Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 48 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.

Moses and David

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 22:9

Our exploration begins with the verse, "Much livestock..." a seemingly simple phrase that Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, uses as a spri...

MosesKing DavidSolomonTorah

David and the First Humans

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:1

And as we'll see, it's a feeling that resonates profoundly within Jewish tradition. Our journey begins with the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar (במדבר), specifically Numbers 33:1: "These...

Adam & EvePatriarchsJosephMoses

Songs of David and Aaron

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:2

The verse in Psalm 77:21 says, "You led [naḥita] Your people like a flock in the hands of Moses and Aaron." The rabbis, in their insightful way, saw more than just a simple stateme...

MosesKing DavidTorahHoly Land

Forefathers of Israel and Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:4

And maybe, just maybe, there's a hidden message in those seemingly random journeys. In the Book of Numbers – in Hebrew, Bamidbar – we find a detailed list of all the places the Isr...

PatriarchsMosesTorahProphecy

Marriage of Moses and Gehenna

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:5

When the Torah says, “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: For you are coming to the land of Canaan; this will be the land that will fall to you as an inheritance” (Num...

PatriarchsMosesProphecyHoly Land

Akhan and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:6

Take, for example, the verse in Numbers: "This will be the land that will fall [tipol] to you as an inheritance." (Numbers 34:2). "Fall?" the Rabbis asked. Does land just fall? Isn...

CreationAngelsNoah & FloodMoses

Moses and the Ark of Land

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:7

We often take it for granted, but the bracha, the blessing after the meal, has a rich history, deeply intertwined with our relationship to the Land of Israel. Our source for this j...

Noah & FloodJosephMosesTorah

Moses and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:8

The Torah is full of promises, both of blessings and of curses. And sometimes, it seems like things don't quite line up. In Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on t...

CreationPatriarchsMosesHoly Land

Kings: Elijah at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:9

The Torah is full of it, if we know where to look. Sometimes, the lessons we need aren't found in grand pronouncements, but in the behavior of animals. Bamidbar Rabbah 23, a sectio...

CreationElijahJob