Heaven and hell, good and evil, the messiah. What did God create at the beginning of time that the Bible doesn’t explicitly mention? Join Rabbi Knopf as he explores the ancient midrash’s explanations.

How do we talk about Creation without arrogance? Is any attempt to discuss the mysterious inherently presumptuous? Is it rebellious? What do we make of the Torah’s silence on the mechanics of Creation, and what may or may not have existed before God created the world? Join Rabbi Knopf as we explore these and other questions raised by Midrash Genesis Rabbah.

What did God create before creating the world, and why did God create the world in the first place?

According to the Midrash, God created some things, and determined to create yet more things, before creating the world. Join Rabbi Knopf to explore what those things things were, and why God started with them.

When did God create angels? And, if God is one, how is there so much diversity within creation? Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his midrash students discuss these and other ancient rabbinic questions.

Why does the Torah begin with the creation of the world, and not with the first commandment? And is there such a thing as “intelligent design?” Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his midrash students discuss these and other ancient rabbinic questions.

Join Rabbi Knopf on a journey through the collection of rabbinic commentary on the Bible known as Midrash Rabbah. This week, Rabbi Knopf continues to explore the first midrash of Genesis Rabbah, which discusses how God used the Torah to help create the world.

Join Rabbi Knopf on a journey through the collection of rabbinic commentary on the Bible known as Midrash Rabbah. In this session, we begin to explore the first midrash on Genesis.

On the Shabbat immediately following the death of one of Rabbi Knopf’s rebbes, Rabbi Sholom Brodt, founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo in Jerusalem, Rabbi Knopf shares some singing and learning in his honor.