Midrash Rabbah

3,279 texts · Page 38 of 69

The great Midrash Rabbah, a collection of aggadic midrashim on the Torah and the Five Megillot. These rabbinic commentaries explore the deeper meanings of Scripture through parable, allegory, and legend.

No End to All the People Who Came Before

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 16:1

And Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, really digs into that feeling. Our focus today is on a single verse, (Ecclesiastes 4:16): "There is no end to all the p...

SolomonYetzer Hara (Evil Inclination)Evil inclinationMusic & Song

Guard Your Feet When You Enter God's House

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 17:1

It all starts with a verse from Ecclesiastes (4:17): “Guard your feet when you go to the house of God, and draw near to heed. This is better than fools giving an offering, as they ...

CreationKing DavidSolomonEsther

A Fool's Voice Brings Nightmares Upon Himself

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 2:1

In fact, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Kohelet Rabbah, connects them to something much deeper: the consequences of our actions and, specifically, our...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodPatriarchs

Better Not to Vow Than to Vow and Not Pay

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 4:1

It’s a topic explored further in the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, Kohelet Rabbah, and it's a fascinating, and frankly, a little scary. The verse in question is (Ecclesiaste...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsMatriarchs

The Terrifying Power and Hidden Danger of Words We Speak

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 5:1

We all have. But in Jewish tradition, the words we speak – and the intentions behind them – carry immense weight. Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Bo...

JosephMosesSolomonTorah

Fear God Instead of Chasing Vain Dreams and Empty Words

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 6:1

It all starts with the verse from (Ecclesiastes 5:6): "So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words; rather, fear God.” The verse seems to be saying that too muc...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMatriarchs

Esau and Creation of Yosei

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 7:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes – or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew – grapples with this very feeling. It asks us: what do we do when we see injustice seemingly rewarded? Specifically, K...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonEsther

A King Is Subservient to His Field

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very questions. And Kohelet Rabbah, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that elaborate...

SolomonProphecyAdam & EveKings

The Advantage of Cultivated Land Is in Every Way

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:2

We often think of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, as the core, the foundation. But what about all the rest? What about the details, the nuances, the things that seem to go beyo...

CreationMosesTorahSinai

Who Is the King and Who Is the Field in Ecclesiastes

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:3

Like that perfect cup of coffee, or maybe... mitzvot (commandments)? That’s the question bubbling up from Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating exploration of the book of Ecclesiastes. In ...

MosesTempleHoly Land

Titus at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:4

It's a reminder that divinity can work through anything. Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, puts it this way: "The ad...

CreationTempleSoulRepentance

When the Smallest Creature Serves God's Purpose

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:5

The ancient Rabbis certainly did. In Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, we find a series of stories, almost like little parables,...

Adam & EveMosesTorahTemple

Mena — Rabbi Meir at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, grapples with these very human feelings. It observes, "With the increase of good, those who consume it increase; what use is there for its own...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsMoses

How a Fetus Is Formed as a Three-Way Partnership

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:2

Jewish tradition has some fascinating, layered answers. to one, found in Kohelet Rabbah, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic (interpretive) commentary on the Book of Ecc...

CreationAngelsKing DavidSolomon

Sweet Is the Sleep of the Laborer Rich or Poor

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

"Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats a little or a lot; but the satiety of the wealthy does not allow him to sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:11). It's a powerful image, this ...

SolomonHoly LandAdam & EveKings

Rabbi Yehuda Receives the Torah

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:2

And it’s one that the ancient rabbis grappled with in the text of Kohelet Rabbah. Two rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, offer contrasting perspectives. Rabbi Yehuda uses the ...

TorahDeathAdam & EveHumor

The Eulogy That Honored a Life of Torah Study

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:4

That’s a feeling woven deep into the tapestry of Jewish tradition, a feeling the rabbis grappled with intensely. how they expressed it. The story begins with the passing of Ḥiyya b...

CreationPatriarchsJosephSolomon

The Parable of the King's Worker Who Outshone Them All

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:5

The story begins with a loss. When Rabbi Bon ben Rabbi Ḥiyya passed away, Rabbi Zeira rose to eulogize him, choosing the verse: “Sweet is the sleep of the laborer.” (Ecclesiastes 5...

PatriarchsMosesTorahMessiah

Korah and Divine Judgment

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 12:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these kinds of paradoxes. And there’s one verse in particular that always gets me thinking: "There is a ...

Hell/GehennaSolomonEstherJob

Wealth Lost in a Grievous Manner

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 13:1

Could I do more?" The sages certainly wrestled with that feeling, and they had some pretty strong opinions about what happens when we ignore it. The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohele...

SolomonTzedakah (Charity)WealthWisdom

You Leave This World as Naked as You Entered

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 14:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, wrestles with this very feeling. And Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, dives even deeper. It all starts with th...

SolomonWisdomHumorWit

Just as He Came Into This World So He Will Leave It

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 15:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, certainly does. And the ancient rabbis weren't afraid to grapple with that feeling either. Kohelet 5:15 laments, "This...

CreationSolomonDanielExile

All His Days He Eats in Darkness and Knows Only Anger

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 16:1

Specifically, they focused on the verse in (Ecclesiastes 5:16): "In addition, all his days, he eats in darkness, and has much anger, illness, and rage." What does it mean to live i...

