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.

Abraham's Journey

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 52:4

It’s a question that bubbles to the surface when we delve into the story of Abraham and Lot in Bereshit Rabbah, the great Rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The text opens...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsMatriarchs

Kingdom of Abraham and Avimelekh

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 52:12

to one of those moments, a scene ripe with intrigue, involving Abraham, Sarah, and Avimelekh, king of Gerar. The story unfolds in Genesis 20. Avimelekh, deceived by Abraham’s claim...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Sarah: Covenant of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:4

Psalm 119:89 declares, “Forever, Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.” But does this mean it doesn’t stand firm here, with us? Our sages grappled with this, finding an answe...

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Birth of Isaac of Sarah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:6

to a beautiful passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, to explore just such a moment: the birth of Isaac. The verse we’re loo...

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Evil Inclination and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:10

Our story begins with a simple line from Genesis 21:8: “The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.” Simple enough. But the Rabbis, in th...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Ishmael and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:15

Turns out, sometimes those tiny words hold enormous secrets. Take the story of Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, in Genesis 21:20: “God was with [et] the lad, and he grew. He live...

CreationPatriarchsJosephTorah

Abraham: Avimelekh and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 54:2

The passage opens with Avimelekh and Pikhol approaching Abraham. Now, who exactly was Pikhol? Rabbi Yehuda says Pikhol was his actual name. But Rabbi Nehemya offers a fascinating a...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Covenant of Abraham and Avimelekh

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 54:4

Jewish tradition certainly thinks so. to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, to see just how much weight our Sa...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsJoseph

Pillars of Existence and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 56:2

The Bible tells us the bare bones of the story, but the Rabbis, in their endless quest to understand God's word, delve deeper, seeking hidden meanings and profound truths. In Beres...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph