Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 50 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.

First Days of Existence and Isaiah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:6

Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon starts us off with a powerful verse from Daniel (2:22): "He reveals the deep and the hidden [umsatrata]." Now, what exactly is being revealed? Rabbi Yehuda c...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaAdam & Eve

David and His Mighty Men of Yitzchak

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:7

Rabbi Yitzchak did. He started with a verse from Psalms: “The beginning of Your word is truth…” (Psalms 119:160). And then he dove right into Genesis, the beginning itself. Rabbi Y...

CreationKing DavidTorahProphecy

Wisdom of Levi

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:8

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, quoting Rabbi Levi, offers a fascinating analogy in Bereshit Rabbah, the great rabbinic commentary on Genesis. He says a builder needs six things: water, d...

CreationSolomonTorahProphecy

Trial of Rabban Gamliel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:9

The philosopher's challenge cuts right to the heart of things. He essentially says, "Your God is impressive, sure, but didn't He have a little help? All that…stuff…the emptiness, t...

CreationKing DavidSolomonProphecy

Maker of Heaven and Earth of Kapara

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:10

Jewish tradition, in its wisdom, offers a gentle, yet firm, hand on our shoulder, guiding us back to the here and now. The very first verse of the Torah, Bereshit, "In the beginnin...

CreationHeavenMosesKing David

From: Moses at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:11

Rabbi Simon, quoting Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, shares something fascinating about the letters mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf. You know, those letters that have different forms depend...

CreationMosesKing DavidSolomon

Hidden Secrets of Creation and Elohim

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:12

It’s not just a historical record; it’s a carefully crafted introduction to the Divine. Rabbi Yudan, quoting Akilas, makes a profound point: "To this One it is fitting to call God....

CreationPrayerDivine Names

Light of the First Day

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:13

It might seem like a simple opening, but Jewish tradition finds layers of meaning even in the placement of God’s name in the very first verse. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent f...

CreationHeavenTorahTemple

Betzalel and Creation of Akiva

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 1:14

They believed every single letter, every seemingly insignificant word, held profound secrets. Take the very first verse of Genesis, Bereshit (בראשית): "In the beginning, God create...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveMoses