Parshat Vayera

2,677 related texts · Page 275 of 298

Three angels visit Abraham, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the birth of Isaac, and the Binding of Isaac (the Akedah). Genesis 18:1-22:24.

Esau and Creation of Dama

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 1:15

Jewish tradition has a lot to say on the subject, and some of the stories might surprise you. Our jumping-off point is the verse in Deuteronomy 2:3, "You have circled this mountain...

CreationPatriarchsMosesTorah

Heavenly Assembly

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 1:22

It's not always as simple as a direct hand from above. Sometimes, there's a cosmic chess game happening behind the scenes. Devarim Rabbah, in its very first section, opens with a p...

AngelsJosephMosesKing David

Moses and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 2:7

Our story revolves around a verse from Deuteronomy (3:24): "Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is in the heavens or on ...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David

Hidden Secrets of Creation and Gamliel

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 2:24

Jewish tradition actually has a lot to say about that, especially the power of teshuvah, or repentance. And let me tell you, some of these stories are wild. Devarim Rabbah, a colle...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMoses

Moses Ascends to Heaven and Kippur

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 2:38

The story begins with Moses, our great leader, ascending to the heavens. Imagine the scene: clouds parting, a divine ladder stretching upwards, and Moses, step by step, approaching...

AngelsRepentanceHoly Land

The Golden Calf and Yitzchak

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 3:15

That’s what I want to talk about today, by diving into a powerful story from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings and interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. This...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Angelic Hierarchies

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 7:9

Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, tackles this very question. It starts with a verse from Proverbs (2:1): "My son, if you take my sayin...

AngelsNoah & FloodJosephMoses

Manna from Heaven and Shimon

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 7:11

We often focus on the manna, the miraculous food from heaven. But what about something as basic as clothing? I mean, forty years is a long time. Did their clothes just… last? That'...

AngelsMosesSolomonTorah

Moses: Adam and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very feelings. One verse in particular, Ecclesiastes 6:10, really gets to the heart of it: "What w...

CreationAngelsAdam & EveJoseph