438 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Bamidbar Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 9 of 10.
It's one of those biblical tales that's just packed with odd details, and the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) had a field day unpacking it all. We find a f...
The story of Bilam, found in the Book of Numbers, is one wild ride. But the real juicy stuff? It's in the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah, ...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Kingdom of Bilam of Balak. The story unfolds in Bamidbar Rabbah 20, a midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection that dives deep into the bibl...
What does washing your hands have to do with Bilam and curses? Stay with me! The text immediately jumps into a discussion about halakha, Jewish law, asking about the liability of s...
Our story begins in Shittim, a place whose name, as we'll see, carries a weight of meaning. "Israel was dwelling in Shittim, and the people began to engage in harlotry with the dau...
The story of the Israelites and their encounter with the daughters of Moab is a stark reminder. It's a tale of temptation, idolatry, and the devastating consequences of losing sigh...
The scene is set in (Numbers 25:6): “Behold, a man from the children of Israel came and brought near to his brethren the Midyanite woman, before the eyes of Moses, and before the e...
The story of Pinḥas (Phineas) in the book of Numbers is a wild ride, a tale of zealotry, divine intervention, and a whole lot of questions about what's right and wrong. The scene i...
The story of Pinḥas, as told in Bamidbar Rabbah, shines a light on just how vital shalom is. The story begins with a moment of intense crisis. The Israelites are straying, and divi...
Our tradition teaches us that each individual is unique, a world unto themselves, with their own distinct ruach (spirit) and temperament. And it’s precisely this understanding that...
God Himself steps in to clarify Pinḥas's lineage. But why now? What did God see that prompted this? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 21,...
The Torah gives us some pretty strong clues, and it all boils down to how they chose to attack us. Think about the story of Balaam and Balak. Remember that? Balak, the King of Moab...
In Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah) 21, we encounter a fascinating tension. God commands the Israelites to "Assail the Midianites." Seems But then, the text throws us a curveball. ...
The Torah tells us, "When you besiege a city…you shall not destroy its trees" (Deuteronomy 20:19). Seems Protect the environment, even in wartime. Then we read, "Assail the Midiani...
Counting, specifically, the census in the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew. We find ourselves in Numbers 26, right after a devastating plague. God tells Moses and Elazar, the so...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Who Inherits the Promised Land - Those at Moab or Egypt. Wait a minute. Didn't God promise the land to those who left Egypt? As we read in (Exodus 6:8), "I...
Sometimes, it really was – especially when it came to dividing the land of Israel among the tribes. But this wasn't just some random drawing. Oh no, this involved divine interventi...
The story of the daughters of Tzelofḥad challenges that assumption in a profound way. It all starts in (Numbers 27:1): “The daughters of Tzelofḥad, son of Ḥefer, son of Gilad, son ...
The daughters of Tzelofḥad. Their story, found within Bamidbar Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Numbers, is far more than just a legal footnote – it’s a ...
That even the greatest among us can have their moments of… well, let’s call it humility. It’s a section that explores how even Moses, the ultimate lawgiver, experienced moments whe...
The story hinges on a seemingly simple phrase from Deuteronomy: "Ascend to this Mount HaAvarim, Mount Nevo" (Deuteronomy 32:48–49). But the context, as Bamidbar Rabbah unfolds it, ...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Moses Pleads for a Worthy Successor to Lead Israel. The key, some sages suggest, lies in the Hebrew word yifkod, "appoint." According to Bamidbar Rabbah, t...
This is the complex and very human story bubbling beneath the surface of (Numbers 27:17), "that the congregation of the Lord will not be like a flock that has no shepherd." It's a ...
We offer things up, whether it's time, effort, or, as in the ancient Israelite tradition, animal offerings. But to whom are we offering? And why? The book of Numbers, in chapter 28...
Our tradition grapples with this very question when we consider our relationship with God. What could we possibly offer the Divine? What does God need from us? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba...
The ancient rabbis did, and they spun some incredible tales around the question. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 21, explores this very...
Forget the dainty portions we see in movies. Let's I Kings gives us a glimpse, doesn't it? "Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kor of choice flour, sixty kor of flour; ten ...
It might be more than just luck. to a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah) 21, which uses the biblical verse "My offering, My food… you shall observe to presen...
Our journey starts with a verse: "Say to them: This is the fire offering that you shall bring to the Lord: unblemished lambs in the first year, two each day, a continual burnt offe...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to God's Power Is Restrained Yet Infinitely Greater Than Ours. How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory ideas? Bamidbar Rabbah offers a beautiful exp...
Like after all the hard work, the dedication, the striving. shouldn't there be a bonus round of celebration? Well, Jewish tradition understands that feeling perfectly. to a fascina...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They found that very human feeling reflected in the Torah itself, specifically in the book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew. And they explore it in ...
It's not about being stingy, but about creating a sense of progression, a journey. Why, it asks, did God command a diminishing number of bulls to be sacrificed each day? What did H...
The Torah, in the book of Numbers (30:2), grapples with this very idea: "Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying: This is the matter that the Lord ...
God's command to Moses: "Take the vengeance of the children of Israel against the Midianites; then you will be gathered to your people" (Numbers 31:2). It seems straightforward. Av...
The first reading, it seems straightforward. But as we delve deeper, guided by the wisdom of our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah, we uncover fascinating interpretations. The very repetiti...
The verse This is right before the Israelites are about to wage war against the Midianites. Now, God tells Moses, "Take the vengeance" (Numbers 31:2). So why doesn't Moses lead the...
The book of Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Numbers, explores Moses' burning desire to witness the vengeance against Midian before his deat...
The verse in (Joshua 1:5) declares, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you." This promise seems to imply that Joshua would enjoy a life parallel to that of Moses, who lived to be...
The book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, recounts the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. In chapter 32, we encounter the tribes of Reuben and Gad. "The children of Reuben ...
We chase it, toil for it, sail across oceans for it... but is all that effort actually the thing that makes us rich? Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book...
Our exploration begins with the verse, "Much livestock..." a seemingly simple phrase that Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, uses as a spri...
As we'll see, it's a feeling that resonates profoundly within Jewish tradition. Our journey begins with the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar (במדבר), specifically (Numbers 33:1): "These a...
The verse in (Psalm 77:21) says, "You led [naḥita] Your people like a flock in the hands of Moses and Aaron." The rabbis, in their insightful way, saw more than just a simple state...
Maybe, just maybe, there's a hidden message in those seemingly random journeys. In the Book of Numbers – in Hebrew, Bamidbar – we find a detailed list of all the places the Israeli...
When the Torah says, “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: For you are coming to the land of Canaan; this will be the land that will fall to you as an inheritance” (Num...
Consider the verse in Numbers: "This will be the land that will fall [tipol] to you as an inheritance." (Numbers 34:2). "Fall?" the Rabbis asked. Does land just fall? Isn't it writ...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Moses and the Ark of Land. Our source for this journey is Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings on the Bo...
