God Knows the Thought Before It Is Formed in Midrash Shmuel

Midrash Shmuel 5:5

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

Rabbi Yochanan in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made, etc. [nothing is too hard for You]" (Jeremiah 32:17). Rabbi Berechiah in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak said: "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [and serve Him] with a whole heart and a willing soul, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every imagination of the thoughts" (1 Chronicles 28:9). Before the thing formed has been formed, its thought is revealed before Him. Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak: Before a thought has been formed in the heart of a person, it is revealed before You. Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Yirmeyah: "For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O LORD, You know it altogether" (Psalms 139:4). Before my tongue has taken possession of speech, lo, O LORD, You know it altogether. ("There is none holy as the LORD, for there is none beside You" — for there is no wearing-out of You.)

Themes

DavidPsalmsAdam EveMusicPatriarchs

Biblical References

Continue Reading

Psalm 154Psalm 154 Found Among the Dead Sea ScrollsThat feeling, that impulse, it's ancient. And it's echoed in the words of Psalm 154. You might be thinking, "Psalm 154? I don't remember that one in the traditiLegends of the JewsDavid Finished the Psalms and Asked If Anything Praised God MoreThe Legends of the Jews, that monumental collection of rabbinic lore compiled by Louis Ginzberg, gives us a glimpse into David's life, painting him as both diviMidrash ShmuelWhy David's Ruddiness Differs From Esau's at His AnointingWhen the prophet Samuel first laid eyes on the youth brought before him, he saw the color rise in the boy's face, ruddy and flushing red. The prophet's heart saMidrash AggadahWhy the Quail Flew Only Two Cubits Above the GroundRead closely, says the Maggid, the Torah's own word betrays a kindness. When Scripture tells how a wind from the Holy One went forth and "drove" the quail up frMidrash TehillimAdam and the PatriarchsMidrash Tehillim turns to Adam and the Patriarchs. Our journey begins with Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Psalms. It opens wiMidrash TehillimDavid and Saul's Fateful Dance of DestinyIt's a nuanced dance of fate, faith, and free will. And a passage in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, sheds fas