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Discussions Torah

Death of Abraham, prophecy of Rivkah’s warring children and connections to Creation and the Flood (Genesis 25)

What is the connection between this account of the death of Abraham and the prophecy of warring children in the womb of Rivkah (Rebecca) and the accounts of Creation and of the Flood?

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Discussions Torah

When Yitzkhak met Rivkah (Genesis 24)

God had a wife in mind for Yitzkhak. Although the servant Abraham sent to find her didn’t know who she was or whether she would respond to the call, God knew who He had chosen, and Abraham had faith that God would send His angel ahead of the servant.

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Appointments With God Chanukah Discussions

Chanukah celebrates 6 dedicated women

What do the following six important women in the Bible have in common? How did their experiences shape the future of the people of God?

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 15–28 recap — Vision vs. trance; sons of God, daughters of men, unequal yoking

This section of Genesis introduces us to Abraham and his family. We start to see how God communicates His revelation through Abraham’s family (not just the men, but the women as well). We also rediscover how God calls, trains and corrects those He longs to call His sons and daughters.

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Discussions Torah

The account of God’s first dealings with man so far — a recap of Genesis 1–36

Before studying the life of Yosef (Joseph), we look back at some of what we have learned about God and His interaction with some of His notable people. The Flood and the Tower of Babel were the two most monumental events in mankind’s history. Everything we experience today is the result of these two events.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 27 — Ya’akov tricks his father into getting the firstborn birthright Esau sold for a bowl of stew

The “transaction” for the firstborn birthright, which Esau sold to his brother, Ya’akov (Jacob) for a bowl of lentils in Genesis 25 is completed in Genesis 27 with a second ruse devised by their mother, Rivkah (Rebecca), to get Yitskhak (Isaac) to bless the correct son. This pattern of switching blessings at the last minute appears repeatedly in the Bible and has ramifications for the modern-day descendants of these two sons.

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Discussions Torah

Yitskhak meets his wife (Genesis 24)

We learn about the Near Eastern customs of how to find a wife for a prominent family. From Abraham’s request to Rivka’s acceptance, Isaac is not a part of this story until the very end when Isaac greets Rivka as acknowledges her as the wife God has chosen for him.