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.

Esau: Jacob's Prayer

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:4

We're looking at section 76, which grapples with Jacob's prayer as he prepares to meet his brother Esau after years of separation (Genesis 32:10). Remember the setup: Jacob is unde...

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Jacob's Journey and Jordan

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:5

Jacob, our patriarch, certainly did. In Genesis 32:11, after years of wandering and working, facing down tricksters and building a family, Jacob cries out, "I am unworthy of all th...

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Jacob: Esau at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 76:7

Take the story of Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau after years of estrangement. He sends Esau a lavish gift, described in detail in Genesis 32. But is it just a gift list, ...

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Kings: Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 77:1

"Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn" (Genesis 32:25). A simple sentence, but pregnant with meaning. What does it mean to be alone? And who, o...

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Jacob and Creation of Malachi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:5

It's never just a detail. Everything has meaning, layers upon layers waiting to be uncovered. We find this idea beautifully illustrated in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic...

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Yosei: Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:6

It’s a fascinating story that takes us back to the very beginnings of our people, to Jacob wrestling with a mysterious figure. The Torah tells us, in Genesis 32:33, "Therefore, the...

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Jacob in Battle and Esau

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:9

But our Sages, those brilliant interpreters of the sacred texts, saw something… different. They noticed something peculiar about the word "kissed" – vayishakehu – in the original H...

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Jacob: Judah at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:12

In Genesis 33:10, Jacob pleads with Esau, saying, "Please, no, if I have found favor in your eyes, receive my gift from me, for therefore, I have seen your face, as the sight of th...

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Jacob and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 78:14

That’s kind of the vibe I get from the encounter between Jacob and Esau after their long separation, as described in Bereshit Rabbah 78. The verse in question is Genesis 33:14, whe...

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