2,614 related texts · 5 related myths · Page 52 of 55
The Torah tells us, "Abram passed through the land to the place of Shekhem, until the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land" (Genesis 12:6). But there's more to ...
Who was this Malkitzedek? Why is he offering bread and wine? And what's the deal with Salem? The Rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah, that rich collection of early Jewish interpretations of ...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to God's Covenant with Abraham Under the Stars. The verse in question is (Genesis 15:8): “He said: My Lord God, how can I know that I will inherit it?” It’s a...
” What does it mean to be a "wild man?" The Rabbis of old certainly wrestled with this very question. The ancient commentary, Bereshit Rabbah, explores this verse, offering various...
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." The familiar version gives us the famous line from Ecclesiastes (3:1). But have you ever stopped to c...
The Torah tells us in (Genesis 17:5), "Your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." Seems But...
It's right there in (Genesis 17:17): "Abraham fell upon his face, and he laughed. He said in his heart: Shall a child be born to one who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, ...
Our story begins with the seemingly simple phrase, “After these matters [devarim]…”. The Hebrew word devarim can mean both "matters" and "words," and as we explore Bereshit Rabbah ...
The third day keeps returning as a day of rescue, from Abraham's journey to Sinai and beyond. Think about Abraham. In (Genesis 22:4), we read, "On the third day, Abraham lifted his...
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...
Names hold power, history, and sometimes, the very essence of a place. Take Jerusalem, for example. Its story, according to the ancient Rabbis, is far more intricate than you might...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Why the Angel Swore an Oath After the Binding. (Genesis 22:15) tells us, "The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from the heavens." And then...
Take Ishmael, for example. (Genesis 25:12) starts out: "These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham." Okay, f...
The ancient rabbis grappled with these questions constantly, poring over scripture for answers. One particularly poignant example comes from Bereshit Rabbah 65, as it tries to unde...
Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis.Esau. You remember Esau. Jacob's twin brother, the one who traded his birthrig...
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, ...
It’s a powerful scene, thick with emotion. But according to Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, there's so much more going on ...
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...
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...
It all starts with a dream. Jacob, fleeing his brother Esau, lays down to sleep, using a stone as a pillow. And he has a vision. A ladder stretching to heaven, angels ascending and...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Leah — Laban at the Dawn of Creation. Take Laban, for example. You remember Laban. Jacob's wily uncle and father-in-law. (Genesis 29:16) simply states: "La...
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 ...
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...
The verse tells us, "Dina, daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land." But the rabbis saw much more. The text immediately connects th...
It centers on an incident involving Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son, and its lasting impact on his status within the family. The story begins with a seemingly simple statement from (Gen...
Our journey begins with a seemingly simple verse from (Genesis 42:5): "The sons of Israel came to acquire grain among [betokh] those who came, as the famine was in the land of Cana...
Our guide? None other than Bereshit Rabbah 93, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, Now, that word "approached"… it's loaded. What kin...
He says, "Woe unto us from the Day of Judgment; woe unto us from the day of rebuke!" It's a powerful statement, isn't it? He uses Joseph as an example. Joseph, a man of flesh and b...
It seems like a strange thing to worry about when, well, we're no longer around to worry about anything. But the story of Jacob, as he nears the end of his life in Egypt, gives us ...
The Torah tells us, "Jacob called to his sons, and he said: Gather, and I will tell you what will befall you at the end of days. Assemble and hear, sons of Jacob, and listen to Isr...
The story starts with a quote from (Genesis 49:5): "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of villainy are their heritage." But what does it really mean? Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient...
Our jumping-off point is the verse in (Deuteronomy 2:3), "You have circled this mountain enough; turn yourselves to the north.” But how does this relate to honoring parents? Well, ...
Our story comes from Devarim Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronomy. It begins with the verse from (Psalm 20:2), "May the Lord answer you on a day o...
This is a theme that echoes powerfully through Jewish tradition, and it's something we see vividly in the Devarim Rabbah. This particular passage explores the profound consequences...
Our tradition is filled with stories that suggest it might. a few tales from Devarim Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, that explore just that....
The verse in Deuteronomy (20:10) sets the stage: "When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace." Seems counterintuitive. But in Devarim Rabbah, t...
I’m talking about amen. (Deuteronomy 28:1) promises, "It will be if you will heed the voice of the Lord your God to observe, to perform all His commandments that I am commanding yo...
Like everyone else is contributing, and you're just... there? Our sages grappled with this feeling, and their stories, preserved in texts like Kohelet Rabbah, offer surprising comf...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very feelings. And Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Ecclesiastes, dives...
It all starts with a verse from Ecclesiastes (4:17): “Guard your feet when you go to the house of God, and draw near to heed. This is better than fools giving an offering, as they ...
In fact, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Kohelet Rabbah, connects them to something much deeper: the consequences of our actions and, specifically, our...
It’s a topic explored further in the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, Kohelet Rabbah, and it's a fascinating, and frankly, a little scary. The verse in question is (Ecclesiaste...
It's a reminder that divinity can work through anything. Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, puts it this way: "The ad...
The ancient Rabbis certainly did. In Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, we find a series of stories, almost like little parables,...
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent figure in the Zohar (the foundational text of Jewish mysticism), puts it this way: a good name is more beloved than the Ark of the Covenant itse...
Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, tackles this very question, and it does it in such a wonderfully human way. It all starts with...
It tells us: “Go, eat your bread joyfully, and drink your wine goodheartedly, as God has already accepted your actions” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). But what does that mean? Kohelet Rabbah,...
Kohelet Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, tackles this idea head-on with the verse: "If the spirit of the ruler comes u...
