Parshat Vayera

2,677 related texts · Page 72 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.

Joshua: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:1

It turns out, the ancient rabbis thought about this a lot, especially when it came to the relationship between humanity and God. Let's delve into a fascinating interpretation of a ...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsSolomon

Righteousness of Abraham and Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:1

The ancient Rabbis did. They poured over the verses, searching for clues. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, we find some fascinating answer...

CreationHeavenAdam & EvePatriarchs

David: Abraham and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 1:4

Vayikra Rabbah, a classical midrashic text – meaning, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Torah – offers a fascinating perspective. It begins by exploring the verse in ...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David

Abraham: Nimrod and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 28:4

It's like a cosmic echo, a recurring theme of the powerful and the hungry, of oppression and redemption. Vayikra Rabbah 28, a section of the ancient Midrash Rabbah, explores just t...

CreationPatriarchsMosesEsther

Abraham: Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 36:5

Birth order, historical sequence. But what if there’s more to it than that? Vayikra Rabbah 36, a fascinating passage in the rabbinic commentary on Leviticus, flips that script on u...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsMatriarchs

Abraham in Battle and Hosea

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 36:6

It’s a question the rabbis grappled with, and in Vayikra Rabbah 36, we find some fascinating—and differing—answers. The text explores just how long the merit, the z’chus, of the pa...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsElijah

Abraham and Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Tehillim 1:3

It all starts with the words, "Happy is the man" (Psalm 1:1). But what makes a person truly happy? The Midrash offers several beautiful interpretations. One view suggests the proph...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodPatriarchs

Abraham and Creation of Joseph

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Tehillim 15:4

The 15th chapter of Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating exploration of just that. It's not a simple checklist, but a ta...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

David: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Tehillim 26:3

The sages of old wrestled with this very idea – the idea of being tested by God. And they found solace and guidance in the stories of our ancestors. Midrash Tehillim, a collection ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephKing David