2,302 related texts · 12 related myths · Page 45 of 48
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...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Avimelech — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation. The verse in question is (Genesis 21:30): "He said: It is so that you shall take the seven ewes from me, so th...
It might be more surprising – and down-to-earth – than you think. Our text from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, dives into...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Abraham Saddles His Donkey for the Binding of Isaac. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent figure in the Talmudic era, makes a striking observation. He says ...
The story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah, is a cornerstone of Jewish tradition, and within it, a tiny detail holds profound meaning. It's in the repetition of Abr...
The familiar story centers on Abraham and the binding of Isaac – the Akeidah, as it's known in Hebrew. But what about Isaac? Was he just a passive participant in this earth-shatter...
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 story kicks off in (Genesis 24:50-51), where Laban and Betuel, Rebecca's brother and father, respond to Abraham's servant's request for Rebecca's hand in marriage for Isaac. Th...
The familiar story centers on Rebecca at the well, her kindness, and the divinely ordained meeting. But what about her family? Were they as thrilled about this match as we might th...
"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. In Bereshit Rabbah...
Guess what? It offers some pretty profound, and surprisingly practical, advice. Our jumping-off point is the book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) and its rather cryptic verse: "In the mo...
In Bereshit Rabbah, the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) (interpretive) text on Genesis, we find a fascinating discussion, a divergence of opinions on the natur...
The Torah, and later rabbinic texts, offer some fascinating, and comforting, glimpses. (Genesis 25:7) tells us, "These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, on...
Often, these repetitions are little clues, hints that there's something deeper going on, something we need to pay close attention to. Take the story of Isaac and Rebecca. (Genesis ...
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...
Our ancestor Isaac certainly did. The Torah tells us that Isaac went to Avimelekh, king of the Philistines, in Gerar (Genesis 26:1). But where exactly was Gerar? Bereshit Rabbah, t...
Did he just follow the big commandments, the obvious ones? Or was there something more? (Genesis 26:5) tells us that Abraham "heeded My voice, and observed My commission, My comman...
It seems that this feeling, envy, is as old as the hills – or at least as old as the stories in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Ou...
Take the story of Isaac, son of Abraham, diligently re-digging wells in Beersheba. It's a quick mention in (Genesis 26:18): "Isaac again dug the wells of water that they had dug in...
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...
It tackles a seemingly simple verse: "Esau was forty years old, and he took as a wife Yehudit, daughter of Be'eri the Hitite, and Basmat, daughter of Elon the Hitite" (Genesis 26:3...
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...
Take the story of Jacob, disguised as Esau, receiving Isaac's blessing. It's a pivotal moment, full of deception and destiny. Okay, hides of goat kids. That sounds… itchy. Rabbi Yo...
In the story of Jacob and Esau, as told in (Genesis 27:23), that sense of smell takes on a whole new, almost mystical, significance. The verse tells us, "He did not recognize him, ...
Our story begins with Esau, the elder twin of Jacob. He approaches his father, Isaac, with a request, a plea for a blessing. (Genesis 27:31) tells us, "He, too, prepared delicacies...
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...
" It sounds pretty good. But the sages of Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, dig a little deeper. They ask, what does it real...
As (Genesis 28:11) tells us, "He took from the stones of the place..." but what did he do with those stones? That's where the Rabbis pick up the story and run with it in Bereshit R...
Dreams have always held a special fascination, and Jewish tradition is no exception. Take the famous dream of Jacob in (Genesis 28:12): "He dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set on...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob Anoints the Stone Pillar with Heavenly Oil. We find ourselves in (Genesis 28:18). Jacob, after his famous dream of the ladder stretching to heaven, w...
Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Genesis, presents us with a stark contrast: four individuals who made vows, or nedarim, but w...
Bereshit Rabbah 70, the classical midrash on Genesis, wrestles with a tricky part of Jacob's story. After his dream of the ladder, Jacob makes a vow, saying, "If God will be with m...
There's something to that. In fact, the rabbis saw that connection way back when. We find ourselves in (Genesis 29:1), where it says, "Jacob lifted his feet, and went to the land o...
Even a casual "How's it going?" can hold a world of unspoken understanding. the tradition turns to Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 70, for a gem on just this. The scene: Jaco...
We see that play out in the story of Jacob and Laban. In (Genesis 29:14), we read, "Laban said to him: Indeed, you are my bone and my flesh, and he stayed with him a month’s time."...
They're often far more than just labels; they're prophecies, reflections of emotions, and even glimpses into the future. Remember the story? Leah, unloved by her husband Jacob, fin...
It all starts simply enough: "Reuben went during the days of wheat harvest, found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to Leah, his mother. Rachel said to Leah: Please give me ...
It’s truly fascinating. In (Genesis 30:14), we read about Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son, finding dudaim (דּוּדָאִים) in the field. The verse states: "Reuben went during the days of wh...
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...
Jacob, our patriarch, knew that feeling all too well. He was working for his father-in-law, Laban, and things were…complicated. In Genesis 31, we hear Jacob expressing his frustrat...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to How Laban Covered Three Days of Travel in a Single Day. Rabbi Abbahu, in Bereshit Rabbah, poses a fascinating question: what Jacob accomplished in three da...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Twenty Years of Faithful Shepherding for Laban. The passage focuses on Jacob’s words to Laban, recounting his two decades of dedicated service. "These twen...
We’ve all been there. But what if I told you this very human tendency is reflected in the ancient commentaries on the Torah? Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretatio...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Jacob Wrestled the Angel and Limped at Sunrise. Hold onto your hats, because According to Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of...
It turns out, even our greatest heroes struggled with this. We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah 76, a section of the ancient rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The scene ...
Jacob, our patriarch, certainly did. In (Genesis 32:11), after years of wandering and working, facing down tricksters and building a family, Jacob cries out, "I am unworthy of all ...
A reader can But when we explore the ancient commentaries, a much larger, almost cosmic, fear emerges. The verse in Genesis (32:12) says, “Deliver me, please, from the hand of my b...
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, ...
