Parshat Vayetzei

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Jacob's dream of the ladder to heaven, his years working for Laban, his marriages to Rachel and Leah, and the birth of the twelve tribes. Genesis 28:10-32:3.

Birth of Elijah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:9

We often have these grand ideas of lineage, of destiny woven into our very DNA. But what if the story is more…complicated? to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah 71 and wrestle with jus...

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Birth of Asher

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 71:10

Sometimes, the answer lies hidden in the stories of our ancestors, like the tale of Asher, one of Jacob's twelve sons. In Genesis 30:12, we read, "Zilpa the maidservant of Leah gav...

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Birth of Rachel and Aviya

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 73:5

The verse we're looking at is Genesis 30:23, where Rachel, finally blessed with a son, exclaims, "God has removed my disgrace!" But what exactly is this "disgrace" she's referring ...

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Rachel and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 73:6

Take Rachel, for example. When she names her son Joseph, it’s more than just a sweet moment. It’s packed with layers of meaning, hinting at destinies yet to unfold. "She called his...

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Jacob: Dina and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:9

There's a fascinating little drama tucked away in the story of Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau, a drama involving a chest, a daughter, and a divine rebuke. It all starts w...

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Jacob and Creation of Lakish

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 79:8

It’s a feeling as old as...well, as old as Jacob, actually. to a fascinating little corner of Bereshit Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, and s...

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Birth of Dina

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 80:1

The verse tells us, "Dina, daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land." Seems simple enough. But the rabbis saw much more. The text im...

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Dinah and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 80:3

Jewish tradition certainly has. to a fascinating, if unsettling, tale from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah) 80 that explores just that. The verse we’re unpacking is from 2 Kings 14...

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Birth of Rachel and Mikhal

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 82:7

Take the poignant moment when Rachel, mother Rachel, goes into labor. Genesis 35:16 tells us, "They traveled from Beit El, and it was still some distance to arrive at Efrat, and Ra...

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