Bereishit Rabbah 58:2 “The sun rises and the sun sets” (Ecclesiastes 1:5). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Don’t we know […]
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Bereishit Rabbah
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Bereishit Rabbah
Abraham, Isaac, and God: Promises and Partings
Bereishit Rabbah 56:11 “The angel of Adonai called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I […]
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Shem and Abraham: Between Fear and Friendship
Bereishit Rabbah 44:7 [Isaiah 41:5-7: The islands saw and feared, the ends of the earth shuddered, they approached and came. Each […]
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Noah: Man of the Earth
Bereishit Rabbah 36:3 “Noah, the man of the earth, began (va-ya-cheil)…” (Genesis 9:20). He profaned himself (nit-challeil) and became mundane […]
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Cain and Abel: The First Fight
Bereishit Rabbah 22:7 “Cain said to his brother Abel…and when they were in the field…” (Genesis 4:8). What were they arguing […]
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11. Judah and Joseph: The Meaning of Approach
Bereishit Rabbah 93:4. Judah approaches Joseph, in defense of Benjamin. How does Judah’s approach transcend the danger and become a spiritual model for human connection?
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10. Joseph and His Brothers: Sparking the Holy Spirit
Bereishit Rabbah 91:7. Joseph and his brothers meet after many years. He recognizes them, but they don’t recognize him. Yet maybe they know more than they realize…
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09. Joseph and the Cupbearer: Memory and Hope
Bereishit Rabbah 88:7. Joseph interprets the cupbearer’s dream in prison. But when the cupbearer is restored to his position he forgets about Joseph. But God does not forget.
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08. Jacob and Job: Seeking Wholeness
Bereishit Rabbah 79:3. Job suffered, and gained wholeness. Jacob arrived home in wholeness.
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07. Jacob and Naomi: People Over Place
Bereishit Rabbah 68:6. Jacob and Noami both leave their homes. The midrash sees their departure as a great loss. What can we learn from their departure about how we want to live?