Rabbinic Midrash

Midrash Tehillim

709 passagesc. 9th–13th century CEHebrew / AramaicCC-BY

Indexed passages from this source

Individual passages from Midrash Tehillim, shown in source order. Page 1 of 15.

The Order Of The Torah

Midrash Tehillim

The idea, as explored in Tree of Souls, is that the order of the Torah scrolls we hold in our hands might not be the "correct" one. What does that even mean? Well, imagine if the s...

AngelsHell/GehennaTorahMoses

Blessed Is the Man Who Delights in Torah

Midrash Tehillim 1:1

We all do. But what if the key to a blessed life was simpler than we think? (Psalm 1:1-2) opens with a powerful image: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the w...

King DavidTorahTemplePrayer

Samuel — Kingdom of David

Midrash Tehillim 1:2

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into that question. And it might surprise you. One interpretation points directly to Ki...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsJoseph

The Righteous Are Like Trees Planted by Streams of Water

Midrash Tehillim 1:3

It all starts with the words, "Happy is the man" (Psalm 1:1). But what makes a person truly happy? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) offers several beautiful interpret...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodPatriarchs

Adam and the Patriarchs

Midrash Tehillim 1:4

Midrash Tehillim turns to Adam and the Patriarchs. Our journey begins with Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Psalms. It opens with a fascinating tho...

Adam & EvePatriarchsMosesKing David

The Downward Spiral From Walking to Sitting to Scoffing

Midrash Tehillim 1:5

Midrash Tehillim turns to The Downward Spiral From Walking to Sitting to Scoffing. The very first verse of Psalms – "Who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked" – gets unpacked ...

MosesKing DavidSolomonTorah

How Adam's Sin Shaped David's Destiny

Midrash Tehillim 1:6

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, certainly thinks so. It offers a beautiful and layered reading of (Psalm 1:1), “Fortunate is the m...

CreationAdam & EveKing David

Blessing of Levi

Midrash Tehillim 1:8

The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating glimpse into this very question. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord," s...

HeavenAdam & EveNoah & FloodMoses

Planted Like a Tree That No Wind Can Move

Midrash Tehillim 1:9

Think of it like this: Imagine a tree, deeply rooted in the earth. As Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, puts it, "Planted only means plant...

SolomonTorahMessiahJudgment

Psalm 1 and the Generations of Wickedness

Midrash Tehillim 1:10

The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this very verse. It's not just about avoiding bad company, though that's certa...

CreationNoah & FloodTorahMessiah

Abraham Walks the Path of the Blessed

Midrash Tehillim 1:11

The opening of Psalm 1, "Blessed is the man," but according to Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, it's packed with layers of meaning....

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaAdam & Eve

Levi — The Golden Calf

Midrash Tehillim 1:12

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating perspective. It points to the tribe of Levi, specifically those who resisted ...

AngelsPatriarchsMosesTorah

Trial of Korah of Moses

Midrash Tehillim 1:13

Our story comes from Midrash Tehillim, a fascinating collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms. Here, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tells us about a part...

MosesElijahHoly Land

Rabbi Yochanan and the Lawgiver

Midrash Tehillim 1:14

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, opens by exploring this very idea. It begins with the verse, "For they delight in the Torah of the...

MosesKing DavidTorahWisdom

Moses and David Show How to Study Torah Daily

Midrash Tehillim 1:15

It's an age-old question: how can we possibly dedicate ourselves fully to learning when life keeps pulling us in a million different directions? Well, Midrash Tehillim offers some ...

MosesKing DavidTorahPrayer

Why the Rabbis Compare Torah to Living Water

Midrash Tehillim 1:16

It draws a powerful parallel between water and Torah, showing how both are essential for life, growth, and well-being. The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) begins by refe...

HeavenPatriarchsMosesSolomon

The Tree Planted by Streams of Torah

Midrash Tehillim 1:17

The mystics certainly did. And what was their water, their sunlight, their very soil? The Torah. Midrash Tehillim, a beautiful collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, ...

HeavenAdam & EveKing DavidSolomon

Bezalel in Joseph's Time

Midrash Tehillim 1:18

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, opens up a fascinating window into this very question. It uses a beautiful image – the "rose of Sh...

JosephMosesKing DavidSolomon

Why the Righteous Flourish While the Wicked Perish

Midrash Tehillim 1:19

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, wrestles with this very idea, pulling in verses from all over the Hebrew Bible to paint a vivid pi...

CreationNoah & FloodMosesKing David

God Knows the Way of the Righteous but Not the Wicked

Midrash Tehillim 1:20

The verse that kicks off this particular exploration comes from (Psalm 1:6): "For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." But what does tha...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaAdam & Eve

Their — Pharaoh in the Days of Moses

Midrash Tehillim 2:1

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Psalms, offers a pretty powerful image to explain it. " The answer, it suggests, lies in the words of Isaiah (57:...

MosesDanielTorahProphecy

Isaiah — Nimrod at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Tehillim 2:2

The ancient sages did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, they confront this very question, particularly in relation to the se...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsJoseph

When Nations Rise Against God's Anointed Messiah

Midrash Tehillim 2:3

Psalm 2 definitely gets that feeling. “Kings of the earth will stand up, and rulers will band together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds...

MessiahProphecyEnd Times

Why Pharaoh and Esau Failed to Defeat God's Plan

Midrash Tehillim 2:4

In fact, it's a theme that echoes through Jewish tradition, especially when we The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletical teachings on the Book of Psalms, paints a vivid pic...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsJoseph

Noah and the Patriarchs of Laws

Midrash Tehillim 2:5

There's a powerful, almost unsettling image in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Book of Psalms. It speaks of someone being stripped bare, of havin...

