Midrash Rabbah

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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.

Moses and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 9:10

It's easy to see them as just divine punishment, but Jewish tradition often digs deeper, searching for layers of meaning. one fascinating idea from Shemot Rabbah, a classic collect...

CreationHell/GehennaPatriarchsJoseph

Moses's Miracle and Nile

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 9:11

The Torah tells us, "The magicians of Egypt did so with their spells; and Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 7:22). But what does "...

CreationJosephMosesProphecy

Wonders of God and Yehuda

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 9:12

The Torah isn't always explicit about timing, and sometimes, a seemingly simple phrase can unlock a whole world of debate. Take Exodus 7:25: "Seven days were completed, after the L...

MosesMiraclesEgyptJudgment

Tzor and Joseph

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 9:13

The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating, and frankly chilling, comparison ...

JosephTorahTempleProphecy

Moses and Creation of Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:1

(Besides driving us crazy, of course!) Well, Jewish tradition has a fascinating answer, one that goes all the way back to the plagues in Egypt. The Book of Exodus recounts God's co...

CreationMosesSolomonTorah

Pharaoh and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:2

We often focus on the what – the frogs, the locusts, the darkness – but sometimes miss the deeper meaning. to one of the more… amphibious plagues and see what the ancient rabbis ha...

CreationJosephMosesDaniel

Moses Speaks to God and Pharaoh

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:3

It sounds almost…silly. But when you dig into the Midrash, these plagues become far more than just annoying inconveniences. They become targeted, almost surgical strikes against th...

MosesKing DavidRepentanceMiracles

Moses and the Dreamer of Akiva

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:4

In the Book of Exodus, we read, "The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron: Extend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to asc...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Birth of Pharaoh of Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:5

We read the story of the plagues, and it can feel like a foregone conclusion, like Pharaoh was just cartoonishly stubborn. But there were moments... moments where the pressure was ...

Hell/GehennaMosesTempleEgypt