Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 232 of 325

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.

Pharaoh's Song and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:5

The verse says, "it was when Pharaoh let the people go," (Exodus 13:17) which leads us to Song of Songs 4:13: "Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates." Rabbi Levi uses a para...

PatriarchsJosephMosesKing David

Pharaoh: Knowledge and Innocence

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:6

The ancient rabbis certainly knew the feeling, and they used vivid imagery to describe the Israelites' escape from Egypt. It wasn't just a political liberation; it was a soul's lib...

Adam & EvePatriarchsJosephMoses

Pharaoh's Transgression and Adonai

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:7

We often think of the Israelites, finally free after generations of slavery. But what if Pharaoh himself was the one shedding tears? That's the surprising question raised in Shemot...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Splitting of the Sea and Pharaoh

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:8

That bittersweet feeling is ancient, deeply human, and, believe it or not, it echoes in the story of Moses and the Exodus. : Moses. MOSES! The guy who stood up to Pharaoh, who part...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Israelites: Pharaoh in the Days of Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:9

The sages of the Midrash felt that way about Pharaoh letting the Israelites go. It wasn't just a political decision; it was a colossal blunder, a spiritual miscalculation of epic p...

MosesSolomonHoly LandEgypt

Pharaoh: Haman and the Angels

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:10

Our story begins with the verse, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go..." (Exodus). But it's not just a simple statement. It's an invitation to reflect on the sheer audacity of G...

AngelsMosesKing DavidDaniel

Ephraim at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:11

The book of Exodus tells us, “God did not lead them via the land [derekh eretz]” (Exodus 13:17). But what exactly does that mean? Well, Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbi...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsJoseph

Humility of Moses and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:12

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling when they looked at the Exodus story. The Torah tells us that God "did not lead them" – lo naham – after Pharaoh finally let the ...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Joseph and His Brothers of Land

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:13

Eleven! As it says, "From Egypt to the Land of Israel there are eleven journeys, which can be conducted in eleven days." (Shemot Rabbah 20). So, why did it end up taking them forty...

JosephHoly LandExileEgypt