaac, had left. But then – an...

PatriarchsHoly Land

Esau's Legacy and Paran

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 41:2

Chapter 41 gives us a glimpse into a rather… unique sales pitch, shall we say. Rabbi Tarphon recounts a scene where the Holy One, blessed be He, doesn't just give the Torah, but ac...

PatriarchsJosephMosesTorah

Jacob's Prayer and Ishmael

Other Texts Sifrei Devarim 31:5

Our tradition certainly understands that feeling. And it finds a powerful voice in the prayer of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes. We find this prayer tucked away in Sifrei D...

CreationPatriarchs

Jacob: Abraham Among the Fathers

Other Texts Sifrei Devarim 312:1

The Book of Deuteronomy, Sefer Devarim, explores just that. In Deuteronomy 32:9, we read, "For the portion of the L-rd is His people." This verse sparks a fascinating midrash, a st...

PatriarchsKing DavidTorahProphecy

Jacob's Transgression and Moses

Other Texts Sifrei Devarim 356:9

And while definitive answers might elude us, Jewish tradition offers tantalizing hints and comforting assurances. Our exploration begins in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal an...

PatriarchsMosesKing DavidMessiah

Jacob's Transgression

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 19:30

Specifically, we're going to look at chapter 19 and the passing of the torch, or rather, the blessing, from Isaac to Jacob. Imagine the scene: Isaac, nearing the end of his days, r...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Isaac's Transgression and Adam

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 19:33

We're going to peek into the Book of Jubilees, a text considered scripture by some, a fascinating piece of Jewish history by others. It’s a retelling of Genesis and Exodus with som...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Isaac's Offering and Abraham

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 22:10

The Book of Jubilees gives us glimpses into just such moments. In chapter 22, we find Isaac sending a thank-offering to his father, Abraham, via Jacob. A "best thank-offering," no ...

CreationHeavenPatriarchs

Abraham: Jacob Among the Fathers

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 22:24

That tension, that pull in different directions, is something our ancestors wrestled with too. to a fascinating, and perhaps a little uncomfortable, passage from the Book of Jubile...

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