Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 277 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.

Solomon and the Queen of Gilad

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:6

What's that about?" It's beautiful poetry, sure, but sometimes the imagery feels… obscure. Well, the ancient rabbis had a field day unpacking those metaphors. And when we dive into...

SolomonTempleHoly LandSacrifice

Sanhedrin and Divine Judgment

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:7

Take this one from the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim: "Your hair is like a flock of goats" (Song of Songs 4:1). Goats? Hair? What’s that all about? Well, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a ...

Hell/GehennaSolomonTempleHoly Land

Destruction of the Temple and Abba

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:8

That feeling is something our ancestors grappled with intensely after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the ancient commentary on Song of Son...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodPatriarchs

Moses and Joseph of Breasts

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:1

Ever read the Song of Songs and thought, "Wait, is this... about breasts?" Well, you’re not wrong! But in the world of Jewish interpretation, things are rarely just what they seem....

JosephMosesSolomonTorah

Miriam: Moses and Joseph

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2

The ancient rabbis certainly did. In Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, we find a powerful, poignant lesson woven into the seeming...

JosephMosesKing DavidMiracles

Joshua: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:1

It turns out, the ancient rabbis thought about this a lot, especially when it came to the relationship between humanity and God. Let's delve into a fascinating interpretation of a ...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsSolomon

Righteousness of Abraham and Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:1

The ancient Rabbis did. They poured over the verses, searching for clues. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, we find some fascinating answer...

CreationHeavenAdam & EvePatriarchs

Lebanon's Song

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:1

to one tiny, potent verse: "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon; look from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Ḥermon, from the dens of lions, from ...

PatriarchsJosephMosesSolomon

Elisha: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:2

Our sages pondered just such a return, a return from exile so profound it would reshape the world. This vision is beautifully captured in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on th...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses