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Our ancestors certainly did. And sometimes, just sometimes, they got one. Take Jacob, for instance. He's been through the wringer, hasn't he? Deception, exile, wrestling angels… yo...
The passage begins by quoting Psalm 24:3-5: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand…? He who has clean hands…. He will receive the blessing from the Lord…” The Rabb...
We find ourselves doing just that in this week's story, wrestling with an ancient blessing and its surprising recipients. Our tale begins with God speaking to Jacob, saying, "I am ...
Take the poignant moment when Rachel, mother Rachel, goes into labor. Genesis 35:16 tells us, "They traveled from Beit El, and it was still some distance to arrive at Efrat, and Ra...
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, "It...
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: "Th...
to a fascinating piece of ancient wisdom from Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 83, that does just that. Rabbi Aivu starts us off with an intriguing observation. Before Israel ...
Like everyone's shouting, "Me! Me! It's all about me!" Well, the ancient rabbis felt that too, and they captured this human tendency in a beautiful, earthy parable found in Bereshi...
Our ancestor Jacob knew it well. We find ourselves in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah) 84, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis. The text opens with a seemingly...
