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We pick up the story in (Genesis 32:4), where it says: "Jacob sent messengers." But before we get to that, (Genesis 32:3) tells us something crucial: "Jacob said, when he saw them:...
"Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn" (Genesis 32:25). A simple sentence, but pregnant with meaning. What does it mean to be alone? And who, o...
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...
The Torah tells us in (Genesis 32:28) that after wrestling with a mysterious figure, Jacob is told, "No more shall Jacob be said to be your name; rather, Israel, for you have striv...
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...
It’s a fascinating story that takes us back to the very beginnings of our people, to Jacob wrestling with a mysterious figure. The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 32:33), "Therefore, t...
That feeling, that resilience, is at the heart of a beautiful passage in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. It's all about Jacob, and...
Our ancestors felt it too. And the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, addressed it head-on. We find a fascinating discussion in Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 79, sparked by ...
We make our plans, we have our dreams, but as the Book of Proverbs (27:1) wisely reminds us, "Do not glory in tomorrow, for you do not know what the day will bring." This idea of t...
The Torah tells us, "Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and Ḥamor his father with guile, and spoke, as he had defiled Dinah their sister” (Genesis 34:13). But was it really just guile? ...
The verse we're focusing on is from (Genesis 35:2): "Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him: Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and purify yourselve...
Jewish tradition tells us that the descendants of Jacob experienced just that – divine protection in the face of overwhelming odds. to a passage from Bereshit Rabbah (81), a classi...
The Torah, in its concise way, captures this very human experience. We find ourselves in Genesis, Chapter 35. Jacob is returning home, a journey laden with its own emotional baggag...
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...
Take Esau, for example. (Genesis 36:5) tells us, "Oholivama bore Yeush, and Yalam, and Koraḥ; these are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan." Seems straigh...
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). ...
to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're looking at Bereshit Rabbah 83, which takes a see...
Jewish tradition suggests this might be more than just a feeling. Sometimes, it's woven into the very fabric of our stories. Take the story of Jacob and Joseph, father and son. At ...
When Joseph told his brothers about his dreams, he expected some reaction—but what he got was pure, unadulterated envy. That's exactly what we find in (Genesis 37:12): "His brother...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so, and there's a fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis...
The Torah tells us, "All his sons and all his daughters arose to console him, but he refused to be consoled; he said: For I will descend mourning to the grave, to my son. His fathe...
That’s kind of what happened to Jacob after Joseph disappeared, according to the ancient commentary, Bereshit Rabbah. The Torah tells us, "Jacob saw that there was grain [shever] i...
It's a deep dive into the story of Jacob's sons and their trip to Egypt, and it's full of anxiety, suspicion, and loss. The passage begins with a recap from Genesis 42. Joseph, now...
Our tradition grapples with this too, offering perspectives that might surprise you. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the ...
Then, out of the blue, his sons return from Egypt with news that Joseph is not only alive, but a powerful ruler! It's a moment of incredible joy, but also… disbelief. The Torah tel...
It all begins with Jacob, now also known as Israel, standing at a crossroads. God speaks to him "in the visions of the night," a phrase that already sets a mystical tone. "Jacob, J...
The verses state, "All the people who were coming with Jacob to Egypt, the products of his loins, aside from the wives of Jacob's sons; all the people were sixty-six" (Genesis 46:2...
It's even woven into the very fabric of the Torah. : we read in (Genesis 47:28), "Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were o...
What it means to truly come "home?" The Torah touches on this very human longing as Jacob, nearing the end of his life, makes a heartfelt request of his son, Joseph. "The time for ...
Jewish tradition grapples with this question in fascinating ways, particularly when we look at the deaths of our patriarchs. Take Jacob, for example. The Torah tells us, “The time ...
That’s the sense I get reading Bereshit Rabbah 98, a beautiful passage from the ancient midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection, which interprets a verse from (Psal...
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...
Specifically, we're looking at section 99, which explores a verse from Amos: "For the Lord God will not do anything, [unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets...
Today, we’re diving into one particularly intense moment: Jacob's words about Simeon and Levi. It all starts with the verse: "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of villainy are ...
Specifically, we're looking at Bereshit Rabbah 100, which delves into the mourning of Jacob. The verse in (Genesis 50:3) tells us, "Forty days were completed for him, as so are the...
The story of Joseph and his brothers, as told in Genesis, is a classic example. But what happens after the happy reunion, after Jacob's death and the grand funeral procession back ...
Jewish tradition has a lot to say on the subject, and some of the stories might surprise you. Our jumping-off point is the verse in (Deuteronomy 2:3), "You have circled this mounta...
It begins with the phrase "you have circled enough," and then dives into what it really means to be patient, to trust, and to understand the long game of history. The verse in ques...
(Deuteronomy 6:4). It's a question that takes us back to a pivotal moment, a deathbed scene filled with both anxiety and profound unity. Devarim Rabbah 2 paints a vivid picture. Ja...
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...
It's rarely just repetition. Often, it's about adding layers of meaning, offering a deeper appreciation for what came before. Take the very beginning of the Book of Exodus. We’re i...
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...
The ancient rabbis felt that way too, and they found profound hope in the story of the Exodus. In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we ...
And Jewish tradition, as always, has some fascinating perspectives. The Book of Exodus, Shemot in Hebrew, is rich with laws and ethical guidelines. And within Shemot Rabbah, a clas...
Beautiful. But what does that imagery evoke? Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection (meaning a collection of interpretations and stories) f...
But in the ancient wisdom of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the Song of Songs commentary, we find just that: the humble lily as a powerful metaphor for the enduring spirit of Israel. Rabbi ...
Sometimes, the answer lies not in the present, but in the deep echoes of the past, in the merit of our ancestors. to a fascinating exploration of this idea, as seen through the len...
