Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 311 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.

Zion's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24:4

That’s the kind of feeling we're going to explore today, but with a very specific location in mind: Zion. We find a fascinating passage in Vayikra Rabbah, a midrashic collection fo...

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The Ten Commandments and Kedoshim

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24:5

Rabbi Ḥiyya taught that this specific portion, Kedoshim, was delivered in a grand assembly – "Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel..." (Leviticus 19:2). Why? ...

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Elisha in Paradise

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24:6

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very question. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, they explore a fascinating connection between ho...

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Kingdom of Moses and Gadol

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24:7

It's not just about cleanliness, friends. It’s about something far deeper: our relationship with the Divine. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on...

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Four Beasts and Avin

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24:8

It’s a question that Rabbi Avin tackles in Vayikra Rabbah, and his answer is both insightful and, frankly, a little bit comforting. Rabbi Avin uses a parable. Imagine a king with a...

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Moses's Transgression of Pharaoh

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 24:9

Surprisingly, the ancient Rabbis found clues in the most unexpected places – even in the words of the wicked Pharaoh himself! It's a fascinating idea, isn't it? That even through t...

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The Tree of Life and Huna

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 25:1

The passage begins with a seemingly simple verse from Leviticus (19:24) about planting fruit trees: “When you will come into the land and plant any food tree, then you shall regard...

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The Garden of Eden and Azarya

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 25:2

Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya, citing Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, paint this incredible picture: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to craft shelters and canopies in the Garden of E...

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Beyond the Firmament and Yehuda

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 25:3

He begins with a verse from Deuteronomy (13:5): “You shall follow the Lord your God.” But then he asks, how can mere mortals like us truly follow the Divine? After all, as the Psal...

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