Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 60 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.

World to Come and Shabbat

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:4

It’s more than just a day off. It's a taste of paradise, a hint of the World to Come, a weekly reset button for the soul. And according to our sages, even the food tastes better! R...

CreationHell/GehennaKing DavidTorah

Wisdom of Shabbat

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:5

The scene: Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure of Jewish wisdom, is being interrogated by the wicked governor, Tinneus Rufus. Rufus, dripping with imperial arrogance, poses a deceptivel...

MosesSoulSabbathMiracles

Birth of Rabbi Hoshaya

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:6

It's a loaded question. The philosopher is implying that circumcision isn’t a divine command at all, but just… pointless. (Bereshit Rabbah 11). Rabbi Hoshaya, being the wise person...

CreationAdam & Eve

Jacob: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:7

to a fascinating comparison between Abraham and Jacob, two of our patriarchs, and see what Bereshit Rabbah 11 has to tell us. The key? Shabbat. Yes, that's right, the Sabbath. Rabb...

CreationPatriarchsSabbathShabbat

Blessing of Shabbat and Berekhya

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:8

Even Shabbat, the day of rest, felt that way once. Isn't that incredible? Our sages grappled with a question: why did God specifically bless Shabbat? Bereshit Rabbah, a collection ...

Adam & EveMosesPrayerRepentance

Adam: Levi at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:9

And they left us some fascinating insights in the Midrash, specifically Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. So, picture this: God, in ...

CreationHeavenCreaturesAdam & Eve

Rabbi Hoshaya and Divine Judgment

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 11:10

The Torah tells us, "Because on it He rested from all His labor" (Genesis 2:3). But what does that really mean? Rabbi Pinḥas, quoting Rabbi Hoshaya in Bereshit Rabbah 11, offers a ...

Hell/GehennaKing DavidProphecyShabbat

When God Created and Huna

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 12:1

That feeling, that’s something the ancient rabbis wrestled with too. Our story begins with a seemingly simple verse from Genesis 2:4: “These are the toledot (outgrowths, generation...

CreationSolomonJobWisdom

Life of Moses and Isaiah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 12:2

There's a fascinating discussion in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, that tackles this very question. It all starts with the verse ...

MosesTorahProphecyHoly Land