Parshat Vayeshev

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Joseph's dreams and his brothers' jealousy, Joseph sold into slavery, Judah and Tamar, and Joseph in Potiphar's house and prison. Genesis 37:1-40:23.

The Tree of Life and Berekhya

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 29:5

Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Yirmeya, opens a window onto this very idea. He starts with a verse from Proverbs (15:24): "The path of life goes upward for the intelligent." But wha...

SolomonTorah

From Nothing to Everything and Sukkot

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 30:12

It uses the four species taken on Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles, as a metaphor for the Jewish people. It comes from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrashic collection on the book of Levi...

CreationMosesTorahHoly Land

Maker of Heaven and Earth of Yitz

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:7

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very question. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating discussion. Rabbi Ḥanina p...

CreationHeavenKing DavidTorah

Ezekiel: Noah and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:10

It's not just about taste or culinary use; there's a deeper story, a narrative woven through our texts that elevates olive oil above all other oils. Rabbi Ḥiyya, in Vayikra Rabbah ...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Goliath and the Lawgiver

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 32:3

In the book of Vayikra, Leviticus, we read a troubling story about the "son of an Israelite woman" who, as the verse says, "went out" (Leviticus 24:10). But...went out from where? ...

CreaturesMosesKing DavidTemple

Levi and the Lawgiver of Egyptian

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 32:4

to one such tale, found in Vayikra Rabbah 32, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. The passage begins with a seemingly simple statement: "And he was t...

MosesProphecyMysticismSoul

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 34:8

Jewish tradition is full of stories exploring this very idea. Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash on the book of Leviticus, that unpacks t...

CreationHell/GehennaAngelsPatriarchs

David the Shepherd King and Isaiah

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 34:11

We're talking about tzedakah, often translated as charity, but really meaning righteousness and justice. It’s more than just giving; it's about correcting imbalances in the world. ...

King DavidProphecy

Jeremiah: Stars and Firmament

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 35:4

We often take these things for granted, but Jewish tradition suggests there's a deeper, more profound answer than just physics. It's all about ḥukim (חקים), statutes. But not just ...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodKing David