3,200 related texts · Page 64 of 67
to one of those moments, a scene ripe with intrigue, involving Abraham, Sarah, and Avimelekh, king of Gerar. The story unfolds in Genesis 20. Avimelekh, deceived by Abraham’s claim...
After decades of barrenness, at a very, very advanced age, she miraculously conceives and gives birth to Isaac. In (Genesis 21:6), she exclaims, "God has made laughter for me; ever...
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...
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...
Sometimes, the really juicy stuff is hidden in between the lines, prompting the Rabbis to fill in the gaps with their own interpretations. Take the story of Rebecca, for instance, ...
It's a story packed with subtle cues and divine hints, all swirling around a well in Aram Naharaim. The servant arrives and asks Rebecca for a sip of water: "Please allow me to sip...
We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah 60, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, wrestling with just that. The verse in question, (Genesis 24:33), desc...
We all know the story of 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 think? ...
to one such passage from Genesis, chapter 24, where we find Rebecca on her way to meet Isaac. The verse tells us, "Rebecca and her maids rose, and rode upon the camels, and followe...
It all boils down to a pot of stew. (Genesis 25:29) tells us, "Jacob cooked a stew, and Esau came from the field and he was weary." Simple enough. But within that weariness, and wi...
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...
We find ourselves in the time of Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba, a prominent sage. Someone brings him a zargun, a starling. The question? Is it kosher? Is it okay to eat according to Jewish law...
The Torah, and the wisdom of our Sages, are deeply concerned with justice, with making sure the scales are balanced. And the story of Isaac and his sons, Jacob and Esau, is a power...
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...
The scene: Jacob is about to deceive his father Isaac in order to receive the blessing meant for his brother Esau. He's understandably nervous. "Behold," he says to Rebecca, "Esau ...
Take the story of Jacob, disguised as Esau, receiving Isaac's blessing. It's a pivotal moment, full of deception and destiny. But let's zoom in on one specific detail: "And the hid...
The Torah, in its infinite wisdom, actually speaks to this very feeling, using one of the most iconic scenes in Genesis. Think about Jacob and Esau. The story unfolds in (Genesis 2...
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...
Our sages wrestled with it too. to a fascinating little corner of Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifi...
That’s the vibe I get from this little passage in Bereshit Rabbah 68. It’s all about Jacob leaving Beersheba, and the Rabbis are picking apart why he made such a point of leaving t...
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...
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...
It's like you've stumbled onto sacred ground without even realizing it. That's kind of what happened to Jacob in the Book of Genesis, and it's explored in a beautiful passage in Be...
Specifically, Bereshit Rabbah 70 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 me, and will keep me i...
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."...
We all know the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. But have you ever paused to really consider Leah's eyes? (Genesis 29:17) tells us, "Leah’s eyes were delicate and Rachel was of be...
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...
We often think of money, houses, cars... but what about flocks? (Genesis 30:43) tells us that Jacob, the patriarch, "became exceedingly prosperous." Now, "prosperous" is an underst...
We're looking at Bereshit Rabbah 74, which shines a light on the trials and tribulations of Jacob while working for his less-than-honest father-in-law, Laban. The passage focuses o...
Specifically, we're looking at Bereshit Rabbah 74, which unpacks the story of Jacob and Laban's contentious parting. The drama unfolds in (Genesis 31:47), where we read: “Laban cal...
In (Genesis 31:51), we hear Laban say to Jacob, "Here is this pile and here is the monument that I have established between me and you.” Now, this might sound like a simple boundar...
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, ...
In (Genesis 33:10), Jacob pleads with Esau, saying, "Please, no, if I have found favor in your eyes, receive my gift from me, for therefore, I have seen your face, as the sight of ...
Take the encounter between Jacob and Esau after their long separation. (Genesis 33:15) tells us, "Esau said to him: Please, I will place with you some of the people who are with me...
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...
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...
The Torah teaches us about showing appreciation for the benefits we receive, and this sentiment is beautifully explored in Bereshit Rabbah, the classic rabbinic commentary on the B...
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 ...
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...
They often hold a world of meaning, a glimpse into the hopes and fears of the parents. Take Rachel, for example, and the birth of her son. The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 35:18), "...
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...
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers, for instance. We all know the story: jealousy, betrayal, and a colorful coat. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw layers of mean...
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 scene: Joseph, a handsome young man, working in the house of his Egyptian master, Potiphar. Potiphar's wife, overcome with desire, makes a move. (Genesis 39:12) tells us, "She ...
to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, and see how it illuminates a poignant moment in the Joseph s...
We're diving into Genesis 44, where Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, is testing his brothers. Remember the setup? Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt seeking food during a famin...
This moment, fraught with tension and brotherly love disguised as animosity, is explored in a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 93. The story opens with a quote from Ecclesi...
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...
