April 29, 2005
Jacob’s Dysfunctional Family
James Kugel
James Kugel is Chair of the Institute for the History of the Jewish Bible at Bar Ilan University in Israel and the Harry M. Starr Professor Emeritus of Classical and Modern Hebrew Literature at Harvard University. He is the author and editor of numerous books and articles.
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Jacob’s familial narrative is filled with destructive choices, inspiring much midrashic interpretation. Though midrash is often dismissed as purely imaginative, where can we find its roots in the original text?