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.

Six Hundred Thousand Israelites March Out of Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:11

We read in Exodus 12:37: "The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Sukkot, approximately six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children." It's a verse that launches us i...

CreationHeavenAdam & EvePatriarchs

Akhish in Heaven

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 19:1

It turns out this very human experience is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. We find this idea beautifully explored in Shemot Rabbah, specifically in its interpretation of the ver...

HeavenNoah & FloodMatriarchsJoseph

Akilas at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 19:4

And it's a feeling that Judaism, in its wisdom, addresses head-on. We find a fascinating exploration of this theme in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the...

CreationAngelsNoah & FloodPatriarchs

The Firstborn's Living Connection to the Exodus

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 19:8

It goes all the way back to the Exodus, to the very night God spared the Israelite firstborn while striking down the Egyptians. But there’s more to it than just remembering a histo...

JosephMosesMiraclesHoly Land

Why God Did Not Lead Israel by the Shortest Route

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:1

Get out as fast as possible! But Exodus 13:17 tells us, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them via the land of the Philistines, although it was near, as God ...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Israel Escapes Egypt Like a Bird From a Snare

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:6

The ancient rabbis certainly knew the feeling, and they used vivid imagery to describe the Israelites' escape from Egypt. It wasn't just a political liberation; it was a soul's lib...

Adam & EvePatriarchsJosephMoses

Humility of Moses of Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:17

You'd think after all that, they'd want to get there as quickly as possible. But the Torah tells us something curious: "God led the people around, via the wilderness by the Red Sea...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

A Pillar of Cloud by Day and Fire by Night

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:18

Jewish tradition teaches us that this feeling might be more than just a lucky coincidence. It might be the very presence of the Divine. Shemot Rabbah, a classic compilation of rabb...

JosephKing DavidMessiahHoly Land

Moses's Transgression of Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 21:2

And in that moment of desperation, Moses, their leader, turned to God. But what happened next is more surprising than you might think. The Book of Exodus, or Shemot in Hebrew, is f...

JosephMosesJobHoly Land