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We often read the opening verses of Genesis, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water," and move on. But the Rabbis saw so much more in those words! What images did they...
It’s a question that pulls us into the heart of Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. We begin with the verse: "God said: Let the water ...
Even Shabbat, the day of rest, felt that way once. Isn't that incredible? Our sages grappled with a question: why did God specifically bless Shabbat? Bereshit Rabbah, a collection ...
That feeling, that’s something the ancient rabbis wrestled with too. Our story begins with a seemingly simple verse from Genesis 2:4: “These are the toledot (outgrowths, generation...
There's a fascinating discussion in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, that tackles this very question. It all starts with the verse ...
We get a glimpse into that, and a whole lot more about marriage, divorce, and forbidden relationships in this fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah 18. It all starts with the fa...
The story of Cain and Abel, right at the beginning of Genesis, gives us a clue, but also raises some fascinating questions about sacrifice itself. "Cain brought an offering of the ...
Ever read something in the Bible that just makes you stop and say, "Wait, what?" I get that feeling every time I stumble upon Genesis 6:4: "The Nefilim were on the earth in those d...
It wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction of gratitude. According to Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient midrashic (interpretive) text on Genesis, there was some serious divine calculus at play...
