Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 318 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.

Great Sanhedrin Receives the Torah

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 30:11

We know the etrog (citron), the lulav (palm branch), the hadassim (myrtle), and the aravot (willow) are central to the holiday. But beyond their literal forms, Jewish tradition oft...

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From Nothing to Everything and Sukkot

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 30:12

It uses the four species taken on Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles, as a metaphor for the Jewish people. It comes from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrashic collection on the book of Levi...

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First Days of Existence and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 30:13

That feeling, that little twist of perspective, is at the heart of a beautiful teaching from Vayikra Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Book of Leviticus. Rabbi Yehuda, quoting...

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Dawn of the World and Solomon

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 30:15

Take the four species we use on Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles: the etrog (citron), the lulav (palm branch), the hadass (myrtle), and the aravah (willow). We wave them, we rejoic...

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Esau and Creation of Temple

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 30:16

And it all hinges on a seemingly simple phrase. It comes from Vayikra Rabbah 30, a fascinating section of the Midrash. Midrash, by the way, is a method of interpreting scripture wh...

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Shmuel: First Days of Existence

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:1

But let's dive into a fascinating idea found in Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. It all begins with the verse, "Command the childr...

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David the Warrior and Yitz

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:2

And according to the ancient rabbis, there's a profound reason why. Rabbi Yitzḥak opens Vayikra Rabbah 31 with a powerful image, quoting Psalms 119:140: “Your saying is exceedingly...

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Hidden Secrets of Creation and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:3

It all starts with the phrase "Command the children of Israel" – which, on the surface, sounds like a divine order. But the Rabbis, masters of unpacking layers of meaning, saw some...

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Elijah and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:4

In fact, it goes even deeper. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic teachings on the Book of Leviticus, opens up this very idea. It begins with the verse, "Command ...

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