The Ibn Ezra suggests that Isaac was poor and therefore Esau was no longer interested in his birthright or inheritance. He cites Isaac asking for a meal before blessing his son as an example of his impoverished state. The Ramban argues vigorously against this position and connects the request for a good meal with the

And Sarah’s life was a hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years, the years of Sarah’s life. Upon the passing of Sarah, the midrashim extoll the righteousness of her life. Rav Amital pointed out that while extraordinary things happened to Sarah, the Torah does not describe her as doing anything extraordinary. This teaches us

Abraham raised his eyes ...three men were standing over him...he ran toward them...The verse portrays the three men to whom Abraham extended kindness as standing over him. Recipients of kindness are usually meek yet these men stood tall and proud, and Abraham still ran to offer them something. This was his greatness, he knew how

Among the blessings God bestows on Abraham is I will make your name great. The desire to have a great name was one of the motivations that drove those who built the tower of Babel: Come, let us build us a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, that we may make

Rashi famously writes that Noah did not fully believe that God would bring a flood and refused to enter the ark until the waters pushed him inside This is troubling. God called Noah a perfectly righteous person, so how could Rashi write that Noah didn’t believe a flood was coming? Some explain that Noah believed