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.

Sarah in Battle

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 58:1

It's rarely a mistake. More often, it’s a little breadcrumb, a hint that there's something deeper going on. Take the verse in Genesis 23:1: "Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years ...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsKing David

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 59:4

This one, found in Bereshit Rabbah 59, a compilation of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, definitely did that for me. It's a story about a rabbi, a myrtle branch, and a fie...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonTorah

Rebecca: Isaac and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 60:10

The story kicks off in Genesis 24:50-51, where Laban and Betuel, Rebecca's brother and father, respond to Abraham's servant's request for Rebecca's hand in marriage for Isaac. They...

CreationHeavenPatriarchs

Isaac: Rebecca and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 60:13

We pick up with Rebecca, about to leave her family to marry Isaac. Genesis 24:59 tells us, “They sent Rebecca their sister, and her nursemaid, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.” ...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJob

Abraham: Ishmael at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 62:4

It’s a question that perplexed some of our sages, too. Take Ishmael, for example. Genesis 25:12 starts out: "These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egy...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Marriage of Isaac and Aramean

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:4

It's not just filling space! Often, these repetitions are little clues, hints that there's something deeper going on, something we need to pay close attention to. Take the story of...

CreationPatriarchsSolomon

Esau: Rebecca at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:6

The verse in Genesis 25:22 tells us "The children were agitated within her, and she said: If this is so, why do I exist? She went to inquire of the Lord." But what exactly does "ag...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMatriarchs

Foundations of Being and Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:8

Take the birth of Jacob and Esau, for example. Seems straightforward. But Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis, dives deep, revealing layers of interpretatio...

CreationHeavenDemonsPatriarchs

Birth of Esau and Sage

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:10

Our story today comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're looking at section 63, which delves into the lives ...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsProphecy