738 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Midrash Tanchuma, shown in source order. Page 7 of 16.
(Numb. 1:1:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses.” Fortunate are you, Moses! Six hundred thousand were present with the priests, the Levites, and the elders. They were all present ther...
(Numb. 5:13:) “In that a man has slept with her carnally.” [“A man” is to] exclude a minor, and one who is not a man. “[With her] carnally.” [This is the case] when her sleeping re...
(Numb. 16:7-8:) “You Levites have gone too far! So Moses said unto Korah, ‘Please listen, you Children of Levi.” Do you have someone speaking with Joseph, who tells Simon to listen...
R. Isaac began [his discourse] (with Eccl. 7:23), “All this I tested with wisdom; I thought I could fathom it, but it eludes me.” It is written (in I Kings 5:9), “So God gave Solom...
(Numb. 22:12:) “Then God said unto Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them.’” He said to Him, “If so, I will curse them from where I am.” He said to him, (ibid. cont.) “You shall not c...
"But with a lot, etc." (Numbers 26:55). This is [the meaning of] that which is stated (Proverbs 18:18), "The lot puts an end to strife." Since a sign was written for each and every...
(Numb. 32:1:) “Much livestock.” This text is related (to Ps. 75:7), “For it is not from the east or from the west [or from the wilderness that there comes an exaltation (harim)].” ...
(Numb. 34:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel and say unto them, “When you come into the land of Canaan.”’” Let our master instruct us: B...
God told Moses: "Do not speak to Me on this matter again" (Deuteronomy 3:26). The decree was final. But Moses argued anyway. Rabbi Abbahu offered a parable. A nobleman found a magn...
Another interpretation: "All of the commandment" (Deuteronomy 8:1). If you have began with a commandment, finish all of it. Why? Rabbi Yochanan said, "Anyone who began with a comma...
And you say, "I shall eat meat" (Deuteronomy 12:20): Midrash Tanchuma reads Moses' permission to eat meat in the land as a quiet lesson in restraint. Rabbi Eliezer beRabbi Yehoshua...
(Deut. 16:18:) “You shall appoint judges and law officers] for yourselves in all your gates,” in every single city; “for your tribes,” even when the whole city consists of a single...
Rabbi Tanchuma opened [his discourse] in the name of R. Judan [who] said in the name of R. Ayyevu (Ps. 32:9), “’Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding….’ Six thing...
The very concept of the Temple in Jerusalem, that sacred place, was envisioned at the dawn of creation itself. As Howard Schwartz recounts in Tree of Souls, God, in His infinite wi...
And the Lord said: Behold, man has become one of us (Gen. 3:22). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Behold, this only have I found, that God made man upright (Ec...
And God remembered Noah (Gen. 8:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: A righteous man regardeth the life of his beasts; but the tender mercies of the wicked are ...
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel (Gen. 14:1). R. Tanhuma the son of Abba opened the discussion with the verse The wicked began with the sword, and have bent their bow; t...
And the Lord said: “Shall I hide from Abraham?” (Gen. 18:17). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: It shall be for the filling of his belly; He shall cast the fie...
And Abraham took another wife (Gen. 25:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: But as for me, I will hope continually and will praise Thee, yet more and more (Ps....
And it came to pass that when Isaac was old (Gen. 27:1). May it please our master to teach us whether a blind man is permitted to stand before the ark to lead the congregation in p...
And God remembered Rachel (Gen. 30:22). Scripture states elsewhere: He executeth justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:7). This verse alludes to Israel. R. Phinehas the priest, the so...
And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see (Gen. 34:1). Was she not also Jacob’s daughter? Indeed, but Scripture associates her name with that of her mother. Leah’s daughter ...
His master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph (Gen. 38:7). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that indulge ...
42:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him; but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it (Prov....
And Joseph made ready his chariot (Gen. 46:29). R. Yudan said in the name of R. Aibu: Two men were accorded more homage than any other men in all the world; they were Jethro and Ja...
And Jacob called unto his sons (Gen. 49:1). May it please our master to teach us whether the one who leads the congregation in prayer may respond “Amen” after the priests. Thus did...
3:1). Scripture states elsewhere: Every word of God is tried; He is a shield unto them that take refuge in Him (Prov. 30:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, does not confer greatness ...
And the Lord said unto Moses: “See, I have set thee in God’s stead to Pharaoh” (Exod. 7:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Lift up your heads, O ye gates, an...
And it came to pass in the middle of the night, that the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (Exod. 12:29). The Creator of the night divided the night precisely. The ...
And I will get me honor upon Pharaoh (Exod. 14:4). This verse tells us that whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from the nations, His name is exalted in the wo...
And Jethro rejoiced (Exod. 18:9). Do not read this word as vayihad (“and he rejoiced”) but rather vayihed (“and he became a yehudi [a Jew]”). Why did Jethro say: Blessed be the Lor...
It has been taught: thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart (Lev. 19:17). You might say that this means you must not strike him or curse him. However, since Scripture says in ...
This is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, etc. (Exod. 25:3). The gold corresponds to the kingdom of Babylon, as it is written concerning her: Thou art the head of gol...
In the tent of meeting, without the veil (Exod. 27:21). In case you are inclined to assert that He required the light, the menorah was placed before the curtain near the ark, outsi...
This teaching from Midrash Tanchuma on the portion Ki Tisa draws a hidden meaning out of the command to count the people of Israel. The Torah instructs Moses, "When you take the su...
And Bezalel made the ark (Exod. 37:1). You do not find Bezalel’s name associated with any vessel made for the Sanctuary other than the ark. All the other work and all the other imp...
These are the accounts of the tabernacle (Exod. 38:21). Scripture states elsewhere: Thou hast also delivered Me from the contentions of My people (II Sam. 22:44), and it is written...
(Lev. 5:1:) “And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing […, if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity].” This text is related (to Eccl. 5:1), “Do not be rash w...
(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” You find that all of the [other] sacrifices that they would bring, they would bring for sins. In the case of th...
(Lev. 11:1-2) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses…, saying, ‘… these are the creatures that you may eat….’” Let our master instruct us: How many [types of] pure animals are there are i...
(Lev. 13:2) “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh.” Why does it not say, “Speak unto the Children of Israel,” just as it says in all the [other] sections [instead of, “When any...
(Lev. 15:25:) “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood [for many days].” Thus did R. Hiya teach: Any place where [Scripture] says, “days,” it is two days; and any place where...
(Numb. 3:4:) “And they had no children.” R. Jacob bar Abin said in the name of R. Aha, “If they had had children, they would have taken precedence over Eleazar and Ithamar, since w...
(Lev. 19:23:) “Now when you come into the land and plant any tree for food.” This text is related (to Zech. 8:11-12), “But now [I will not treat the remnant of this people] as in t...
R. Tanhuma opened [his discourse] (with Job 41:3), “Who has advanced Me anything that I shall repay him; everything under the heavens is Mine.” This refers to a bachelor who dwells...
(Numb. 1:1) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.” [Sinai] was called by six names: Mountain of God (as in Ps. 68:16), Mount Bashan (ibid.), Mountain of Peaks (ibid....
(Numb. 5:13, cont.) “And it is hidden from her husband's eyes,” [is to] exclude one who is blind. Another interpretation (of Numb. 5:13, cont.), “and it is hidden from her husband'...
(Numb. 16:15, cont.) “And he said unto the Lord, ‘Pay no attention unto their meal offering.’” Do not accept them in repentance. Scripture should have said, “Pay no attention unto ...
