Midrash Rabbah

2,921 texts · Page 65 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.

Creation of Humanity and Adam

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 14:8

The verse we're focusing on is from Genesis 2:7: "Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground [adama], and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a ...

Adam & EveMosesTempleProphecy

Acts of Creation and Chaya

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 14:9

Jewish tradition delves deep into this question, offering a layered and fascinating perspective on the human soul. It's not just one thing, you see. According to Bereshit Rabbah, a...

CreationKing DavidSolomonJob

Guarding the Torah

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 14:10

We often picture it as a divine spark, a breath of life. But the ancient rabbis, wrestling with the very same questions millennia ago, explored some surprisingly earthy possibiliti...

CreationTorahSoul

Lebanon: Temple at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 15:1

But according to Bereshit Rabbah, there was profound intention behind every detail. The school of Rabbi Yanai asks a crucial question: Why does the verse use the full name, "The Lo...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveKing David

Rabbi Yehuda and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 15:2

The rabbis of old certainly pondered this question. In Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, we find Rabbi Yehuda and Rabb...

CreationAdam & EveProphecyHoly Land

Before the Fall

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 15:3

And wouldn't you know it, the rabbis of old were wrestling with that very idea! Let's turn to Bereshit Rabbah, that sprawling collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of ...

HeavenAdam & EveKing David

Adam Beyond the Firmament and Garden

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 15:4

We often think of the serpent and the apple, the temptation and the fall. But what about before all that? What was God’s intention for humanity in that perfect, unspoiled space? Th...

HeavenAdam & EvePatriarchsKing David

The Garden of Eden and the Covenant

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 15:5

The ancient rabbis certainly did. And they found a fascinating clue hidden in plain sight, connecting the Garden of Eden to... the Ark of the Covenant! It all hinges on a single wo...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood

The Tree of Life and Ilai

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 15:6

They envisioned something far grander than just a single tree. Imagine a tree so immense, so vital, that it’s said the life force of all people emanates from it! A single source, n...

CreationWisdom