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.

Western Wall and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9:5

The verse we're looking at references a "fawn." Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina equates this to the offspring of a hind. But where is this fawn, this fragile new life? "Behold, he is standi...

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Miriam: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 11:1

They saw echoes of that very struggle in the beautiful, often enigmatic, Song of Songs – Shir HaShirim in Hebrew. Specifically, they found a powerful metaphor in the verse, "For, b...

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Moses and the Dreamer of Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 12:1

Ever read a love poem and thought, "This is beautiful, but what does it mean?" Well, the Jewish tradition has been doing that for centuries with the Song of Songs, also known as Sh...

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Moses Before the King and Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 13:1

It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs itself: “The fig tree has formed its unripe figs, and the vines in blossom have emitted fragrance. Rise, my love, my fair one, and...

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Moses in Solomon's Court and Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 13:2

The verse we're focusing on is Song of Songs 2:10: "my beloved spoke up [ana], and he said [ve’amar] to me." Now, Rabbi Azarya raises a pretty good question: Isn't "speaking" the s...

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Daniel Beyond the Firmament

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 13:3

That’s kind of what happens when we dive into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs. Today, we're looking at a passage that takes the beautiful imagery of sprin...

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Kingdom of Elijah and Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 13:4

It's not just about romance; they saw layers of hidden meaning, particularly about the coming of the Messiah. to one fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a rabbinic comme...

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Dawn of the World and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 14:1

Jewish tradition grapples with it too, and beautifully so. In the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, we find a fascinating explora...

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Pharaoh's Journey and Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 14:2

The ancient rabbis certainly understood that feeling, and they used powerful stories to explore it. The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song o...

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