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.

Aaron in Joseph's Time and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:7

We find ourselves in Shemot Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The verse in question is Exodus 8:12: “The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron:...

DemonsJosephMosesEgypt

Moses in Battle and Egyptians

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 11:2

Take the story of the plagues in Egypt. It's not just about showing off God's power; it's a complex tapestry woven with themes of justice, redemption, and even a little bit of…well...

JosephMosesProphecyMiracles

Pharaoh in Battle and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 11:3

The Book of Exodus gives us a glimpse into just that, with the plague of the swarms descending upon Egypt. We pick up the story in Exodus 8:20: "The Lord did so; and heavy swarms c...

Hell/GehennaJosephMosesTemple

Pharaoh's Transgression and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 12:5

We often think of him as this monolithic, unyielding villain. But what if there were moments of genuine, albeit fleeting, remorse? The Book of Exodus tells us that after the devast...

JosephMosesEgyptSinai

Moses in Battle of Pharaoh

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 13:6

We often focus on the miraculous nature of it all, but sometimes, the Rabbis of the Midrash offer us insights into the why behind the what. Take the plague of locusts, for instance...

JosephMosesRepentanceHoly Land

Jeremiah in Joseph's Time

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 15:5

It seems like a minor detail, but as we learn in Shemot Rabbah, it's anything but. Rabbi Ḥanina offers a beautiful explanation. He says that God's choice of words reflects a profou...

JosephMosesTorahTemple

Moses: Pharaoh and the Dreamer

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:3

We often read the verse in Exodus 12:30, "As there was no house in which there was no one dead," and maybe we don't fully grasp its implications. But the ancient rabbis, in their i...

JosephMosesKing DavidSolomon

Humility of Moses and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:12

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling when they looked at the Exodus story. The Torah tells us that God "did not lead them" – lo naham – after Pharaoh finally let the ...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Joseph and His Brothers of Land

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:13

Eleven! As it says, "From Egypt to the Land of Israel there are eleven journeys, which can be conducted in eleven days." (Shemot Rabbah 20). So, why did it end up taking them forty...

JosephHoly LandExileEgypt