1,879 related texts · 4 related myths · Page 36 of 40
Bereshit Rabbah turns to The Double Command of Lekh Lekha to Abraham. Our source is Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. In sec...
A fascinating little debate from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, The verse in question is (Genesis 13:14): "...
Abraham, our patriarch, knew that feeling. In (Genesis 15:2), he cries out, "My Lord God, what will You give me, seeing that I go childless, and the one who has charge of my house ...
Bereshit Rabbah 45, a fascinating passage from the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that grapples with just that. The verse in question is from (Genesis 16:13), when Haga...
The scene: God, in (Genesis 17:1), reveals Himself to Abraham, saying "I am God Almighty [Shadai]." But what does Shadai really mean? The Rabbis, in Bereshit Rabbah 46, unpack this...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explored this very human feeling when confronting God's command to Abraham to be circumcised. In (Genesis 17:1), God tel...
The rabbis of the Midrash loved finding secrets inside the first letters of things. Bereshit Rabbah 46 preserves one of those moments, the rabbis puzzling over something quite prof...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Joshua and Creation of Land. In (Genesis 17:8), God says, "I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, the entire l...
It centers around a single verse, (Genesis 17:14), which deals with brit milah, the covenant of circumcision. The verse reads: “And the uncircumcised male who shall not circumcise ...
Like a flash of light and a booming voice. But maybe, just maybe, it's something a little more… intimate. The source turns to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collecti...
" Now, Abraham takes center stage. He interprets this verse in light of his own life, specifically his circumcision. He says that after he circumcised himself, many proselytes, con...
Sounds wild. to it. The story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Remember the scene? Sarah, eavesdropping near the...
The story begins with Abraham making a covenant with Avimelekh, a Philistine king. As (Genesis 21:27) tells us, "Abraham took flocks and cattle, and gave them to Avimelekh, and the...
The third day keeps returning as a day of rescue, from Abraham's journey to Sinai and beyond. Think about Abraham. In (Genesis 22:4), we read, "On the third day, Abraham lifted his...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Eliezer's Camels and the Test of Idol Worship. Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya pose a fascinating question to Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Rabba: Were Abraham's camels, pa...
The Torah gives us a glimpse, a tantalizing hint, when describing Isaac bringing Rebecca into his mother Sarah’s tent. (Genesis 24:67) tells us, “Isaac brought her into the tent of...
It’s a beautiful, cyclical relationship, one that Jewish tradition explores in fascinating ways. Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Ge...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, specifically in section 63, we find a discussion around the verse, "The Lord said to her" (Genesis 25:23), ...
Take the birth of Jacob and Esau, for example. Seems straightforward. But Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis, dives deep, revealing layers of interpretatio...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob Buys One Day of Esau's Birthright Privilege. The Torah tells us in (Genesis 25:31), "Jacob said: Sell me your birthright this day." Now, listen to ho...
Take the story of Jacob and Esau and that fateful bowl of lentil stew. it is often remembered as a simple transaction, a hungry Esau trading away his birthright for a quick meal. B...
The story of Isaac and the Philistines in Genesis is a powerful reminder that even in moments of apparent peace, the seeds of conflict can still be sown. And the rabbis, in their i...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Isaac's Failing Eyes Served a Hidden Divine Purpose. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa opens a fascinating door into this idea, stating, "Much, Lord my God, You have ...
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...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to The Dew of Heaven and Its Layers of Blessing. The rabbis, masters of close reading and insightful connections, find a clue in the Book of Job. Remember Job...
Jewish tradition, in its beautiful and often poetic way, offers a compelling answer: the people of Israel. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic i...
Our ancestors grappled with this very question of agency and divine intervention. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Boo...
Take the tale of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. The familiar version gives us the basics: Jacob deceives his father, Isaac, and steals Esau's blessing. But what happens after? What was Is...
That feeling is at the heart of our story today, a story about brothers, blessings, and a whole lot of bad blood. It all stems from that infamous scene: Jacob, aided by his mother ...
Remember Jacob's famous dream? He's fleeing from his brother Esau, sleeps on a stone, and sees a ladder stretching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12). ...
The story begins with Akilas, a convert to Judaism – a ger tzedek, as we say in Hebrew. He approaches Rabbi Eliezer with a question, a concern, really. Akilas points to the verse i...
Take the story of Jacob meeting Rachel at the well. It seems straightforward: boy meets girl, asks about her family, gets the scoop. But according to Bereshit Rabbah, ancient rabbi...
It reminds us that even in the depths of despair, we are noticed, and our fortunes can change. The verse in Psalms (145:14) tells us, "The Lord supports all those who fall and He s...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, and see what they had to say about...
Our story begins with Rachel, one of the matriarchs of the Jewish people. She was barren, a source of immense sorrow in a time when children were seen as a woman's greatest blessin...
The verse But what exactly is this "disgrace" she's referring to? Rabbi Levi bar Zechariah offers a powerful insight. He suggests that before a woman has a child, societal blame te...
Our ancestors wrestled with that very question. Remember the story? Jacob, after years of hard labor for Laban, decides it’s time to return to his homeland with his wives and child...
King David certainly did. In Psalms, he repeatedly begs God to rise up and intervene. But what does it really mean for God to "arise"? And when will that moment finally come? Our s...
A discussion about "messengers" (malakhim). Were they ordinary people, or something more? Some Rabbis suggest they were actual angels! It blurs the lines between the mundane and th...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob — Isaac at the Dawn of Creation. In this, midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretation, King Solomon, with divine inspiration (ruach...
The Torah itself offers some pretty practical advice about diversifying your.. well, everything? It's tucked away in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of th...
Take the story of Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau after years of estrangement. He sends Esau a lavish gift, described in detail in Genesis 32. But is it just a gift list, ...
Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina suggests that Jacob wasn't wrestling just anyone; he was battling Esau’s guardian angel! Remember when Jacob says, "For therefore I have seen your face,...
It all starts with Jacob, that famous figure from the Book of Genesis. Remember when Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure all night long? After this epic struggle, Jacob asks hi...
That feeling, that resilience, is at the heart of a beautiful teaching about Jacob, our patriarch. The Torah tells us that Jacob "arrived intact" (Genesis 33:18) after his long jou...
The story begins with Judah and his sons. You might remember the verse from (Genesis 38:8): "Judah said to Onan: Consort with your brother’s wife, and consummate levirate marriage ...
A reader can imagine a golden aura, a constant stream of good fortune. But what if it’s something more subtle, more… human? " Sounds straightforward. But the Rabbis, in Bereshit Ra...
This, the rabbis say, is Joseph. But then comes a twist. "And did not turn to the proud" (Psalms 40:5) – because Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him and mention him to Ph...
