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That even the greatest among us can have their moments of… well, let’s call it humility. Today, we’re diving into a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbin...
We offer things up, whether it's time, effort, or, as in the ancient Israelite tradition, animal offerings. But to whom are we offering? And why? The book of Numbers, in chapter 28...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea – the seeming imbalance between what we offer God and what God offers us. The passage in Bamidbar Rabbah 21, a collection of rabbinic ...
Why does (Genesis 3:16) say, "To the woman He said: I will increase your suffering and your pregnancy; in pain you shall give birth to children, and your desire shall be for your h...
(Genesis 9:18). It seems straightforward. But wait a minute... Was Yefet actually the eldest? That's what some of our Sages wondered. Why does Shem get top billing? Why not list th...
It’s not just about the rain, or the oceans. It's about something much deeper – a relationship, even a conversation, between God and the very elements of the universe. We find a fa...
It's like a chameleon, shifting its color to match the background. Take the Hebrew word hu, meaning "he is" or "he was." It seems simple enough. But in Bereshit Rabbah, a collectio...
But the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those brilliant interpreters of our tradition, saw so much more. Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of rabbinic ...
Our story begins with the seemingly simple phrase: "It was in the days of Amrafel..." (Genesis 14:1). But the Rabbis, masters of interpretation, saw so much more within those words...
Our sages certainly did. to a fascinating exploration from Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 42, where they dissect the phrase "vayhi bimei" (וַיְהִי בִּמֵי), "it was in the da...
It’s a question that's been wrestled with for millennia, and Jewish tradition offers some fascinating, layered answers. to one such exploration, found in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic...
The Torah, and the rabbinic tradition that blossoms from it, is obsessed with this very question. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 53, a midrash – a rabbinic interpret...
to a fascinating example from Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 55, which deals with one of the most challenging stories in the Torah: the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah. The ve...
We're looking at (Genesis 22:6), that agonizing verse leading up to the Akeidah, the Binding of Isaac. "Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and placed it upon Isaac his son...
We all know the story: Abraham, tested by God, is asked to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. He obeys, bringing Isaac to Mount Moriah. Just as Abraham raises his knife, an angel in...
We all know the story of 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-shattering m...
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...
We know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Abraham, after a terrible internal struggle, obeys. At the last moment, an angel intervenes, and a ram is sacr...
Rabbi Akiva knew the feeling well! The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tells us he was once teaching, and noticed his audience starting to nod off. So, being the quick-w...
And as we learn in Bereshit Rabbah 60, it's a theme that runs through some pretty significant stories in our tradition. The passage opens by quoting (Genesis 24:13-15), the story o...
The story begins with Rebecca, who, upon meeting Eliezer at the well, "ran and told her mother’s household all about these matters" (Genesis 24:28). Now, Rabbi Yoḥanan makes an int...
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), ...
But 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 rabbin...
"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...
"Isaac summoned Jacob and he blessed him. He commanded him and said to him: Do not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan" (Genesis 28:1). Simple enough. But Rabbi Abahu sees som...
Our ancestor Jacob certainly did. His journey to Ḥaran, fleeing the wrath of his brother Esau, is more than just a road trip; it's a masterclass in facing your fears. "Jacob depart...
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman begins our story in Bereshit Rabbah 68, by interpreting a verse from Psalms (121:1) as referring directly to Jacob’s experience. “A song of ascents. I lift ...
Our tradition certainly thinks so. We find this idea beautifully illustrated in Bereshit Rabbah 68, a section of the ancient midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection...
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...
Take the story of Jacob's dream in Genesis 28, where he rests his head on a stone and sees a ladder stretching to heaven. On that ladder, angels ascend and descend. A seemingly sim...
We're looking at (Genesis 28:14), a blessing given to Jacob: "Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west, and to the east, and to the n...
Jewish tradition offers comfort and hope in those moments. It reminds us that even in the depths of despair, we are noticed, and our fortunes can change. The verse in Psalms (145:1...
The story of Rachel in the book of Genesis speaks directly to that feeling, and offers a powerful message of hope. The Torah tells us simply, "God remembered Rachel" (Genesis 30:22...
That’s the kind of feeling we get when we delve into Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, let’s look at verse 30:...
One that stings, and echoes through the ages. We see it play out in the story of Jacob and Esau. In (Genesis 32:7), Jacob's messengers return with a troubling report: "We came to y...
That’s the kind of tension simmering in our portion today, as we delve into Bereshit Rabbah 75, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic exploration of Jacob's anxieties befo...
It’s a uniquely human experience, and it's exactly the kind of layered emotion we find in the story of Jacob's reunion with Esau. In (Genesis 32:8), it says "Jacob was very frighte...
It’s a pretty universal experience, and it seems even Jacob, one of our patriarchs, felt it too. Our story begins with Jacob's reunion with his brother, Esau, after many years of s...
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 Torah is full of stories of resilience, and one that particularly resonates with this idea is Jacob's return to Canaan. In (Genesis 33:18), we read: "Jacob arrived intact to th...
That feeling is ancient, etched into the very stories that form our identity. to a moment of that silence, a moment laden with consequence, from the Book of Genesis. We're in the s...
The Torah tells us in Genesis (35:20) that "Jacob established a monument upon her grave; it is the monument of Rachel's grave until today.” But what does it really mean to establis...
He starts with a verse from Ezekiel, "Of oaks from Bashan they crafted your oars; [your rudder they made of ivory inlaid in boxwood from the isles of the Kitites]" (Ezekiel 27:6). ...
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...
Our ancestor Jacob knew it well. We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah) 84, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis. The text opens with a seemingly...
Take the story of Joseph, for example. It's a rollercoaster of sibling rivalry, betrayal, and ultimately, redemption. But what really set the stage for all that drama? It all start...
We're looking at the story of Joseph, the favored son, being sent to check on his brothers. It all starts with the line: "His brothers went to herd their father’s flock in Shekhem"...
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...
