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How do you BECOME ready? Our exploration starts in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Here, in section 49, we find a fascinat...
Our sages certainly did. And they found a fascinating answer, tucked away in the very words God used when speaking to Abraham. The passage we're looking at comes from Bereshit Rabb...
The story of Sodom, as recounted in Bereshit (Genesis), is full of chilling moments, but one particular exchange, elaborated upon in Bereshit Rabbah 50, really gets to the heart of...
It’s a question that bubbles to the surface when we delve into the story of Abraham and Lot in Bereshit Rabbah, the great Rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. The text opens...
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...
Our focus is (Genesis 23:17-18), describing how Abraham acquired the field of Ephron, including the cave of Makhpela, as a burial place. "The field of Ephron that was in Makhpela t...
Sometimes, those signs came from the most unexpected places… even from barking dogs. I know, it sounds a little out there. But bear with me. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive comm...
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, ...
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...
The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is so concise, that every word, every phrase, even a name, can hold layers of meaning. Take Ketura, for example. Who was she, r...
This story, found in Bereshit Rabbah 61, takes us right into the middle of just such a scene. The verse that sparks this whole episode is from (Genesis 25:6): "But to the sons of t...
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...
We find a fascinating, and perhaps unsettling, answer in Bereshit Rabbah 63, a section of the ancient Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that delves into the lives of Abrah...
We often hear it as a simple transaction: Esau was hungry, Jacob offered food in exchange for the birthright, end of story. But, as always, the Rabbis see layers upon layers, depth...
Jewish tradition certainly sees patterns in the past, especially when it comes to times of hardship. We find a fascinating example of this in Bereshit Rabbah 64, a collection of ra...
We often think of fate, of serendipity, maybe even algorithms these days. But Jewish tradition offers a far more profound and frankly, audacious, answer. : the idea that someone, s...
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...
We're looking at (Genesis 27:3), where Isaac tells his son Esau, "Now, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me." Seems simple...
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 ...
It turns out, even the clothes in the Torah have a tale to spin. to a fascinating Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) about Esau's special garments, found in Bereshit Rabbah...
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, ...
You know, the one where he says, "Behold, from the fat of the earth will be your dwelling, and from the dew of the heavens from above." It sounds pretty good. But the sages of Bere...
Our tradition certainly thinks so. We find this idea beautifully illustrated in Bereshit Rabbah 68, a section of the ancient midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection...
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...
They're often far more than just labels; they're prophecies, reflections of emotions, and even glimpses into the future. Remember the story? Leah, unloved by her husband Jacob, fin...
It’s truly fascinating. In (Genesis 30:14), we read about Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son, finding dudaim (דּוּדָאִים) in the field. The verse states: "Reuben went during the days of wh...
(Genesis 31:22) tells us, "It was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled." Three days! That's all it took for word to reach Laban. But here’s where it gets interesting....
In fact, our ancestors grappled with it too. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, and see how Jacob faced a simila...
The book of Genesis tells us, almost in passing, "Jacob traveled to Sukot, and built him a house, and established booths [sukot] for his livestock. Therefore, he called the name of...
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...
Ever stumble upon a seemingly minor verse in the Torah and think, "There's gotta be more to this story?" That's exactly what happens when we delve into (Genesis 36:24). It reads: "...
We all know the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. But what about Reuben? What role did he play in this dramatic saga? (Genesis...
You're reading one story, and suddenly – BAM! – we're in a completely different time or place. It can feel a little jarring. Well, the ancient Rabbis noticed this too, and they dov...
To a passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, and unpack some of the ideas around yibum, or levirate marriage. The story begin...
(Genesis 39:2) tells us, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.” But Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic...
The verse in question, (Genesis 39:8), reads, "He refused, and he said to his master's wife: Behold, my master, having me, does not know what is in the house, and he has placed eve...
We all know the story: Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph, he resists, and then, scorned, she falsely accuses him, leading to his imprisonment. But the ancient rabbis, never on...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw God's hand even in moments of anger, betrayal, and… well, poisoned drinks. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic rabbi...
The Torah is brimming with them, and Jewish tradition loves to unpack their layers of meaning. Take the dream of the chief butler in the Joseph story. In (Genesis 40:9), he recount...
Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classical Rabbinic text that intricately interprets the Book of Genesis. We're in chapter 40, where Joseph, languishing in ...
They found hints of it in the most unexpected places – like the story of Jacob sending Judah ahead to Joseph in Goshen (Genesis 46:28). The verse says, "He sent Judah before him to...
The verse in question is (Genesis 48:21): "Israel said to Joseph: Behold, I am dying, and God will be with you, and He will restore you to the land of your fathers." It seems strai...
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...
The verse we're talking about is (Genesis 49:12), part of Jacob's blessings to his sons: "His eyes shall be red from wine, and his teeth white from milk.” Now, on the surface, it s...
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...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), particularly in Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of Genesis interpretations, weren't fond of repetition. They belie...
We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, wrestling with Jacob's final blessings to his sons. And when he gets to D...
Take mourning rituals, for example. The familiar seven-day period of intense mourning, the shivah. Where did that come from? The Rabbis of old grappled with this very question. "Th...
