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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Bereishit Rabbah
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Bereishit Rabbah
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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Bereishit Rabbah
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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Bereishit Rabbah
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?
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06. Rebecca: In Search of Answers
Bereishit Rabbah 63:6. Rebecca becomes pregnant with twins. They struggle (va-yit-rotzetzu) within her, and she wonders why she exists. Can we learn from her quest for answers?
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Bereishit Rabbah
05. Sarah and Rebecca: Sunset, Sunrise
Bereishit Rabbah 58:2. This midrash from Bereishit Rabbah finds significance in the juxtoposition of the genealogical notice that Rebecca has been born with Sarah’s death.
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Bereishit Rabbah
04. Abraham, Isaac, and God: Promises and Partings
Bereishit Rabbah 56:11. Genesis 22, where Abraham nearly sacrifices Isaac, has perplexed people for thousands of years. This midrash, though, looks at a different set of problems.