Patriarchs

2,974 texts · Page 200 of 331

Explore 2,974 Jewish texts related to the theme of Patriarchs, drawn from Midrash, Kabbalah, Apocrypha, and classical Jewish literature.

Hosea and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

We often focus on the main narrative, but Jewish tradition is rich with interpretations that fill in the gaps, offering deeper insights into the characters and their motivations. L...

Joseph: Joshua and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

Jewish tradition certainly thinks so, and there's a fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis...

Judah: Death of Jacob

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

The Torah tells us, "All his sons and all his daughters arose to console him, but he refused to be consoled; he said: For I will descend mourning to the grave, to my son. His fathe...

Judah: Joseph and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

The story of Joseph, sold into slavery, gives us a dramatic answer. "The Medanites sold him to Egypt, to Potifar, an official of Pharaoh, the chief executioner" (Genesis 37:36). Bu...

Judah: Joseph and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

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...

Death of Judah and Timna

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

The Torah certainly understands that feeling. Take this little phrase we find in Genesis 38:12: "The days accumulated…" Sounds innocuous. But in Bereshit Rabbah, the classic collec...

Birth of Perez

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

It's amazing what you can find when you start digging! Take the story of Tamar giving birth to twins, Perez and Zerah (Genesis 38:27-30). Did you know that even the way the word "t...

Egypt: Joseph at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

That feeling isn't new. Our ancestors wrestled with it too. Let’s delve into a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Gen...

Potiphar in Battle

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

We all know the story: Joseph, sold into slavery in Egypt. But the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah (86) ask us to consider this: "“[Potiphar…an Egyptian man,] purchased him [from the Ish...