162 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Devarim Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 4 of 4.
Praise is often remembered as purely positive, a gift freely given. But what if even our most sincere compliments could carry a hidden cost? Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homilet...
In Jewish tradition, we find a fascinating story in Devarim Rabbah that touches upon just such a concept when it comes to the death of Moses. The passage starts by asking, "What is...
It’s about life itself. (Deuteronomy 32:1) begins, “Listen, heavens, and I will speak, and the earth will hear the sayings of my mouth.” A simple verse. But the Rabbis saw so much ...
Day follows night, the seasons turn, the land stays put, the sea stays… well, you get the idea. But what if I told you that this order, seemingly immutable, has actually been bent ...
It all starts with a verse from II Samuel (23:3): “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: The ruler over people [is a righteous one, ruling through the fear of God...
In Devarim Rabbah, there's a profound and many-sided reason why Moses calls upon them as witnesses, as partners, as something more. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, in a fascinating inte...
What would you ask for? The tradition says as his time drew near, Moses made one final, powerful request of God. It wasn't for more life, or for comfort, or even for himself at all...
Maybe you stumble over your words during a presentation, or completely blank on someone's name. Imagine the pressure, then, of leading a congregation in prayer and making a mistake...
Who will stand in His holy place?” The Rabbis, in their insightful way, see this verse as referring directly to Moses. Why? Because, as it says in Exodus (19:3), "Moses ascended to...
The verse in question comes from (Proverbs 31:29): "Many women have performed valiantly, but you have surpassed them all." But who is the "you" being referred to here? According to...
The Book of Deuteronomy, or Devarim in Hebrew, opens with Moses preparing to bless the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. But the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic inter...
Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a glimpse into that incredible scene, a cosmic struggle between life and death, between Mose...
Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronomy, opens up this very question for us. It begins with the verse, "This is the blessing," and then explor...
The answer, according to Devarim Rabbah, isn't what you might immediately think. It's not just about Moses being a great prophet; it's about a specific act of kindness and dedicati...
Moses had spent a lifetime leading the Israelites through the desert, of receiving the Torah at Sinai, of being the conduit between the Divine and humanity. The Holy One, blessed b...
Our story begins with Moses, nearing the end of his life. God tells him, "Behold [hen], your time to die is approaching" (Deuteronomy 31:14). Now, Rabbi Aivu picks up on something ...
It sounds almost unbelievable, doesn't it? Yet, according to Devarim Rabbah, this is precisely the monumental struggle Moses faced at the end of his life. Rabbi Yoḥanan tells us th...
Devarim Rabbah turns to God's Signature. The tradition tells us that the first tablets were written by the very finger of God. But the second? Those were written by Moses himself. ...
