Parshat Vayechi

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Jacob blesses his sons and grandsons with prophetic blessings, Jacob's death and burial, and Joseph's final years. Genesis 47:28-50:26.

Abraham and Creation of Shema

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 48:7

Genesis 18:1 tells us, "He was sitting [yoshev] at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day." But there's more to it than meets the eye. Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, ...

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When God Created of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 49:4

The Torah portion Vayera, and specifically Genesis 18:19, offers a glimpse into this very idea: "For I love him, so that he will command his children and his household after him, t...

CreationPatriarchsTorahPrayer

Destruction of Sodom and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 49:10

We'll be looking at Bereshit Rabbah 49, which unpacks Abraham's famous negotiation with God over the fate of Sodom. Remember the story? God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah b...

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Isaac's Transgression and Meisha

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 55:5

The passage comes from Bereshit Rabbah 55, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. It all starts with a verse from the prophet Micah (6:6): “With what ...

PatriarchsSoulRepentance

Isaac: Abraham and the Patriarchs

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 57:2

It’s a beautiful image, isn't it? But what does it really mean? Our sages, grappling with this very verse, connected it to something we say every day: a blessing. Specifically, the...

PatriarchsSolomonSoulPrayer

Abraham: Sarah and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 58:5

The Torah tells us, "Abraham came to lament for Sarah, and to weep for her" (Genesis 23:2). Simple enough. But where did he come from? That's where things get interesting. The sage...

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Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 58:6

The story of Abraham burying Sarah in the book of Genesis, specifically as explored in Bereshit Rabbah 58, really brings that feeling to life. "Abraham arose from before his dead, ...

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Death of Abraham and Ephron

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 58:7

He needs to acquire a burial plot. And what unfolds is a fascinating negotiation, a real estate transaction steeped in cultural nuance, as recorded in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabb...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsSolomon

Abraham and Creation of Ephron

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 58:8

Our focus is Genesis 23:17-18, describing how Abraham acquired the field of Ephron, including the cave of Makhpela, as a burial place. "The field of Ephron that was in Makhpela tha...

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