738 passagesc. 5th–9th century CEHebrew / AramaicCC-BY
Individual passages from Midrash Tanchuma, shown in source order. Page 1 of 16.
The answer, again and again, comes back to this: God is everywhere. It's right there in the scriptures. As it says, "His presence fills all the earth" (Isaiah 6:3). He fills the he...
Because the eyes of God, It's a powerful image, isn't it? From His throne in Heaven, God's eyes observe absolutely everything that takes place in the world. The Midrash (rabbinic i...
Honestly, some of the answers are. Take, for instance, the idea of God's hand. We find in (Isaiah 40:12), "Who measured the waters with the hollow of His hand?" The tradition takes...
The mystics imagined it, and what they saw is The story goes that when God decided to create Adam, it wasn't a snap of the fingers. It was a process. A cosmic sculpting project, if...
The creation story, as we know it, unfolds over six days. But have you ever noticed how God seems to be balancing things? Like a cosmic choreographer, making sure everything is jus...
The Tree of Souls tells us that these souls resided in the Garden of Eden, up above. And get this: they were all present at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai! How do we know t...
What does it mean to say something is "angelic?" We usually mean beautiful, kind, maybe a little ethereal. But in Jewish mysticism, angels aren't just gentle spirits. They're force...
Midrash Tanchuma turns to Creation By Word. Can you imagine? According to Midrash Tehillim, if God hadn't intervened, if God hadn't spoken another word – "Enough!" – the heavens wo...
There's one particular story that throws this idea into sharp relief: the Giving of the Torah. At the very beginning, when the Creator shaped the cosmos, there was a clear line in ...
Midrash Tanchuma turns to The Center Of The World. Wait, there's one more layer. Before the Ark stands the Foundation Stone, and the entire world, according to tradition, was found...
A time long, long before time as we know it. Before the sun, the moon, the stars… before even the very Earth beneath our feet. What existed then? Well, according to some mystical t...
With the beginning (Gen. 1:1). This is what Scripture means when it says: The Lord with wisdom founded the earth (Prov. 3:19). That is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about ...
[These are the generations of Noah (Gen. 6:9).] May it please our master to instruct us concerning the number of transgressions for which women die during childbirth. Thus have our...
And the Lord said unto Abram: “Get thee out of thy country” (Gen. 12:1). May it please our master to teach us whether an Israelite is permitted to take upon himself the yoke of the...
And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre (Gen. 18:1) May it please our master to teach us: How many benedictions must a man pray each day? Thus do our masters teac...
And Abraham was old, well stricken in age (Gen. 24:1). May it please our master to teach us: What should a man do if he is riding upon an ass when the time for prayer arrives? Thus...
And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son (Gen. 25:19). May it please our master to teach us why peace-offerings (sacrifices) were instituted? R. Hiyya the son of Abba ...
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba (Gen. 28:10). May it please our master to teach us where a man who has unintentionally taken the life of another man may take refuge. Thus do our...
I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now. and I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and manservants and maid-servants (Gen. 32:5–6). He was telling Esau: “Though I have lived...
And Jacob sat in the land (Gen. 37:1). Whenever Scripture uses the expression and he sat (also translated “and he dwelt”), it connotes misfortune: And Israel sat in the land of Egy...
And it came to pass at the end of two full years (Gen. 41:1). May it please our master to teach us the blessing one should offer on experiencing rainfall when mankind is in dire ne...
Then Judah came near unto him (Gen. 44:18). May it please our master to teach us: Which guarantor is responsible for the repayment of a loan? Thus do our masters teach us: R. Simeo...
And the time drew near that Israel must die (Gen. 47:29). It is stated in Scripture in reference to this verse: For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers...
1:1). Scripture states (elsewhere in allusion to this verse): He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chastiseth him betimes (Prov. 13:24). Normally, if a ma...
And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: “I am the Lord; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob” (Exod. 6:2). May our masters teach us the punishment that is i...
And the Lord said unto Moses: “stretch out thy hand toward the heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt” (Exod. 10:21). Scripture ...
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go (Exod. 13:17). The word let go (shallah) indicates “to escort,” as in the verse Abraham went with them to bring them (leshal...
18:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy pl...
21:1). Scripture states (elsewhere in reference to this verse): The strength also of the king who loveth justice. Thou hast established equity and righteousness in Jacob (Ps. 99:4)...
That they take for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). May it please our masters to teach us: What did they do with the surplus offering? Thus did our masters teach us: They fashioned wit...
And thou shalt command the children of Israel (Exod. 27:20). May it please our masters to teach us: At what age must an infant be circumcised? So do our masters teach us: An infant...
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel (Exod. 30:12). May our masters teach us: How many times each year did the Israelites bring their offerings to the Temple? Thus di...
And Moses said unto the children of Israel: “See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri” (Exod. 35:30). May it please our masters to teach us: How far must a person g...
These are the accounts of the tabernacle (Exod. 38:21). It is written elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, thou place of our Sanct...
(Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses [and spoke unto him].” This text is related (to Ps. 103:20), “Bless the Lord, O His messengers, mighty in strength who fulfill His wo...
(Lev. 6:2:) “This is the law of the burnt offering.” This text is related (to Ps. 89:7), “For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord, is like the Lord among the children of the...
(Lev. 9:1) “And it came to pass on the eighth day….” This text is related to [the verse] (in Eccl. 8:5), “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” Who is this?...
(Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” This text is related (to Job 29:2), “O that I were as in the months of old, [as in the days when God watched over me]!”...
(Lev. 14:2:) “This shall be the law of the leper.” Let our master instruct us: How many people have no share in the world to come? Thus have our masters taught (in Sanh. 10:1-2): T...
(Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” This text is related (to Eccl. 9:2), “Since everything [happens] to everyone, the same lot [falls] to the righteous and to the w...
(Lev. 19:2:) “Speak unto the [whole congregation] of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy.’” This text is related (to Is. 5:16), “The Lord of hosts has bee...
(Lev. 21:1:) “Speak unto the priests.” This text is related (to Ps. 12:7), “The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings….” Everything [against] which the Holy One, blessed be He, warn...
(Lev. 25:14:) “When you sell property to your kinsman.” This text is related (to Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth, [and he does not know that loss will...
(Lev. 26:3:) “If [you walk] in My statutes (huqqim).” This text is related (to Job 14:5), “If his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have set limits (hu...
(Numb. 1:1) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.” This text is related (to Ps. 36:7), “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; Your judgments are like the ...
(Numb. 5:12), “If anyone has his wife go astray.” Let our master instruct us: When someone wanted to accuse his wife (of infidelity), how did he accuse her? Thus have our masters t...
(Numb. 16:1:) “Now Korah betook himself.” This text is related (to Prov. 18:19), “A brother offended (rt. psh') is more formidable than a fortified city; [such] contentions are lik...
(Numb. 19:2:) Blessed be the name of the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who created the world in wisdom and understanding; for His wonders have no limit and Hi...
