26. Assorted Ideas on Death and the Afterlife

Bereishit Rabbah 96. Shadows, true kindness, and bones rolling to the Holy Land.

Bereishit Rabbah 93:3-4. Two takes on what it means that Judah approached Joseph to ask for mercy.

Bereishit Rabbah 89:4. Who needs Joseph? The midrash offers its own take on Pharaoh's dreams.

Bereishit Rabbah 88:4. The midrash discusses the meaning of ben zekunim "son of old age"; favoritism; and various meanings of ketonet passim "coat of passim".

Bereishit Rabbah 75:13 Jacob prays to God as he fearfully anticipates meeting his estranged brother Esau after decades apart.

Bereishit Rabbah 68:9. Jacob encounters The Place. Also three opinions on where the daily prayers come from. We welcome guest Rabbi Laura Rumpf (and our son Ami giggles in the background.)

Bereishit Rabbah 64:10 This midrash begins with a problem in the biblical text, solves it with a technical maneuver, and then illustrates the broader point with a story that is summed up by a parable.

Bereishit Rabbah 58:9 The midrash applies a proverb to Abraham.

Bereishit Rabbah 48:7 God visits Abraham while the patriarch sits. Should he have stood up in order to acknowledge the Divine Presence?

Bereishit Rabbah 39:11. Four biblical figures circulate coinage, according to the midrash.