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.

Wisdom of Solomon of Temple

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 10:4

Today, we're diving into a fascinating story from Bamidbar Rabbah 10, a section of the larger Midrash Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies and interpretations of the Torah. It...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood

When God Created and Blessings

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 11:7

Jewish tradition grapples with this apparent contradiction all the time. Take the famous Priestly Blessing from Numbers 6:26: "May the Lord show favor to you, and grant you peace."...

CreationHell/GehennaAngelsNoah & Flood

First Days of Existence and Presence

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 12:6

The passage in Bamidbar Rabbah 12 kicks off with a seemingly simple word: "Vayhi" – usually translated as "it was." But in the world of Jewish interpretation, nothing is ever just ...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveJoseph

First Humans and Tabernacle

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 12:14

to one of those metaphors, found in Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers. We begin with a beautiful verse from Numbers (24:5): "How goodly are...

Adam & EvePatriarchsMosesKing David

Elazar: Rabbi Yehoshua at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 14:4

It's all about how we access, understand, and apply the teachings of Torah. The passage opens with a verse from Ecclesiastes (12:11): “The words of the wise are like goads, and lik...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsMoses

The Golden Calf of Sinai

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:21

The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, picks up the story after the tumultuous events at Sinai. In Bamidbar Rabbah 15, a Midrash, or interpretive commentary, delves into a seemin...

JosephMosesKing DavidJob

Moses and the Ark

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:7

Like checking the price tag after you’ve already won the lottery. Well, according to Bamidbar Rabbah 16, part of the larger collection of Midrashic literature called Bamidbar Rabba...

Noah & FloodJosephMosesKing David

Amalek's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:18

It all starts with a seemingly simple verse: “Amalek dwells in the region of the south” (Numbers 13:29). But the rabbis of the Midrash ask a pointed question: why did the spies, wh...

PatriarchsHoly Land

Hell and Its Gates of However

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:23

We find ourselves in a similar place in Bamidbar Rabbah 16, grappling with the aftermath of the Israelites' lack of faith and their subsequent punishment of wandering the desert fo...

Hell/GehennaJosephKing DavidMessiah