Parshat Vayetzei

1,614 related texts · Page 163 of 180

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.

Ephraim's Legacy

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 2:3

to a story about the name Ephraim, and how it’s so much more than just a name. The Midrash, specifically Vayikra Rabbah, that treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations, offers us ...

PatriarchsKing DavidTorahProphecy

Antoninus in Heaven

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 3:2

We start with the verse, "When a person presents a meal offering to the Lord" (Leviticus 2:1). But the Rabbis cleverly link this to Psalm 22:24: "Those who fear the Lord, praise Hi...

HeavenPatriarchsKing DavidMessiah

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 21:11

Take the sacrifices described in the Torah. Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Leviticus, sees them not just as offerings, but as embodiments of our ...

CreationPatriarchsMosesProphecy

Avin: Esau at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 23:6

It’s a question that’s echoed down the centuries, and one that the ancient rabbis grappled with too. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, ...

CreationPatriarchsTorahMessiah

Elijah: Adam and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 27:4

The ancient rabbis wrestled with these very questions. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating discussion anchored to t...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsMatriarchs

Abraham and Creation of Kippur

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 27:9

It's not just about the animals themselves; it's about the patriarchs, about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the profound legacy they left behind. Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of ra...

CreationPatriarchsTempleRepentance

Esau and Creation of Temple

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 30:16

And it all hinges on a seemingly simple phrase. It comes from Vayikra Rabbah 30, a fascinating section of the Midrash. Midrash, by the way, is a method of interpreting scripture wh...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsTemple

Heavenly Realms and Esau

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 34:13

Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, delves into this very question, challenging us to examine our motivations and the imp...

HeavenPatriarchsMosesSolomon

Shammai and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 36:1

This question, believe it or not, has occupied Jewish thinkers for centuries. And it all stems from a seemingly simple verse in Leviticus (26:42): “I will remember My covenant with...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsMoses