But it's also so much more. It’s a roadmap, a history book, a mystical text. And it's all wrapped up together, often needing a little… unpacking. That's where commentaries like Bereshit Rabbah come in.

Bereshit Rabbah is a collection of rabbinic homilies – midrashim – on the Book of Genesis, Bereshit in Hebrew. These aren’t simple explanations. They’re deep dives, offering layers of interpretation. Let’s look at one, Bereshit Rabbah 92, which wrestles with a particularly poignant verse.

The verse in question comes from Genesis 43:14, part of the Joseph story. Jacob, facing famine, reluctantly sends his sons back to Egypt, including Benjamin, to buy grain. He prays, “And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved!” It’s a heartbreaking moment, a father fearing the worst.

But what does it all mean? Rabbi Yashya ben Levi takes this verse and spins it into a commentary about exile and redemption, drawing on other verses to amplify the meaning.

He begins with "And may God Almighty grant you mercy" connecting it to Psalm 106:46, "He caused them to be pitied." See how he's already drawing connections between different parts of the Tanakh? He doesn't stop there. "Before the man" refers to God Himself, as it is written in Exodus 15:3, "The Lord is a Man of war, the Lord is His name."

Now, it gets really interesting. “And he will send with you your…brother” – according to Rabbi Yashya ben Levi, "these are the Ten Tribes." The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, scattered after the Assyrian conquest. Then, "other…and Benjamin" – this refers to the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, who formed the southern kingdom.

And Jacob’s mournful cry, “And me, as I am bereaved,” becomes a lament for the destructions of the Temple – first and second. “And me, as I am bereaved” – in the first destruction, “I am bereaved” – in the second destruction. But then, a glimmer of hope: “And me, as I am bereaved” – in the first and second destructions; I will not be bereaved again. A powerful statement of faith in ultimate redemption.

But wait, there’s more! This is midrash, after all. Rabbi Yashya ben Levi offers another interpretation, a more literal one, referring back to the original context of the Joseph story.

“And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man” – this time, "the man" is the ruler, Joseph, viceroy of Egypt. “And he will send with you your…brother” – this is Joseph himself; “other” – this is Simeon, who was held hostage; “and Benjamin” – in its plain sense. “And me, as I am bereaved” regarding Joseph, [and] “I am bereaved,” regarding Simeon, I will not be bereaved again.

So, we have two readings: one about the future exiles of the Jewish people and their eventual redemption, and one about the immediate plight of Jacob and his sons.

What’s so amazing about midrash is how it allows for multiple layers of meaning. The text isn't just about what happened then; it's about what happens now, and what will happen in the future. Jacob’s pain becomes a symbol of our pain, and his hope becomes our hope.

Bereshit Rabbah, like all midrash, invites us to participate in the ongoing story of our people, to find ourselves within the text, and to draw strength and meaning from it. It reminds us that even in moments of profound loss, the possibility of redemption always remains. And isn't that a message we can all use, no matter our background?