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.

Kingdom of Mitzrayim

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 37:5

to a fascinating little corner of Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah) – specifically, section 37 – and unpack some seriously cool wordplay hidden in the names of ancient nations. We'r...

CreationJosephEgypt

I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Curse Who Curse

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 39:12

The text opens with a powerful promise from God to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and one who curses you, I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be bles...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsJoseph

When Famine Drove Abraham Down Into Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:1

It's easy to imagine them springing forth, fully formed, ready to face any challenge. But what about the times before the heroism, the moments of vulnerability, the struggles that ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephKing David

God Chastises Those He Loves on Their Journey

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:2

Like, you're on your path, feeling good, and then BAM! Suddenly, everything changes. Maybe it's a job loss, a health scare, or just a general feeling of being lost. How do we react...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsJoseph

Ten Famines That Have Struck the World Since Adam

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:3

The book of Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Genesis, makes a fascinating claim. It says that there have been ten famines throughout...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsJoseph

Barak at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:4

Abraham suddenly notices his wife is beautiful – like, really beautiful – and expresses concern that the Egyptians will kill him to get to her. He asks her to pretend to be his sis...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Kingdom of Abraham of Sarah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:5

The rabbis of old, wrestling with this very question, spun a fascinating tale in Bereshit Rabbah 40, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. The story begi...

CreationHell/GehennaAdam & EvePatriarchs

Abraham's Journey to Egypt Foreshadowed Israel's Story

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 40:6

The ancient rabbis certainly did. And they found evidence of it woven right into the fabric of the Torah itself. Take the story of Abraham, our forefather. He goes down to Egypt to...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Echoes of the Exodus in the Life of Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 41:3

The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. They saw echoes of the Exodus, the defining moment of Jewish liberation, shimmering even in the life of Abraham. We find this idea beautifu...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses