Parshat Vayigash

2,911 related texts · Page 145 of 324

Judah's plea for Benjamin, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and Jacob's family descends to Egypt. Genesis 44:18-47:27.

Kingdom of Abram and Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 44:3

It's like a song with a recurring chorus, reminding us of something vital. Let's look at one of those refrains, the reassurance "Fear not, Abram," and see what echoes it holds. The...

CreationPatriarchsProphecyHoly Land

Saga of Joseph and Yonatan

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 55:2

And Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, offers a fascinating perspective. It's found in Bereshit Rabbah 55 and it all st...

CreationJosephKing DavidProphecy

Rebecca: Jacob at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 60:14

to one such passage from Genesis, chapter 24, where we find Rebecca on her way to meet Isaac. The verse tells us, "Rebecca and her maids rose, and rode upon the camels, and followe...

CreationPatriarchsKing DavidPrayer

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

Jacob: Nimrod and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 63:13

We often hear it as a simple transaction: Esau was hungry, Jacob offered food in exchange for the birthright, end of story. But, as always, the Rabbis see layers upon layers, depth...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsMoses

Trial of Jacob and Rebecca

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:14

The story of Jacob and Esau, and their mother Rebecca, is definitely one for the ages. It's a story ripe with sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, and a mother's desperate attempt...

CreationPatriarchsProphecyRepentance

Jacob's Transgression and Land

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:17

Take the story of Jacob, disguised as Esau, receiving Isaac's blessing. It's a pivotal moment, full of deception and destiny. But let's zoom in on one specific detail: "And the hid...

CreationPatriarchsTempleMiracles

Birth of Jacob and Arise

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:18

The scene is set: Jacob, disguised as his brother Esau, deceives his aging and blind father Isaac to receive the blessing meant for the firstborn. The Torah tells us, "He came to h...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David

Jacob's Transgression and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 65:19

That's the tightrope Jacob walked in the famous episode where he deceives his father, Isaac, to steal the blessing meant for his brother, Esau. The story, as we find it in Genesis ...

CreationPatriarchsProphecyPrayer