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.

Face of Moses of Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:7

The Book of Exodus tells us that the Israelites were instructed to mark their doorposts with blood so that God would "pass over" their homes during the tenth plague, sparing their ...

MosesMiraclesHoly LandEgypt

Jacob and Creation and Miracles

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:8

Today's story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It's a powerful reflection on God's role in the Exodus, and really, in all o...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsJoseph

David and the Dreamer

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:9

Take the Exodus, for example. That final, earth-shattering plague—the death of the firstborn—struck at midnight. But why? Why not high noon? What’s so special about that inky black...

JosephKing DavidHoly LandEgypt

Moses Among the Fathers and Egyptians

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:10

It's not just about freedom; it's about divine justice, redemption, and the messy, complicated choices people make when faced with monumental events. The ancient rabbis certainly d...

PatriarchsJosephMosesKing David

Light of the First Day and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:11

We read in Exodus 12:37: "The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Sukkot, approximately six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children." It's a verse that launches us i...

CreationHeavenAdam & EvePatriarchs

Hezekiah and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 18:12

It's more than just matzah and retelling the Exodus story. The Torah itself calls it a "night of vigil" – leil shimurim (Exodus 12:42). But what exactly does that mean? What is God...

CreationJosephMosesElijah

Akhish in Heaven

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 19:1

It turns out this very human experience is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. We find this idea beautifully explored in Shemot Rabbah, specifically in its interpretation of the ver...

HeavenNoah & FloodMatriarchsJoseph

David and His Mighty Men

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 19:2

The ancient rabbis grappled with that too. They understood the struggle to dedicate ourselves completely, especially when it comes to something as profound as connecting with the D...

King DavidTorah

Moses and the Dreamer of Meeting

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 19:3

Our tradition suggests he did, and in a fascinating way: it reveals moments where Moses' own reasoning aligned perfectly with the divine will. The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of ra...

JosephMosesTorahProphecy