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.

Heavens: Levi at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 12:5

Specifically, we're looking at Bereshit Rabbah 12. Rabbi Nehemya of Kefar Sihon starts us off by referencing Exodus 20:11: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,...

CreationHeavenCreaturesAdam & Eve

Prophetic Calling and Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 13:17

Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon grappled with this very question. He observed that the land is watered primarily at its upper layer. But what then, he wondered, about the carob tree ...

Prophecy

Adam in Battle and Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 16:6

It seems simple enough on the surface: "From every tree of the garden you may eat." But, like with so much in Torah, the rabbis saw layers upon layers of meaning hidden beneath the...

CreationAdam & EveMosesProphecy

The Great Flood and Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 31:6

Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, digs into this very question. It focuses on the word ḥamas (חָמָס), often translated as "i...

JosephProphecyExileEgypt

The Great Flood of Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 36:1

Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 36, a midrashic commentary on the Book of Genesis, which grapples with this very dilemma, using the story of Noa...

CreationDemonsNoah & FloodMoses

Abraham's Offering and Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 48:5

It all starts with a verse from Exodus, "You shall make for Me an altar of earth…[I will come to you and I will bless you]" (Exodus 20:21). Rabbi Yitzḥak takes this to heart. He im...

PatriarchsMosesTempleEgypt

Veil Between Worlds and Sodom

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 50:9

We're diving into Bereshit Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, specifically chapter 50, and it tells a wild story about just that. It all r...

CreationHeavenAngelsPatriarchs

Levi: Lot and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 50:11

The story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom, as explored in Bereshit Rabbah 50, is a stark reminder of how attachment to material possessions can cloud our judgment and even enda...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsMoses

Wisdom of Abraham and Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 59:7

We often think of blessings as material wealth, good health, maybe even a long life. But what if the true blessing is something far deeper, something almost…invisible? Let’s turn t...

PatriarchsMatriarchsTorahPrayer