438 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bamidbar Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 5 of 10.
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Jacob Blessed Pharaoh and Outshone God's Own Generosity. Rabbi Berekhya HaKohen (a priest) offers an example. He recalls the story of Jacob’s encounter wit...
That image, that feeling, is right at the heart of Psalm 91, and it takes center stage in a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 12. The verse "He who dwells in the shelter of ...
The idea starts with this: it's a five-hundred-year journey between one firmament and the next! That's how vast the cosmos is conceived. And according to tradition, the sun travels...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Solomon's Palanquin as a Metaphor for All of Creation. The Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, offers us a stunning...
The tradition turns to Bamidbar Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Numbers. In Bamidbar Rabbah 12, we find a powerful idea presented by Rab...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to The Hidden Deal God Made with Israel Back in Egypt. One interpretation suggests that "vayhi" hints at a previous agreement. Rabbi Yehoshua says that God ma...
The ancient rabbis grappled with that feeling too, especially when things were going well for the Israelites. Take the story in Bamidbar Rabbah 12, which begins with a single, load...
It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (3:11): "Go out and gaze, daughters of Zion, at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wed...
Our jumping-off point is Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a fascinating exploration of the verse "On the day that [Moses] concluded." Now, it first appears this is just a throwaway line, but th...
It turns out, it’s a feeling that resonates even within the stories of our most revered figures. Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives i...
Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, wrestles with this very question, using the construction of the Tabernacle – the mis...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Angels Attend to Metatron. The verse in question is from (Exodus 15:13): "You guided with Your kindness this people that You redeemed; You directed them wi...
A seemingly simple phrase, “Et hamishkan” – "the Tabernacle.” But according to this Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), it's so much more than it seems. It proposes that th...
We begin with a beautiful verse from Numbers (24:5): "How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your dwellings [mishkenotekha], Israel!" The first reading, it's a simple expression of admi...
It wasn't just a matter of unfolding some tents and calling it a day. The Torah tells us, in (Exodus 40:17), that it was "in the first month during the second year, on the first of...
It seems even the leaders of ancient Israel weren't immune. We find a fascinating story in Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the great collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive...
Consider the book of Numbers, or Bamidbar in Hebrew, specifically chapter 7, verse 3. It describes the offerings brought by the princes of Israel for the Tabernacle: "They brought ...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Tribal Princes Bring Wagons to Serve the Tent of Meeting. " The context is the dedication of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and the princes of the tribes are...
It all starts with the verse: “Moses took the carts and the bulls, and gave them to the Levites” (Numbers 7:6). Simple enough. But the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) ne...
That holiest of objects, containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Now, you might assume everyone always knew exactly how it was supposed to be handled. But, as we learn from...
The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, is full of details about the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. And in chapter 7, we find a fascinating account of the dedication ...
The very first offering? It's from Naḥshon, son of Aminadav, from the tribe of Judah. We read, "The one who presented his offering on the first day was Naḥshon..." (Numbers 7:12). ...
It’s a story rich with symbolism, divine presence, and, In Bamidbar Rabbah, 13, it all began on the 23rd of Adar, and culminated on the first of Nisan. Rabbi Yosei tells us that fo...
Our starting point is a verse from the Book of Numbers (7:12), kicking off the offerings brought by the tribal leaders: "The one who presented..." But this simple phrase sparks a m...
From that small verse, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) launches into a fascinating exploration of Judah, the tribe of lions, fiery furnaces, and ultimately, God's pr...
They saw hidden depths and endless possibilities in the very fabric of the Hebrew language, and one fascinating example of this is their discussion of the words vayhi and vehaya. T...
Light and darkness, separation of waters... But according to some fascinating rabbinic interpretations, there's a whole other layer to unpack. Our story comes from Bamidbar Rabbah,...
It’s why the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 13, dwells on his name, his lineage, and his pivotal role. The passage begins by asking a simp...
The Torah portion Naso, particularly in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, explores this very concept, using the offerings of the princes as a springboard. It's a fascinating exploration of Israe...
It wrestles with a seemingly simple question about the dedication of the altar in the Tabernacle. The passage focuses on the phrase "the first, and his offering." It’s from the Boo...
Sometimes, those little things hold the key to unlocking profound insights. to one such instance from Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), specifically chapter 13, and see what we can...
These little anomalies, these extra strokes of ink, are rarely accidents. They're often seen as whispers, hints of deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface of the text. Take the w...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Why Is There an Extra Vav in the Word Offering. The passage asks, "vekorbano (a sacrificial offering), why is there an extra vav?" The word korban, meaning...
It’s a fascinating glimpse into ancient ritual and devotion. some of the details, specifically as recorded in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a section of the great collection of Midrashic (ra...
A collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Numbers, there’s a profound reason behind it. It wasn't just about the what they offered, but the why. " The Rabbis explain that w...
The Torah portion describes the offerings brought by the leaders of the tribes of Israel at the dedication of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Each day, a different leader brought the ...
It all starts with Issachar. The text dives right in: "One silver dish" (Numbers 7:19), marking the offering of the prince of Issachar. But it's not just about the silverware. This...
the dedication offerings brought by the princes of the tribes. "On the third day, prince of the children of Zebulun, Eliav son of Ḥelon" (Numbers 7:24). Why, the Rabbis ask, is the...
Bamidbar Rabbah refuses to skim the tribal offerings. Reuben's silver dish, basin, and incense ladle all become signals. The Torah tells us about Elitzur's offering: "His offering ...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Shelumiel's Transgression. The verse But why the fifth day? Why Simeon? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks, what made Shelumiel's offering...
"On the sixth day, prince of the children of Gad, Elyasaf son of Deuel" (Numbers 7:42). The text repeats. Why? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) don't th...
It's like peeling back the layers of an onion – the deeper you go, the more you discover. Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a section of the Bamidbar Rabbah, which itself is a Midrash, a collect...
The Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, explores this very idea through a verse from Job: "Who preceded Me, that I should repay? Everything ...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to When Solomon's Temple Doors Refused to Open for the Ark. The scene: Solomon, the wisest of men, has built the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. He's ready t...
” Intriguing. What does it all mean? The text then tells a story about Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka and Rabbi Elazar Ḥisma visiting Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Yehoshua, ever the curious min...
It’s like a beautiful song with a simple melody, but underneath, there's a complex harmony of hidden meanings and connections. The source turns to just such a passage from Bamidbar...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Manasseh's Prince and the Tension of Obeying the King. The Midrash clarifies that respecting authority is crucial. After all, we read in (Deuteronomy 17:15...
Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a fascinating exploration of the offerings brought by the princes of Israel, and how those offerings connect to Jacob, Joseph, and the tribe of Manasseh. The pa...
