Parshat Vayechi

2,005 related texts · Page 4 of 223

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

The Origin Of The Shema

Tree of Souls

"Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" – "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4). We say it every day, often multiple times a day. But where did it ...

CreationAngelsHeavenTorah

Dinah Among the Fathers and Jacob

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:248

He continued his journey, finally, to his father Isaac. Imagine that reunion! But the peace wouldn't last. You see, Jacob eventually made his way back to Shechem, that very place w...

Patriarchs

Death of Joseph and Jacob

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 1:371

Not just through a messenger, mind you, but also from his son, Ephraim, who was studying Torah with Jacob himself. Talk about a complicated family dynamic! Joseph doesn't hesitate....

PatriarchsMatriarchsJosephTorah

Ephraim and the Angels

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 1:382

We often think of the eldest as holding a special place, but Jewish tradition sometimes flips that script in fascinating ways. Let's look at the tale of Ephraim and Manasseh, the s...

AngelsPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Jacob and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 2:35

(Deuteronomy 6:4). It's a question that takes us back to a pivotal moment, a deathbed scene filled with both anxiety and profound unity. Devarim Rabbah 2 paints a vivid picture. Ja...

CreationPatriarchsPrayerHoly Land

Simeon Among the Fathers

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 38:3

The story of Simeon and Levi, found in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 38, explores just that kind of fiery zeal. It all starts with the violation of their sister, Dinah, by Shechem. The te...

Patriarchs

Covenant of Circumcision of Jacob

Midrash Aggadah Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 39:13

The scene: Jacob is on his deathbed. He summons his beloved son, Joseph. This isn't just a goodbye; it's a moment of profound importance. Jacob says, "O my son! Swear to me by the ...

Hell/GehennaNoah & FloodPatriarchsJoseph

Death of Moses and Jacob

Other Texts Sifrei Devarim 2:4

It turns out, this isn't just good manners – it might be ancient wisdom! The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early Jewish legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, teaches ...

PatriarchsMessiahEnd Times

Kingdom of Jacob of Rachel

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 28:26

That feeling echoes through the lives of our ancestors, too, especially in the complicated family dynamics of Jacob. Today, let's dip into the Book of Jubilees, a fascinating, thou...

PatriarchsMatriarchs