SolomonJobHoly Land

Ecclesiastes Says Eat Drink and See Benefit

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 17:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with these questions. One verse in particular catches our attention: "Behold what I have seen to be good: That it is fine t...

SolomonTorahKingsChanukah

The Gift of Enjoying What God Has Given You

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 18:1

And believe it or not, the Book of Ecclesiastes – or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew – grapples with this too. Specifically, (Ecclesiastes 5:18) states: “Also any man to whom God h...

SolomonJoyAdam & EveDivine justice

Eli Before the King

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 19:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, certainly grapples with this very human feeling. And within Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, w...

SolomonHoly LandWomen of the Bible

The Evil Under the Sun That Solomon Witnessed

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 1:1

King Solomon, wise beyond measure, certainly did. He saw an "evil under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 6:1), and it wasn't some grand, world-ending catastrophe, but something far more insi...

SolomonTorahAdam & EveHumor

Wealth Without the Power to Enjoy It Is a Grievous Evil

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 2:1

Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes, that sometimes-bleak but always-honest book of the Bible, wrestles with this feeling. Chapter 6, verse 2, hits hard: "A man to whom God gives wealth, asse...

SolomonSoulWisdom

Cain and Creation of Abel

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 3:1

And the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Kohelet Rabbah, take this even further, using stories and interpretations to unpack the weight of those feeling...

CreationNoah & FloodSolomonElijah

King Ahab Before the King

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 4:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, certainly does. And the rabbis, in their insightful commentary Kohelet Rabbah, really dig into this sense of transience. Take this verse from ...

SolomonElijahTorah

The Traveler Who Left the Ship and Saw Paradise

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 5:1

to a fascinating little parable found in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Ecclesiastes. The verse in question is (Ecclesiastes 6:5): “He has als...

SolomonJoyHeavenParadise

If You Lived Two Thousand Years Without Seeing Good

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 6:1

And the ancient rabbis, in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, really dig into this idea. The verse in question is (Ecclesiastes 6:6-7): “Were...

CreationKing DavidSolomonTorah

How Wisdom Translates Into a Meaningful Life

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:1

The Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, wrestles with this very question. It's not just about being smart; it’s about how knowledg...

SolomonTorahMessiahWisdom

Better the Sight of Eyes Than the Pursuit of Desire

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 9:1

That feeling of grasping at smoke...of the wind slipping through your fingers. Well, the ancient wisdom of Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes, speaks directly to this feeling. And Kohelet Ra...

SolomonWisdomDivine justiceHumor

What Was Already Named and Known Before Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very feelings. One verse in particular, (Ecclesiastes 6:10), really gets to the heart of it: "What...

CreationAngelsAdam & EveJoseph

What Remains After All the Striving and Vanity

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, wrestles with this feeling constantly. And the rabbinic commentary on it, Kohelet Rabbah, dives even deeper into the fleeting nature of, well,...

SolomonAdam & EveTzaddikDivine justice

Who Knows What Is Good for a Person in This Life

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 12:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, wrestles with these very questions. It asks, "For who knows what is good for man in his life, all the days of his life of vanity, that he spen...

King DavidSolomonTorah

Fine — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 1:1

Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, throws us a curveball right from the start: "A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). Whoa....

CreationKing DavidSolomonDaniel

Why God Chose Aaron as the High Priest Over Moses

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 1:2

to a fascinating discussion from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Ecclesiastes, about the appointment of Aaron as the High Priest. The Rabbis...

JosephMosesKing DavidTorah

A Good Name Travels Farther Than the Ark of God

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 1:3

Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent figure in the Zohar (the foundational text of Jewish mysticism), puts it this way: a good name is more beloved than the Ark of the Covenant itse...

Noah & FloodMosesKing DavidJob

Which Name Matters Most According to the Sages

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 1:4

The book of Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, dives right into this question, offering a perspective that might just flip your e...

JosephMosesKing DavidSolomon

Why Going to a House of Mourning Is Better Than Feasting

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 2:1

But perhaps, just perhaps, there's profound wisdom hidden within it. The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, is famous for its reflections on the meaning of life. And one v...

SolomonProphecyWisdomDeath

Acts of Kindness at the Beginning Middle and End of Torah

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 2:2

And it's not just some nice little add-on. It's woven into the very fabric of our faith. Rabbi Berekhya, in Kohelet Rabbah, makes a powerful point: acts of kindness appear at the b...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsJoseph

When God Created of Adam

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 2:3

We often think of God as this distant, powerful being, but Jewish tradition paints a much more intimate picture. It suggests that God is actively involved in our lives, even in the...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsPrayer

Og's Legacy

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 2:4

It’s a question that’s echoed through the ages, and Jewish tradition offers some fascinating insights. Rabbi Simon, in Kohelet Rabbah, a commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, mak...

PatriarchsJobSoulShabbat

The Living Will Take the Reality of Death to Heart

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 2:5

Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, offers a fascinating perspective, connecting our actions in life with the inevitable reality o...

TorahTempleDeath

Why Anger Is Better Than Laughter for the Heart

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 3:1

Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, wrestles with this very idea, focusing on the verse: "Anger is better than laughter, as with a cross countenance the heart ...

Noah & FloodKing DavidSolomonJob

The Heart of the Wise Dwells in the House of Mourning

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 4:1

And Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, dives deep into this idea. “The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, and the heart of fools in the house of rej...

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