Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 263 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.

Acts of Creation and Flood

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:3

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling, this sense that some groups seem to get away with things that others don't. And they found surprising answers in the stories of ...

CreationHell/GehennaNoah & FloodTorah

Forefathers of Israel and Amalek

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:4

They found ways to see even those challenging forces as a path towards the Divine. to a fascinating interpretation of a verse from Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs, explored in Shi...

PatriarchsJosephMosesKing David

Divine Chariot and Azai

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:5

No, not the fruit orchard, but the Orchard – a mystical, metaphorical space where one could contemplate the deepest secrets of God, Creation, and the very Divine Chariot itself. Th...

King DavidSolomonElijahMysticism

Ezekiel: Levi and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:6

Rabbi Yanai had a similar thought. He pointed out that the Torah truly needed to begin only with the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), marking the start of the Jew...

CreationCreaturesNoah & FloodMoses

Patience of Job and Isaiah

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:7

The ancient rabbis certainly did. They explored every facet of joy, dissecting its many shades and flavors. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, they g...

King DavidJobProphecyHoly Land

Rabbi Shimon's Legacy

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:8

It's not just a love poem; it's a wellspring of teachings, and today we're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4 to explore a fascinating story about marriage, devotion, and the power...

MatriarchsTorahProphecySoul

Solomon in David's Court and Shir

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:9

That feeling is something the ancient rabbis grappled with too, especially when reading scripture. Take Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and rejo...

King DavidSolomonTorah

Adam in Paradise and Passover

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:10

Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classical Rabbinic commentary on Song of Songs, offers a fascinating perspective. It suggests that we can "recount your love through wine [miyayin]." But ...

Adam & EvePatriarchsTorahTemple

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:11

The text asks, “How upright [yashiryan] are the ones You love?” (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4). The answer? The patriarchs! They are the epitome of uprightness, of unwavering devotion. R...

CreationPatriarchs