About This Text
Author: Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan
Bereshit Rabbati is an anthology of interpretations on the book of Genesis. Often attributed to 11th-century Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan, it may have been compiled by a later editor based on Rabbi Moshe’s work, Yesod, which is no longer extant. Bereshit Rabbati, or Bereshit Rabbah Major, contains material from early midrashim as well as apocrypha such as the Book of Jubilees. It also includes original interpretations, with heavy use of gematria. Chanokh Albeck edited it for publication in 1940, from the only extant manuscript.