Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 52 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 Simon

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 3:5

It's like the whole thing is one giant, intricate tapestry. Take the creation of light, for example. The very first "Let there be light!" in Genesis. Rabbi Simon, in Bereshit Rabba...

CreationJosephMosesTorah

Methuselah and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 3:6

Genesis tells us, "God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). Simple enough. But the rabbis of the Midrash, in Bereshit Rabbah, dive into some fascinating ...

CreationDanielJobMessiah

Before Heaven and Earth of Abahu

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 3:7

And if you delve into the ancient texts, particularly the Midrash, you find some truly mind-bending ideas. Let's turn to Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpret...

Creation

Yom Kippur and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 3:8

He sees the very first verses of Genesis as a foreshadowing of the choices we all face. "The earth was emptiness (tohu vavohu)" – he says, that represents the actions of the wicked...

CreationAngelsKing DavidProphecy

Creation of the World and Tabernacle

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 3:9

The Bereshit Rabbah, a classic Midrashic collection that expands on the Book of Genesis, dives deep into the creation story. And in Bereshit Rabbah 3, Rabbi Shmuel bar Ami offers a...

CreationHeavenMosesTemple

When God Created

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 4:1

We look up and see blue, clouds drifting by, maybe the sun blazing down. But what's really up there? Genesis, the very first book of the Bible, begins to tackle this question. In t...

CreationHeavenKing David

Rabbis: Mount Sinai at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 4:2

We often read the opening verses of Genesis, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water," and move on. But the Rabbis saw so much more in those words! What images did they...

CreationHeavenMosesJob

Maker of Heaven and Earth

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 4:3

Our ancestors did, too. And their answers, found in texts like Bereshit Rabbah, are mind-bending. Bereshit Rabbah, a foundational Midrashic text (a collection of rabbinic commentar...

CreationHeavenShabbat

Divine Presence and Samaritan

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 4:4

The ancient rabbis certainly did. They grappled with questions of creation, divine presence, and the seeming paradoxes of faith. And sometimes, they used the most unexpected method...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodMoses