Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 297 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.

Giving of the Torah and Elazar

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 9:6

The core debate boils down to this: Did the descendants of Noah, meaning all humanity before the giving of the Torah at Sinai, offer only burnt offerings, or did they also offer pe...

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David and His Mighty Men and Sacrifice

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 9:7

The Rabbis pondered this very question. And their answer, surprisingly, might be simpler than you think. Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Levi, and Rabbi Yoḥanan, all citing Rabbi Menaḥem of Ga...

King DavidProphecyPrayer

Moses Studies Torah and Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 9:8

The ancient Israelites certainly did. And sometimes, even the best of us can feel that way. Imagine a powerful ruler entering your town, surrounded by criminals in chains. It’d be ...

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Rabbi Shimon's Transgression and Abraham

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 9:9

In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a powerful exploration of peace. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai declares that "Great is peace, as all...

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Aaron: Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 10:1

It all starts with the verse: “Take Aaron, and his sons with him, and the vestments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of un...

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Isaiah Awaits the Messiah

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 10:2

We often picture them as these larger-than-life figures, effortlessly delivering divine messages. But what if it wasn't that simple? What if accepting the role of prophet meant acc...

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The Golden Calf and Jeremiah

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 10:3

We all know the story from Exodus 32 – the Israelites, impatient for Moses to return from the mountain, pressure Aaron to create a god for them. He obliges, a golden calf is made, ...

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Aaron and the Lawgiver of Antoninus

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 10:4

The ancient rabbis certainly did. to a fascinating story from Vayikra Rabbah, a midrashic collection that explores the Book of Leviticus, and see what wisdom we can unearth. The pa...

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Yehuda: Cain at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 10:5

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very question, particularly the roles of repentance (teshuva) and prayer in shaping our destinies. We find a fascinating debate in Vayikra Rab...

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