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Bereshit Rabbah 70, the classical midrash on Genesis, wrestles with a tricky part of Jacob's story. After his dream of the ladder, Jacob makes a vow, saying, "If God will be with m...
We all know the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. But have you ever paused to really consider Leah's eyes? (Genesis 29:17) tells us, "Leah’s eyes were delicate and Rachel was of be...
Jewish tradition offers comfort and hope in those moments. It reminds us that even in the depths of despair, we are noticed, and our fortunes can change. The verse in Psalms (145:1...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, and see what they had to say about...
The ancient rabbis certainly did.It sheds light on the complex relationship between Leah, Jacob, and the birth of the tribes of Israel. The text opens with Leah going out to meet J...
We’re talking about Leah, wife of Jacob. You remember Leah: first wife, given in a switcheroo by her father Laban! By this point, she’s already given Jacob a whole bunch of sons. B...
The verse we're looking at is (Genesis 30:23), where Rachel, finally blessed with a son, exclaims, "God has removed my disgrace!" But what exactly is this "disgrace" she's referrin...
Take Rachel, for example. When she names her son Joseph, it’s more than just a sweet moment. It’s packed with layers of meaning, hinting at destinies yet to unfold. "She called his...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought it was possible. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, spec...
It’s a feeling as old as time, and it resonates deeply within the story of Jacob. We find him in (Genesis 31:3), receiving a direct message from the Almighty: "Return to the land o...
It’s a question that’s been pondered for centuries, and our tradition offers some fascinating insights. a passage from Bereshit Rabbah 74, which delves into the nature of prophecy ...
We're looking at section 75, which deals with the moment Jacob prepares to meet his brother Esau after years of estrangement. Jacob, remember, is about to face his brother Esau, fr...
That’s the kind of tension simmering in our portion today, as we delve into Bereshit Rabbah 75, a midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) exploration of Jacob's anxieties befo...
It’s the story of Jacob, our patriarch, and it's a story that the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, that great collection of Genesis interpretations, unpack with fascinating detail. We al...
We're in Genesis 34, the story of Dina, Jacob's daughter, and Shechem, the son of Hamor, the prince of the land. Shechem has taken Dina, and now Hamor is trying to negotiate a marr...
The verse we're focusing on is from (Genesis 35:2): "Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him: Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and purify yourselve...
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...
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 Ra...
We find him at a crucial point in his life, facing a Divine encounter that echoes a previous one. The text in Bereshit Rabbah 82: “God appeared…again.” That little word "again" is ...
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 ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and their struggles echo even today. to a fascinating story tucked away in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book o...
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: "...
To a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're looking at Bereshit Rabbah 83, which takes a see...
Our ancestors knew a thing or two about the struggle to find that peace. Take Jacob, for example. We read in (Genesis 37:1), "Jacob settled in the land of his father's residence, i...
It all starts with Joseph, the favored son, and a couple of very fateful dreams. "His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers…" This line from (Genesis ...
The Torah, and the Rabbis, have some thoughts on that. to a fascinating little piece from Bereshit Rabbah 84, a midrash (exegetical interpretation) on the Book of Genesis. It all c...
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers, for instance. We all know the story: jealousy, betrayal, and a colorful coat. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw layers of mean...
"They sat to eat bread…" Rabbi Aḥva bar Ze’eira points out something profound here. He says, "The transgression of the tribes is remembered forever; it gave hope to the world." Isn...
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...
She was a widow, promised to Judah's youngest son, Shelah. But Shelah was growing up, and Judah just… wasn't making good on his promise. He was worried, see, because Tamar's first ...
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...
It's easy to imagine a golden aura, a constant stream of good fortune. But what if it’s something more subtle, more… human? Let’s look at the story of Joseph in Egypt, specifically...
We're looking at Parsha 86, where we find ourselves in the middle of the Joseph narrative. Remember Joseph? Sold into slavery in Egypt? He ends up in the house of Potiphar, an Egyp...
We're looking at the story of Pharaoh's dream and how Joseph, the ultimate dream interpreter, finally gets his shot. The text begins, "He sent and summoned…" referring to Pharaoh g...
We get a glimpse into just how crazy things were from the ancient collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah. Specifically, Bereshit Rabbah 90 r...
Our journey begins with a seemingly simple verse from (Genesis 42:5): "The sons of Israel came to acquire grain among [betokh] those who came, as the famine was in the land of Cana...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they found fascinating insights in the story of Joseph in Egypt. In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of G...
Our ancestors certainly did. This week, we're diving into Bereshit Rabbah 91, a section of the great Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection that unpacks the Book o...
Our guide? None other than Bereshit Rabbah 93, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're looking at the moment Judah "approached" (va...
Turns out, sometimes, there's a whole universe of emotion and history packed into those few words. Take, for example, the passage in (Genesis 46:21): "And the sons of Benjamin: Bel...
Take the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. In (Genesis 47:2), we read, "From among his brothers he took five men, and he presented them before Pharaoh." Okay, seems simple...
It seems like a strange thing to worry about when, well, we're no longer around to worry about anything. But the story of Jacob, as he nears the end of his life in Egypt, gives us ...
Our Sages, delving deep into the Torah, grapple with this very idea in Bereshit Rabbah 97, a section of the ancient Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary). They begin with a ve...
It’s a beautiful custom, wishing them the qualities we admire in these two brothers. But there's something even more interesting hidden within that blessing, something that goes ba...
The verse in (Genesis 49:2) reads, "Assemble and hear, sons of Jacob." But the Rabbis of old, wrestling with the text, saw something more. Rabbi Berekhya, sometimes quoting Rabbi Ḥ...
It's a wild ride of interpretations, isn’t it? The passage opens with Jacob's words: "Reuben, you are my firstborn." Now, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi], the compiler of the Mishnah (the ea...
The Torah gives us stories of such people again and again, and one of the most striking is Samson. Our text from Bereshit Rabbah (98) delves into the strength – and the thirst! – o...
