470 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Shemot Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 10 of 10.
These three actions originated from Moses' own reasoning, and, remarkably, his reasoning turned out to be in sync with God's own. The first instance involves Moses separating from ...
Shemot Rabbah (a classical collection of Rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus) explores this very human dynamic, and it hits surprisingly close to home. Then it veers int...
The prophet Isaiah cries out, "But now, Lord, You are our Father" (Isaiah 64:7). But God, it seems, isn't so quick to embrace this sudden familial affection. He essentially asks, "...
The answer, according to the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), is a fascinating blend of divine foresight and, well, a little bit of divine concern! Our story begins, as ...
The familiar story centers on the first set, shattered in anger at the sight of the Golden Calf. But what about the second? Was it just a simple do-over? Shemot Rabbah, the compila...
The verse in question is (Exodus 34:27), "Write for yourself these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." But what does "these ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw the world – our world, and all the worlds beyond – as hanging in the balance, dependent on something surprisingly simple: our commitment ...
The Torah tells us, "He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, ...
The Torah tells us that when Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony – the luchot ha-brit (לוחות הברית) – he didn't realize his face was radiating li...
What did he eat? Did he even sleep? to what Shemot Rabbah, a classical collection of Rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, tells us. The verse from (Exodus 34:27), "The Lord sai...
How did he know when a day had passed, when night had fallen, without the usual cues? The answer, as we find in Shemot Rabbah (a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exod...
It reveals a surprising strategy employed by the righteous when approaching the Divine. " Now, don't misunderstand that word – it doesn't mean deception. Instead, it signifies a st...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses and the King of Betzalel. The text then quotes (Ecclesiastes 7:1): “A good name is better than fragrant oil, [and the day of death than the day of one’...
What's in a name? More than it first appears. Our tradition teaches that a good name is more valuable than even the finest oils. But why? The Rabbis ask, what made Betzalel’s name ...
Take Betzalel, for example, the master craftsman of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. We read in (Exodus 31:2), "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur…” But ...
The Torah portion of Terumah introduces us to Betzalel, the artisan chosen to construct the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. But where did he get all that skill? Shemot Rabbah, a classical...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Betzalel and the Lawgiver of Behold. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, offers a fascinating perspective on this que...
It involves the story of Betzalel, the artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The verse says, "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel" (Exodus 35:30). But Shemot R...
Our story begins with a seemingly simple verse from (Exodus 36:8): "All the wise hearted among those who performed the labor crafted the Tabernacle: ten tapestries of spun linen an...
Good intentions, maybe, but with a track record that's... well, let's just say "mixed"? That's the feeling at the heart of a beautiful passage in Shemot Rabbah 49, a collection of ...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Ark of Acacia Wood and the Light It Contains. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) is suggesting that just as God’s “opening words” brought lig...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. We find this idea beautifully illustrated in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It uses a verse...
Jewish tradition teaches us that healing often comes from the very source of our pain. The Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, explores ...
It wasn't just a tent; it was a portable sanctuary, a reflection of the Divine Presence, and the artisans poured their hearts and souls into every thread. Shemot Rabbah, a collecti...
The Torah tells us, "Betzalel crafted..." regarding every single item in the Tabernacle. But, wait a minute! Did he really do it all himself? That's the question posed in Shemot Ra...
Who do we trust? Why do we trust them? And what happens when that trust is broken? In Jewish tradition, the concept of trust, of being a ne'eman, a trustworthy person, is incredibl...
The Book of 2 Kings (12:16) tells us, “They did not require a reckoning from the men [by whose hand] they gave the silver [to give to the workmen, as they acted with trustworthines...
It’s not always just for emphasis. Sometimes, there’s a deeper, almost heartbreaking reason. Take the word mishkan, "Tabernacle," in the Book of Exodus. We find it stated twice in ...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating discussion about just that. The passage grapples with the meaning of "the Testi...
One fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, illuminates this through a rather striking image. " Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It centers on a seemingly simple verse: “The Tabernacle of the Testimony, as the...
In Shemot Rabbah, it’s deeply connected to the very essence of Jewish survival and destiny. The name itself hints at its purpose. The "Testimony" isn't just a set of rules – it's t...
Shemot Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a fascinating glimpse. Specifically, Shemot Rabbah 51 dives into the idea that the Israelite...
That feeling… it's actually deeply rooted in a story from the Torah, a story about the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. It opens with a seemingly simple verse: "They brought the Tabernacle...
That feeling, that struggle, is something deeply human, and surprisingly, it echoes in the story of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
Seeing the reward that awaits the righteous. What would you do? Rejoice? Question your worthiness? Our sages grappled with this very question, and their insights are captured in Sh...
Boards, bars, meticulously woven fabrics… everything perfect in its own right. But when it came to assembling it all? Nothing. They were stumped. Shemot Rabbah 52 vividly paints th...
Shemot Rabbah sees the Tabernacle not only as a sanctuary, but as a mirror of creation itself. The passage starts with a seemingly simple statement: "They brought the Tabernacle." ...
