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It’s a pretty mind-boggling thought, isn’t it? Well, in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, the rabbis grapple with this very ...
(Genesis 1:31-2):1 tells us, "It was evening and it was morning, the sixth day, [and heaven and earth were finished...]" Seems straightforward. But Rabbi Yudan, in Bereshit Rabbah ...
It turns out, that feeling might be older – and trickier – than you think. The Torah tells us, "God completed on the seventh day His labor that He had made; He rested on the sevent...
Our sages pondered this question deeply, and one fascinating exploration comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic text—a collection of rab...
And in Bereshit Rabbah, one of our most beloved collections of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) – stories that expand upon the Hebrew Bible – we find a fascinating perspe...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this question, diving deep into the creation story. And as we find in Bereshit Rabbah, the classic midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic com...
The ancients certainly did. Take clouds, for example. We see them drift across the sky, maybe bringing rain, maybe just shading the sun. But did you know that the rabbis saw in clo...
It's more than just relief from the heat; it's a deep, almost primal renewal. And according to our sages, that renewal touches everything. We find this idea beautifully illustrated...
We often think of the serpent and the apple, the temptation and the fall. But what about before all that? What was God’s intention for humanity in that perfect, unspoiled space? Th...
The Book of Genesis touches on this very question, and the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), never ones to shy away from a good debate, certainly had opinio...
We know the story – the first murder, the first act of fratricide. But what were the specifics of the punishment? What did God actually do? The Torah tells us, "Now, you are cursed...
It’s a question that echoes through the ages, right back to the very beginning. In the Book of Genesis (4:17), we read: “Cain was intimate with his wife and she conceived, and gave...
to a fascinating little exploration from Bereshit Rabbah 23, where they unpack the Hebrew word huḥal (הוחל), meaning "then commenced." The discussion kicks off with Rabbi Simon, wh...
It all begins, of course, with Adam. But did you ever imagine him… colossal? Our sages certainly did. In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Bo...
Our story begins with the verse, "This is the book of the descendants of Adam" (Genesis 5:1). But what does that really mean? Bereshit Rabbah 24 digs into this, offering some truly...
The flood narrative in Genesis is one of the most challenging passages in the Torah, wrestling as it does with divine regret and the wiping out of nearly all life. It all starts wi...
We all know the basic plot: humanity, united and speaking one language, decides to build a tower so tall it reaches the heavens. God, not thrilled with this ambition, scatters them...
It happens to the best of us. And sometimes, the reason is more profound than just a lack of sleep or a complicated explanation. Our story begins with the Tower of Babel. Remember ...
The story of Abraham begins with just such a call. (Genesis 12:1)—a verse etched into the heart of Jewish tradition—tells us: "The Lord said to Abram: Go you, from your land, and f...
We start with the line: "It was in the days of Amrafel..." Now, Bereshit Rabbah doesn't just let that lie. Oh no. It immediately asks: who was this Amrafel? Turns out, he was a man...
As we find in (Genesis 15:3), Abraham cries out, "Behold, to me You have not given offspring, and a member of my household is my heir." He's pouring out his heart, expressing his d...
We find this powerful verse in (Genesis 15:7), where God says to Abraham, "I am the Lord who took you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." It seems sim...
It says, "Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram; He said to him: I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be faultless.” Ninety-nine years old. It’s never t...
The Torah tells us in (Genesis 17:5), "Your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." Seems pre...
Our ancestor Abraham certainly did. We find him in a tense back-and-forth with God in Genesis, pleading for the city of Sodom. It's a story we all know. God's about to destroy Sodo...
Jewish tradition is rich with insights into these liminal spaces, and one passage in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah) 50, really caught my attention. It's all about Lot's escape fr...
to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, to see how the ancients grappled with the unexpected. The story unfolds in Ge...
Like something ripped straight from the pages of a philosophical thriller. But the question, "Will a person be more just than God? Will a man be purer than his Maker?" isn’t new. I...
Like something’s not quite adding up. Well, our sages grappled with that very idea, digging deep into a verse in Genesis and a proverb from the Book of Proverbs to uncover some sur...
That's the scene we find ourselves in with Abraham and Avimelech, as retold in Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The verse in question is (Ge...
Our story begins with the seemingly simple phrase, “After these matters [devarim]…”. The Hebrew word devarim can mean both "matters" and "words," and as we delve into Bereshit Rabb...
Take Eliezer, for instance, Abraham's trusted servant. He might seem like a supporting player, but Bereshit Rabbah 60 reveals a depth of understanding that's truly remarkable. The ...
"Happy is the man who has not walked…" – and then it lists the paths we should avoid: the counsel of the wicked, the way of sinners, the company of the insolent. According to Beres...
It’s a question that perplexed some of our sages, too. Take Ishmael, for example. (Genesis 25:12) starts out: "These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the E...
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 "...
Take the story of Jacob and Esau and that fateful bowl of lentil stew. We often think of it as a simple transaction, a hungry Esau trading away his birthright for a quick meal. But...
The scene: Isaac is hanging out in the land of the Philistines, near Gerar. Remember, his father Abraham had his own…issues there. And wouldn’t you know it, history seems to be rep...
"By your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; it will be when you will revolt, you will remove his yoke from your neck" (Genesis 27:40). It’s a confusing mix of do...
Specifically, we’re going to zoom in on a moment of high tension, guided by the insights of Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis...
The kind that makes you want to throw your hands up and say, "Enough!" Well, pull up a chair, because the story of Rebecca and Isaac, and the mess with Esau's wives, takes family d...
We know, of course, the story of creation: six days of incredible activity, culminating in rest. But what about after that? What occupies the divine attention now? Well, according ...
That’s almost what happened to Jacob in a pivotal moment of his life, a moment beautifully captured in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book...
We often think of the big players – kings, prophets, warriors – as isolated figures. But Jewish tradition reminds us that even the mightiest oak grows from the smallest acorn, and ...
That’s the kind of love story we find simmering in the Book of Genesis, specifically when Jacob meets Rachel. But, as always, the Torah isn’t just a simple romance novel; it’s laye...
It all comes to mind when we look at the story of Rachel and Leah, and those fateful dudaim, the mandrakes. The scene is set in (Genesis 30:15). Rachel, unable to conceive, is desp...
The ancient rabbis certainly did.It sheds light on the complex relationship between Leah, Jacob, and the birth of the tribes of Israel. The text opens with Leah going out to meet J...
Specifically, God remembering us. Our verse for today comes from (Genesis 30:22): “God remembered Rachel, and God heeded her, and He opened her womb.” A simple verse. But like so m...
The scene: Jacob, after years of service to his less-than-honest uncle Laban, has finally made his escape with his wives, children, and flocks. But Laban pursues him, catching up o...
