Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 270 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.

Heavenly Messengers and Shimon

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2

He paints a picture in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on Song of Songs, that really resonated with me. Imagine a prince, see? He's been dreadfully ill. Finally, he recovers. ...

AngelsJosephMosesTorah

Death of Hadrian

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:3

That’s how I feel diving into the pages of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs. Today, we're looking at a fascinating passage from s...

HeavenNoah & FloodJosephMoses

Moses and the Heavenly Realms of Shir

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:1

But in the beautiful, multi-layered world of Jewish interpretation, this verse opens up into a world of meaning far beyond the literal. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classic midrashic co...

HeavenMosesSolomonTemple

Hanina: Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:1

In Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7, the Rabbis unpack a seemingly simple verse – Song of Songs 2:7: “I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds o...

CreationHeavenAngelsNoah & Flood

Rabbi Yehuda's Song and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:1

The Song of Songs, that beautiful, evocative poem, begins with the line: "The sound of my beloved! Behold, he approaches, he leaps over the mountains and bounds over the hills" (So...

CreationPatriarchsMosesSolomon

Messiah: Moses at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:2

Jewish tradition understands that feeling, and offers a powerful image to overcome it: God leaping over mountains. We find this image in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the...

CreationJosephMosesMessiah

Moses the Lawgiver and Sinai

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9:1

to one little verse that the Rabbis found particularly rich: "My beloved is like a gazelle or a fawn; behold, he is standing behind our wall, gazing from the windows, peering throu...

JosephMosesSolomonTorah

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9:2

We find in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the ancient commentary on the Song of Songs, a beautiful and intimate image of God's relationship with the Jewish people. It begins with the verse,...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David

Moses Before the King and Aaron

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9:3

Today, let's dive into a fascinating interpretation of the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim, from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations. It’s all about long...

MosesSolomonDanielJob