PatriarchsHolidaysNoah & FloodWisdom

Voices of the Psalmist

Midrash Tehillim 2:6

The familiar picture has the Divine as serious, judging, maybe even a little stern. But laughter? That throws a whole new light on things. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbini...

JudgmentHumorPsalmsMusic & Song

Zion in the Days of Moses

Midrash Tehillim 2:8

Like one minute it's love and compassion, and the next. well, fire and brimstone? That tension, that push-and-pull between divine mercy and divine judgment, is something Jewish tra...

MosesDanielTempleMessiah

Moses and David Foretell the Messianic Age

Midrash Tehillim 2:9

It's like a vast, intricate conversation spanning centuries. Midrash, the art of interpreting and elaborating on scripture, helps us hear those connections. And Midrash Tehillim, s...

MosesKing DavidTorahMessiah

He's Song

Midrash Tehillim 2:10

Some verses in the Psalms sound simple until you stack them against each other. The Midrash grapples with one such verse: "Ask of me and I will give you the nations." Seems straigh...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonTorah

The Shofar Blower Who Heralded Redemption

Midrash Tehillim 2:11

Sometimes, it takes a seemingly simple story to peel back the layers of ancient wisdom. Our tale begins with a shofar blower from the tribe of Barzel. Now, the shofar, a ram's horn...

MessiahSinaiAdam & EveFire

How Song of Songs Reveals Torah's Hidden Meaning

Midrash Tehillim 2:12

Our exploration begins with a verse from the Song of Songs (7:3): "Your navel is like a round goblet... Your belly is a heap of wheat." The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentar...

JosephMosesKing DavidSolomon

Kiss the Son - Who Is the Mysterious Figure in Psalm 2

Midrash Tehillim 2:14

Psalm 2, verse 12, gives us pause: "Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." It's a pot...

King DavidTorahPrayerHoly Land

Absalom's Journey

Midrash Tehillim 3:1

Midrash Tehillim turns to Absalom's Journey. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) starts with a quote from Proverbs (21:15): "It is joy to the righteous to do justice." S...

King DavidSolomonTorahTemple

Judah's Legacy

Midrash Tehillim 3:2

It all starts with the verse, "A Psalm of David." But it quickly spirals into something far grander. The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) dives deep, exploring the very s...

PatriarchsKing DavidJobTorah

David — Absalom's Transgression

Midrash Tehillim 3:3

King David knew that feeling well. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into the context and meaning behind David's songs. A...

PatriarchsJosephMosesKing David

Shobach and the Angels

Midrash Tehillim 3:4

King David certainly knew that feeling. In the Midrash Tehillim, a beautiful collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, we find a powerful meditation on the verse, "Many ...

AngelsCreaturesKing DavidTorah

Doeg Beyond the Firmament

Midrash Tehillim 3:5

One interpretation, attributed to Rabbi Shmuel, focuses on figures like Doeg and Ahithophel, known for their Torah knowledge but also their wicked deeds. The midrash (rabbinic inte...

HeavenMosesTorahTemple

David Cries Out to God After Absalom's Betrayal

Midrash Tehillim 3:7

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, grapples with that very feeling. Specifically, it dives into Psalm 3. And right off the bat, we get a...

King DavidTempleProphecySoul

Moses in David's Court

Midrash Tehillim 3:9

Even Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt, felt that way. He looked at the nations surrounding them, nations far more numerous, and thought, "These nations are more numerous ...

MosesKing DavidPrayerMiracles

David Pours His Heart Into Sacred Prayer

Midrash Tehillim 4:1

King David knew that feeling. He poured his heart into the Psalms, and within those verses, the ancient rabbis found layers upon layers of meaning – not just for David, but for all...

King DavidTemplePrayerHoly Land

David's Struggle After the Bathsheba Affair

Midrash Tehillim 4:2

The familiar picture has him as this divinely favored ruler, harp in hand, composing the Psalms. But even kings, especially those after God’s own heart, have their burdens. Midrash...

CreationKing DavidSolomonTemple

How Near Is God When We Call Upon Him

Midrash Tehillim 4:3

Midrash, the art of interpreting scripture by filling in the gaps, expanding on hints, and drawing out deeper meanings, wrestles with this very idea. Midrash Tehillim, a collection...

CreationHeavenAngelsPatriarchs

Elisha in the Days of Moses

Midrash Tehillim 4:4

This particular passage, Midrash Tehillim 4, starts by talking about the dedication of a psalm: "To the conductor with musical instruments." But it's not just about the music itsel...

MosesKing DavidPrayerMusic & Song

David Asks God to Push Him Toward Righteousness

Midrash Tehillim 4:6

Like you're saying, "Hey, I need a little help here... maybe even a big push?" Well, you're not alone. to a fascinating little corner of Jewish thought from Midrash Tehillim, a col...

CreationPatriarchsKing DavidHoly Land

Jesse in Battle

Midrash Tehillim 4:8

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, gives us a glimpse into his struggle. How long will you shame me and call me the son of Jesse?" Da...

King DavidKingsWarAdam & Eve

God Hears the Righteous Even When No One Else Does

Midrash Tehillim 4:10

(Psalm 4:3), the verse that anchors our exploration today, declares: "And know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him." It's a simple ...

CreationKing DavidProphecyRepentance

Be Angry but Do Not Sin on the Temple Mount

Midrash Tehillim 4:11

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives right into this with the verse, "Be angry, but do not sin" (Psalm 4:5). It’s a provocative idea, isn’...

TempleMessiahPrayerRepentance

Job and David Debate the Meaning of Sacrifice

Midrash Tehillim 4:13

(Psalm 4:6), "Offer sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord," became a launching pad for some profound insights. Rabbi Chiya, whose wisdom is preserved in Midrash Tehill...

King DavidJobMessiahProphecy