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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 dive in...
The Torah gives us a glimpse, a tantalizing hint, when describing Isaac bringing Rebecca into his mother Sarah’s tent. Genesis 24:67 tells us, “Isaac brought her into the tent of h...
Take the birth of Jacob and Esau, for example. Seems straightforward. But Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis, dives deep, revealing layers of interpretatio...
It turns out, even the clothes in the Torah have a tale to spin. to a fascinating Midrash about Esau's special garments, found in Bereshit Rabbah 65. In Genesis 27:15, we read, “Re...
In the story of Jacob and Esau, as told in Genesis 27:23, that sense of smell takes on a whole new, almost mystical, significance. The verse tells us, "He did not recognize him, be...
The ancient rabbis wrestled with this very idea, and they came up with a fascinating little lesson hidden within the stories of our ancestors. Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible coll...
There's something to that. In fact, the rabbis saw that connection way back when. We find ourselves in Genesis 29:1, where it says, "Jacob lifted his feet, and went to the land of ...
We often think of the big players – kings, prophets, warriors – as isolated figures. But Jewish tradition reminds us that even the mightiest oak grows from the smallest acorn, and ...
Take the story of Jacob, Leah, and some very potent mandrakes in Genesis 30:16-17. Seems like a simple domestic scene. But the sages of the Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a clas...
