2,302 related texts · 12 related myths · Page 46 of 48
There's a fascinating little drama tucked away in the story of Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau, a drama involving a chest, a daughter, and a divine rebuke. It all starts w...
The story of Jacob wrestling with an angel, found in Genesis 32, is one of the most enigmatic and powerful scenes in the Torah. But what was really going on that night by the river...
That’s kind of the vibe I get from the encounter between Jacob and Esau after their long separation, as described in Bereshit Rabbah 78. The verse in question is (Genesis 33:14), w...
The book of Genesis tells us, almost in passing, "Jacob traveled to Sukot, and built him a house, and established booths [sukot] for his livestock. Therefore, he called the name of...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Present Righteousness Matters More Than Past Mistakes. The Rabbis notice something crucial. The verse doesn't say, "If you were pure and upright," but "If ...
His story, as told in Bereshit Rabbah (the great commentary on Genesis), is a masterclass in turning sorrow into joy, sowing in tears and reaping with songs. The verse says, "Jacob...
It’s a feeling as old as...well, as old as Jacob, actually. to a fascinating little corner of Bereshit Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, and s...
Sometimes, the answer lies hidden in plain sight, tucked away in ancient commentaries on the Torah. Consider the seemingly simple act of bathing a baby after circumcision. It turns...
The tradition turns to the book of Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the book of Genesis. It grapples with a powerful moment in Jacob's life. Rem...
Our ancestors certainly did. And sometimes, just sometimes, they got one. Take Jacob, for instance. He's been through the wringer, hasn't he? Deception, exile, wrestling angels… yo...
Take the poignant moment when Rachel, mother Rachel, goes into labor. (Genesis 35:16) tells us, "They traveled from Beit El, and it was still some distance to arrive at Efrat, and ...
Rabbi Aivu starts us off with an intriguing observation. Before Israel had a king, Edom did. (The text is supplemented here based on the Matnot Kehuna, Nezer HaKodesh, and Etz Yose...
Our ancestors knew a thing or two about the struggle to find that peace. Take Jacob, for example. We read in (Genesis 37:1), "Jacob settled in the land of his father's residence, i...
It’s an idea that's been puzzling thinkers for centuries, and it pops up in some pretty unexpected places in our tradition. (Proverbs 28:1) tells us, "The wicked flee without a pur...
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers, for instance. The familiar story is this: jealousy, betrayal, and a colorful coat. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw layers of...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to How Much the Ishmaelites Paid for Joseph. The verse in (Genesis 37:29) tells us, "Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit, and he...
You're reading one story, and suddenly – BAM! – It can feel a little jarring. Well, the ancient Rabbis noticed this too, and they dove deep into those textual "interruptions" to fi...
The Torah certainly understands that feeling. Take this little phrase we find in (Genesis 38:12): "The days accumulated…" Sounds innocuous. But in Bereshit Rabbah, the classic coll...
The rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient and profound commentary on the Book of Genesis, don't just take things at face value. They see echoes, connections, and hidden meanings wo...
The ancient rabbis pondered this very question. In Bereshit Rabbah 92, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, we find a fascinating glimpse into the last words, ...
It quickly expands into a sweeping allegorical landscape using the words of the prophet Amos. The verse from Amos (9:13) speaks of a future time when "the plowman will encounter th...
The scene is intense. Joseph, after years of separation and playing a cat-and-mouse game with his brothers, is about to reveal his true identity. But let’s back up a little. Rememb...
It centers around the verse: "He slaughtered feast-offerings to the God of his father Isaac" (Genesis 46:1). Why Isaac? Why not Abraham, the patriarch of them all? Rabbi Yehoshua b...
The ancient Rabbis certainly noticed it. They saw it woven into the very fabric of the Torah, these moments where authority seems to… loosen. Our story today comes from Bereshit Ra...
Take Jacob, for example. The Torah tells us, “The time for Israel to die approached” (Genesis 47:29). Now, At first, that seems But Reish Lakish, a prominent scholar of the Talmud,...
The Torah portion Vayechi, at the very end of Genesis, gives us a glimpse into that very idea. Jacob, on his deathbed, blesses his sons. And when he blesses Joseph, it says, "He bl...
It’s a beautiful custom, wishing them the qualities we admire in these two brothers. But there's something even more interesting hidden within that blessing, something that goes ba...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, they dig deep into this verse, connecting it to the story of Samson, the legendary strongman from t...
It all goes back to Jacob's blessings to his sons on his deathbed, a scene fraught with emotion and anticipation. And within that scene, the blessing to Judah stands out, packed wi...
The sages grappled with this question, and their answers reveal fascinating insights into divine justice and human fallibility. Our story begins, as it often does, in the Book of G...
The book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, opens with the simple phrase, "These are the words…" And immediately, the ancient interpreters of our tradition, the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbin...
The story of Esau and Jacob is a classic example, and the Rabbis in Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, unpack it with incredible ...
There's a whole world of meaning packed into those words. It wasn't just a one-time instruction to Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, was saying, "Not only am I commanding you, bu...
Jewish tradition actually has a lot to say about that, especially the power of teshuvah (repentance), or repentance. And let me tell you, some of these stories are wild. Devarim Ra...
Devarim Rabbah turns to Moses Invokes the Patriarchs to Save Israel From God's Wrath. The story starts with a seemingly simple statement: "carve for you." The verse in Deuteronomy ...
It is often remembered as the absence of conflict, but Jewish tradition elevates peace – shalom – to something far more profound and active. It’s not just a nice idea; it's a force...
Even Moses, the great lawgiver, felt it. In Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a poignant moment where Moses pleads with God. He...
Day follows night, the seasons turn, the land stays put, the sea stays… well, you get the idea. But what if I told you that this order, seemingly immutable, has actually been bent ...
In Devarim Rabbah, there's a profound and many-sided reason why Moses calls upon them as witnesses, as partners, as something more. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, in a fascinating inte...
Kohelet Rabbah turns to The Heart's Many Roles According to the Sages. The ancient rabbis certainly pondered this. In Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on th...
(Ecclesiastes 4:3) dances with it: "Better than both of them is one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil actions that are done under the sun." Kohelet Rabbah, a collecti...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it’s known in Hebrew, dives right into that feeling. One particular verse, (Ecclesiastes 4:8), really hits home: "There is one and not anoth...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, speaks to this feeling with raw honesty. And the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, found layers of meaning within its verses, especi...
The Book of Ecclesiastes – or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew – grapples with this very feeling. It asks us: what do we do when we see injustice seemingly rewarded? Specifically, K...
The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible grapples with these very feelings. There's a verse in chapter 9, verse 11, that really gets to the heart of it: "I again saw under the sun tha...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, certainly did. It observes, "I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking on the ground like servants" (Eccle...
Take the verse from Ecclesiastes (10:8): “One who digs a pit will fall into it; and one who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him.” It's a powerful image. But what does it real...
It's like, bam, out of nowhere, you're bearing a load you didn't even see coming. Well, the ancient Israelites knew that feeling all too well when they found themselves in Egypt. W...
