810 related texts · Page 80 of 90
It’s a question that pulls us into the heart of Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. We begin with the verse: "God said: Let the water ...
That feeling, that’s something the ancient rabbis wrestled with too. Our story begins with a seemingly simple verse from Genesis 2:4: “These are the toledot (outgrowths, generation...
The verse says, "The children of the great men [benei haelohim] saw the daughters of man, that they were fair, and they took for themselves wives, from whomever they chose." Simple...
Today, let’s delve into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, that explores just that. The passage opens with a quote ...
It all starts with a verse from Exodus, "You shall make for Me an altar of earth…[I will come to you and I will bless you]" (Exodus 20:21). Rabbi Yitzḥak takes this to heart. He im...
The story, of course, is from Genesis 19:9. Lot, Abraham's nephew, has welcomed two angelic guests into his home. The men of Sodom, consumed by lust and cruelty, surround the house...
We know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. Abraham, unflinchingly faithful, prepares to follow through. But at the last moment, an angel intervene...
The Torah tells us that Abraham was old, zaken (Genesis 24:1). But the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah 59 ask, what does that really signify? The rabbis dig deep, finding layers of meani...
The verse in Genesis 25:22 tells us "The children were agitated within her, and she said: If this is so, why do I exist? She went to inquire of the Lord." But what exactly does "ag...
