Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 43 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.

Birth of Bilam

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:14

It's all about perception, stubbornness, and maybe even a little bit of divine humor. So, the scene is set: Bilam, a non-Jewish prophet hired to curse the Israelites, is on his way...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsMoses

Bilam and the Angels

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:15

The Torah gives us a fascinating glimpse of such a moment in the story of Bilam, the non-Jewish prophet hired to curse the Israelites. In Numbers, chapter 22, verse 31, we read: “T...

CreationHell/GehennaAngelsNoah & Flood

Balak Before the Flood

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:16

to the story as told in Bamidbar Rabbah 20, a fascinating peek behind the curtain of this dramatic encounter. “Balak heard that Bilam had come,” the verse tells us. But Bamidbar Ra...

Noah & Flood

Balak's Transgression and Bilam

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:17

The scene opens with Balak, the king of Moab, terrified by the Israelites. He’s hired Bilam, a non-Jewish prophet known for the power of his blessings and curses, to, well, curse I...

CreationPatriarchsSoul

Kingdom of Bilam and Balak

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:18

It's one of those biblical tales that's just packed with odd details, and the Rabbis of the Midrash had a field day unpacking it all. We find a fascinating take in Bamidbar Rabbah,...

HeavenAngelsAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Balak: Bilam at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:19

The story of Bilam, found in the Book of Numbers, is one wild ride. But the real juicy stuff? It's in the Midrash, specifically Bamidbar Rabbah, which offers a fascinating peek beh...

CreationHell/GehennaAdam & EvePatriarchs

Kingdom of Bilam of Balak

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:20

We find ourselves in the book of Numbers, with Balak, the king of Moab, terrified of the Israelites. He hires the sorcerer Bilam to curse them. But, as we soon discover, things don...

AngelsPatriarchsJosephMoses

Bilam and the Heavenly Realms

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:21

Today we're diving into a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 20 that explores exactly that: the surprising power held within seemingly minor mitzvot, or commandments. The pas...

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Acts of Creation and Shittim

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:22

Our story begins in Shittim, a place whose name, as we'll see, carries a weight of meaning. "Israel was dwelling in Shittim, and the people began to engage in harlotry with the dau...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses