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Take the case of the nazir, or Nazirite, described in the Book of Numbers. We're talking about someone who takes a special vow to abstain from wine, avoid contact with the dead, an...
Believe it or not, there's a story about that – a powerful one, drawn from Bamidbar Rabbah, specifically section 16. It's a tale of complaining, consequences, and a little bit of d...
It all starts in the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar (Numbers 19:2), with the words: “This is the statute of the Torah that the Lord commanded, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, a...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so. Take a look at the story surrounding the death of Aaron in the book of Numbers, specifically as it's illuminated by Bamidbar Rabbah 19. The ve...
Our tradition teaches us that each individual is unique, a world unto themselves, with their own distinct ruach (spirit) and temperament. And it’s precisely this understanding that...
The verse in (Joshua 1:5) declares, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you." This promise seems to imply that Joshua would enjoy a life parallel to that of Moses, who lived to be...
Our sages grappled with these questions ages ago, and in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, they offer some pretty striking analogies. Imagine a ...
We get glimpses, little whispers, from our tradition that paint a picture far grander than we might imagine. The Torah tells us, plainly enough, "God blessed them" (Genesis 1:28). ...
We often grapple with the existence of suffering in a world supposedly created by a benevolent God. Jewish tradition certainly doesn’t shy away from this question. In fact, there's...
The verse in question? (Genesis 2:3): "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His labor that God created to make." But what does it mean th...
The scene: Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure of Jewish wisdom, is being interrogated by the wicked governor, Tinneus Rufus. Rufus, dripping with imperial arrogance, poses a deceptivel...
It's not just a quick "poof," and there we are. No, there’s a subtle, almost hidden, emphasis on the process of our making. And it's right there in the very first book, Bereshit (G...
The Torah tells us, “[The Lord God formed the man] of dirt [afar]” (Genesis 2:7). But Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, tease...
The ancient rabbis did! And they weren't shy about asking some pretty direct questions. Let's take a peek into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic ...
It's not just about a simple act of disobedience. Our Sages delve deep into that fateful moment, unpacking the layers of temptation and consequence. Let's journey into Bereshit Rab...
No. The text from Bereshit Rabbah 19 offers some fascinating insights into this pivotal moment in the Garden of Eden. Rabbi Yudan, quoting Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Berek...
The Torah tells us, "The Lord God said: Behold, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now, he might extend his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and ...
It’s a question that echoes through the ages, right back to the very beginning. In the Book of Genesis (4:17), we read: “Cain was intimate with his wife and she conceived, and gave...
We're talking about way back in the beginning, just after the expulsion from Eden. We often skip ahead to the flood, but there's a fascinating, and unsettling, little passage in (G...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very question, comparing different eras and communities that faced divine judgment. to some intense comparisons drawn from Bereshit Rabbah, a cl...
Not just the big picture of Noah and the ark, but some of the why and the how behind this cataclysmic event. It's a story we all know, but Bereshit Rabbah 32 offers some pretty fas...
Even a genealogy list in the Torah can hide a horror story, if you know how the rabbis read names. Bereshit Rabbah 37 delves into the lineage of Noah's descendants. The verse we're...
Sometimes, the most sacred journeys require us to confront the most difficult of family ties. Our story begins with Avram, later Abraham, and a seemingly simple command from God: "...
The Torah portion Vayera, and specifically (Genesis 18:19), offers a glimpse into this very idea: "For I love him, so that he will command his children and his household after him,...
Abraham, our patriarch, certainly did. In (Genesis 18:27), during that intense negotiation with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham says, “Behold now, I have presumed to speak to ...
Like something ripped straight from the pages of a philosophical thriller. But the question, "Will a person be more just than God? Will a man be purer than his Maker?" isn’t new. I...
Let’s look at one of those now, a fraught and painful scene from Genesis, chapter 21. We're talking about the expulsion of Hagar and her son Yishmael. The verse tells us, "Abraham ...
The Torah tells us, "Abraham came to lament for Sarah, and to weep for her" (Genesis 23:2). Simple enough. But where did he come from? That's where things get interesting. The sage...
The story of Abraham burying Sarah in the book of Genesis, specifically as explored in Bereshit Rabbah 58, really brings that feeling to life. "Abraham arose from before his dead, ...
He needs to acquire a burial plot. And what unfolds is a fascinating negotiation, a real estate transaction steeped in cultural nuance, as recorded in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabb...
The Torah, as it often does, gives us clues, and this time it’s wrapped up in the story of Abraham burying his beloved Sarah. In (Genesis 23:19), we read, “Then, Abraham buried Sar...
This one, found in Bereshit Rabbah 59, a compilation of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, definitely did that for me. It's a story about a rabbi, a myrtle branch, and a fie...
He shows us that even in old age, we can still blossom and bear fruit. It all starts with a beautiful verse from Psalms (92:14-15): "Planted in the House of the Lord, they blossom ...
In Bereshit Rabbah, the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) (interpretive) text on Genesis, we find a fascinating discussion, a divergence of opinions on the natur...
We find a poignant example in the story of Abraham's burial, as recounted in Bereshit Rabbah 62, a section of the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection th...
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...
The ancients certainly did. And in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of Rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, we find a fascinating glimpse into their thoughts on death, destiny...
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman begins our story in Bereshit Rabbah 68, by interpreting a verse from Psalms (121:1) as referring directly to Jacob’s experience. “A song of ascents. I lift ...
That’s the kind of morning Jacob had. We find ourselves in (Genesis 28:18). Jacob, after his famous dream of the ladder stretching to heaven, wakes up "early in the morning, and he...
The Torah is full of moments that, on the surface, might seem straightforward, but when we delve deeper, we uncover layers of meaning and significance. Take, for instance, the stor...
The Torah tells us, "Rachel saw that she did not bear children for Jacob; Rachel envied her sister and she said to Jacob: Give me children, and if not, I am dead" (Genesis 30:1). B...
It all comes to mind when we look at the story of Rachel and Leah, and those fateful dudaim, the mandrakes. The scene is set in (Genesis 30:15). Rachel, unable to conceive, is desp...
The rabbis of the Talmud saw something more. Rabbi Yudan offers one explanation: Rachel died first "because she spoke before her sister." It's a fascinating idea, suggesting perhap...
Something that maybe... came back to haunt you? In the Torah, Jacob certainly has a moment like that. We find ourselves in Genesis, chapter 31. Jacob is leaving his father-in-law L...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, the rabbis delve into this moment when Jacob sends messengers ahead. It opens with a po...
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...
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...
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...
