1,693 texts · Page 19 of 36
He needs to acquire a burial plot. And what unfolds is a fascinating negotiation, a real estate transaction steeped in cultural nuance, as recorded in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabb...
The Torah, as it often does, gives us clues, and this time it’s wrapped up in the story of Abraham burying his beloved Sarah. In (Genesis 23:19), we read, “Then, Abraham buried Sar...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those brilliant interpreters of our sacred texts, really dug into this. Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbin...
Our sages, in the ancient collection of rabbinic homilies known as Bereshit Rabbah, delve deep into this very question. They find an answer woven into the fabric of Torah itself. T...
This one, found in Bereshit Rabbah 59, a compilation of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, definitely did that for me. It's a story about a rabbi, a myrtle branch, and a fie...
The Torah tells us that Abraham was old, zaken (Genesis 24:1). But the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah 59 ask, what does that really signify? The rabbis dig deep, finding layers of meani...
Take Eliezer, for instance, Abraham's trusted servant. He might seem like a supporting player, but Bereshit Rabbah 60 reveals a depth of understanding that's truly remarkable. The ...
Talk about divine connection! Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a towering figure in Jewish mysticism, points to three individuals who experienced this incredible immediacy. He says there ar...
We all know the story of Rebecca at the well, her kindness, and the divinely ordained meeting. But what about her family? Were they as thrilled about this match as we might think? ...
Guess what? It offers some pretty profound, and surprisingly practical, advice. Our jumping-off point is the book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) and its rather cryptic verse: "In the mo...
The Torah, and later rabbinic texts, offer some fascinating, and comforting, glimpses. Let’s start with Abraham. (Genesis 25:7) tells us, "These are the days of the years of Abraha...
We begin with a simple verse from (Genesis 25:19): "This is the legacy of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot Isaac." Seemingly straightforward. But the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabb...
It’s a beautiful, cyclical relationship, one that Jewish tradition explores in fascinating ways. Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Ge...
It's not just filling space! Often, these repetitions are little clues, hints that there's something deeper going on, something we need to pay close attention to. Take the story of...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, specifically in section 63, we find a discussion around the verse, "The Lord said to her" (Genesis 25:23), ...
We find a fascinating, and perhaps unsettling, answer in Bereshit Rabbah 63, a section of the ancient Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that delves into the lives of Abrah...
Take the story of Jacob and Esau and that fateful bowl of lentil stew. We often think of it as a simple transaction, a hungry Esau trading away his birthright for a quick meal. But...
Jewish tradition certainly sees patterns in the past, especially when it comes to times of hardship. We find a fascinating example of this in Bereshit Rabbah 64, a collection of ra...
It seems that this feeling, envy, is as old as the hills – or at least as old as the stories in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. Ou...
The Torah, and the wisdom of our Sages, are deeply concerned with justice, with making sure the scales are balanced. And the story of Isaac and his sons, Jacob and Esau, is a power...
The ancient rabbis grappled with these questions constantly, poring over scripture for answers. One particularly poignant example comes from Bereshit Rabbah 65, as it tries to unde...
Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis.Esau. You remember Esau. Jacob's twin brother, the one who traded his birthrig...
The ancients certainly did. And in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of Rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, we find a fascinating glimpse into their thoughts on death, destiny...
We're looking at (Genesis 27:3), where Isaac tells his son Esau, "Now, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me." Seems simple...
It turns out, even the clothes in the Torah have a tale to spin. to a fascinating Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) about Esau's special garments, found in Bereshit Rabbah...
The scene is set: Jacob, disguised as his brother Esau, deceives his aging and blind father Isaac to receive the blessing meant for the firstborn. The Torah tells us, "He came to h...
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, ...
Jewish tradition, in its beautiful and often poetic way, offers a compelling answer: the people of Israel. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic i...
Our story begins with Esau, the elder twin of Jacob. He approaches his father, Isaac, with a request, a plea for a blessing. (Genesis 27:31) tells us, "He, too, prepared delicacies...
What was that trembling? And why is it so significant? Our sages, delving into the depths of the text, find layers of meaning in that tremor. Bereshit Rabbah, a classic midrashic (...
The story of Isaac blessing Jacob instead of Esau is one that resonates with that feeling, and the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) grappled with it intense...
Our ancestors grappled with this very question of agency and divine intervention. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Boo...
"Isaac summoned Jacob and he blessed him. He commanded him and said to him: Do not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan" (Genesis 28:1). Simple enough. But Rabbi Abahu sees som...
Take the tale of Esau, brother of Jacob. He wasn't exactly winning any popularity contests with his parents. (Genesis 28:8) tells us, "Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were ob...
Our ancestor Jacob certainly did. His journey to Ḥaran, fleeing the wrath of his brother Esau, is more than just a road trip; it's a masterclass in facing your fears. "Jacob depart...
The rabbis of old grappled with this question, too. And they found answers woven into the very fabric of our sacred texts. Rabbi Abbahu, a fascinating figure from the 3rd century, ...
As (Genesis 28:11) tells us, "He took from the stones of the place..." but what did he do with those stones? That's where the Rabbis pick up the story and run with it in Bereshit R...
It turns out, this isn't just a modern observation. Our sages recognized this dynamic thousands of years ago. Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina, in Bereshit Rabbah 69, starts us off with a quo...
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...
The story begins with Akilas, a convert to Judaism – a ger tzedek, as we say in Hebrew. He approaches Rabbi Eliezer with a question, a concern, really. Akilas points to the verse i...
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 o...
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 ...
The Torah tells us, "Rachel saw that she did not bear children for Jacob; Rachel envied her sister and she said to Jacob: Give me children, and if not, I am dead" (Genesis 30:1). B...
It all starts simply enough: "Reuben went during the days of wheat harvest, found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to Leah, his mother. Rachel said to Leah: Please give me ...
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 find a classic example of that – and its consequences – in the story of Jacob and Laban. It all revolves around a seemingly simple agreement about sheep, and honesty... or the l...
The rabbis of the Talmud saw something more. Rabbi Yudan offers one explanation: Rachel died first "because she spoke before her sister." It's a fascinating idea, suggesting perhap...
We pick up the story with Jacob preparing to leave Laban. Remember the scene? Jacob, after years of hard work and trickery (and being tricked himself!), is finally heading back to ...
