4,035 texts · Page 65 of 85
The Rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah – that amazing collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis – see so much more. First, that "butter and milk" bit. What kind of butter are we tal...
The three angels, disguised as men, are visiting Abraham, and they ask him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" He replies, "Behold, in the tent.” Simple enough. But here’s the thing: in s...
The verse in question? "He said: I will return to you at this time next year and, behold, a son for Sarah your wife. And Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, and it was...
We're looking at the story of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, when she overhears that she's going to have a child at the ripe old age of 90. Her reaction? A little chuckle to herself. As (G...
Sounds wild. to it. The story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. We're looking at section 48, which deals with the...
Because today's little story from Bereshit Rabbah, the great commentary on the Book of Genesis, is all about the power of the seemingly impossible. The verse we’re focusing on is (...
The verse in question is (Genesis 18:15): "Sarah denied, saying: I did not laugh, for she was afraid. He said: No, but you did laugh.” It's a simple exchange. But Rabbi Yehuda ben ...
We find ourselves pondering this in Bereshit Rabbah 49, where Rabbi Eleazar raises a fascinating question. How do we understand instances in the Torah where individuals seem to be ...
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 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,...
(Genesis 18:22) tells us, "The men turned from there and went to Sodom, and Abraham was still standing before the Lord.” Seems straightforward. But hold on... The opening phrase, "...
What does it mean to approach God? That's precisely what the Rabbis grapple with in Bereshit Rabbah 49. The text opens with that powerful line from Genesis, "Abraham approached, an...
We all know the story: God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. But Abraham, ever the righteous advocate, steps in. He challenges God, asking, "Far b...
We'll be looking at Bereshit Rabbah 49, which unpacks Abraham's famous negotiation with God over the fate of Sodom. Remember the story? God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah b...
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 ...
Our ancestor Abraham certainly did. We find him in a tense back-and-forth with God in Genesis, pleading for the city of Sodom. It's a story we all know. God's about to destroy Sodo...
The story of Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah is more than just a negotiation; it’s a glimpse into the very nature of divine justice and collective responsibil...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw echoes of legal proceedings in the very interactions between God and Abraham, and their interpretations offer us a fascinating glimpse in...
Seriously, imagine beings of pure light and energy, tasked with divine missions. Do they zip around at the speed of light? Or do they… well, dawdle a bit? Our story begins, as so m...
It’s a question that the ancient rabbis grappled with, and their answers are, well, The Book of Job (23:13) gives us a starting point: "He acts through one, and who can respond to ...
The Torah, in its infinite wisdom, gives us a glimpse into this very idea through the contrasting actions of Abraham and Lot. We find ourselves in Genesis chapter 19, where Lot enc...
It's a tough story, full of uncomfortable choices, and the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of early commentary, don't shy away from wrestling with it. Remember the s...
The story, of course, is from (Genesis 19:9). Lot, Abraham's nephew, has welcomed two angelic guests into his home. The men of Sodom, consumed by lust and cruelty, surround the hou...
We're diving into Bereshit Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, specifically chapter 50, and it tells a wild story about just that. It all r...
The story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom, as explored in Bereshit Rabbah 50, is a stark reminder of how attachment to material possessions can cloud our judgment and even enda...
It's one of those stories from Genesis that's always felt a little... abrupt. "His wife looked behind him, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26). Poof! Salt. But the Rab...
The verse that kicks it all off: "Lot's two daughters conceived from their father" (Genesis 19:36). Simple enough on the surface. But immediately, the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbin...
The story, as you might recall, is…well, let’s just say it’s complicated. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his daughters are living in a cave. The daughters, be...
That feeling isn't new. Our ancestors knew it well. Take Abraham, for instance. The Torah tells us, "Abraham traveled from there to the region of the south; he lived between Kadesh...
The story of Lot, Abraham's nephew, is a powerful example of this very idea. We find a fascinating, if somewhat harsh, interpretation of Lot's choices in Bereshit Rabbah 52, a coll...
Our story begins with Abraham. "Abraham traveled from there," the verse tells us (Genesis 20:1). But where was he going, and why? Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic ...
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...
It’s a question that's been wrestled with for millennia, and Jewish tradition offers some fascinating, layered answers. to one such exploration, found in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic...
To a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis, to see how the ancients grappled with the unexpected. The story unfolds in Ge...
Remember when Abraham and Sarah are traveling, and Abraham introduces Sarah as his sister to protect himself? (Genesis 20:11). He says, "Because I said: Surely there is no fear of ...
To one of those moments, a scene ripe with intrigue, involving Abraham, Sarah, and Avimelekh, king of Gerar. The story unfolds in Genesis 20. Avimelekh, deceived by Abraham’s claim...
In Jewish tradition, we find moments like that too, and they often lead to powerful breakthroughs. Take the story of Abraham and Sarah in the land of Avimelekh. As the Book of Gene...
It all comes down to remembering, and more importantly, acting. to a story about just that, found in Bereshit Rabbah 53, a section of the ancient midrashic (rabbinic interpretive c...
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...
We’re going to do just that, diving into a fascinating interpretation from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis. It all starts with a...
(Psalm 119:89) declares, “Forever, Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.” But does this mean it doesn’t stand firm here, with us? Our sages grappled with this, finding an ans...
The Torah, and the rabbinic tradition that blossoms from it, is obsessed with this very question. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 53, a midrash – a rabbinic interpret...
To a beautiful passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, to explore just such a moment: the birth of Isaac. The verse we’re loo...
It's more than just a label; it's a key to understanding a person’s essence and their role in the grand tapestry of existence. Take the name ISAAC, Yitzḥak in Hebrew. It's so much ...
After decades of barrenness, at a very, very advanced age, she miraculously conceives and gives birth to Isaac. In (Genesis 21:6), she exclaims, "God has made laughter for me; ever...
The verse we're looking at is (Genesis 21:7): "She said: Who would have announced to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I bore a son for his old age.” It's Sarah, speakin...
Our story begins with a simple line from (Genesis 21:8): “The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.” Simple enough. But the Rabbis, in ...
