Parshat Vayigash

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

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 41:3

The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. They saw echoes of the Exodus, the defining moment of Jewish liberation, shimmering even in the life of Abraham. We find this idea beautifu...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 43:3

The Book of Genesis 14:15 tells us, "He divided up against them at night, he and his servants, and he smote them and pursued them until Ḥova, which is north of Damascus." But it’s ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Daniel: Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 44:19

one such verse, rich with meaning and implication. In Genesis 15:14, God tells Abraham, "And also that nation that they will serve, I will judge, and after that they will go out wi...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Faith of Abraham and Yudan

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 44:22

We find ourselves asking this question in Bereshit Rabbah 44, a midrash – a collection of rabbinic interpretations – on the book of Genesis. The verse in question: "On that day, th...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsJosephMoses

Ishmael: Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 46:2

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." We all know the famous line from Ecclesiastes (3:1). But have you ever stopped to consider just how m...

CreationAdam & EveNoah & FloodPatriarchs

Abraham's Miracle and Joshua

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 46:6

It's never accidental. Jewish tradition teaches us that repetitions often hold profound significance, echoing through generations. Take Abraham, for example, our patriarch. We find...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Birth of Abraham and Yudan

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 47:3

It's right there in Genesis 17:17: "Abraham fell upon his face, and he laughed. He said in his heart: Shall a child be born to one who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, a ...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Kingdom of Abraham and Avimelekh

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 52:12

to one of those moments, a scene ripe with intrigue, involving Abraham, Sarah, and Avimelekh, king of Gerar. The story unfolds in Genesis 20. Avimelekh, deceived by Abraham’s claim...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Birth of Isaac of Sarah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 53:6

to a beautiful passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, to explore just such a moment: the birth of Isaac. The verse we’re loo...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsMatriarchs