470 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Shemot Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 5 of 10.
Take the Exodus, for example. That final, earth-shattering plague, the death of the firstborn, struck at midnight. But why? Why not high noon? What’s so special about that inky bla...
Shemot Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection, explores the details of the Exodus narrative, painting a vivid picture of that pivotal moment. One...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Six Hundred Thousand Israelites March Out of Egypt. What about the bigger picture? How long were they really in Egypt? (Exodus 12:41) says, "It was at the en...
The Torah itself calls it a "night of vigil" – leil shimurim (Exodus 12:42). But what exactly does that mean? What is God watching over? In Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of M...
It turns out this very human experience is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. We find this idea beautifully explored in Shemot Rabbah, specifically in its interpretation of the ver...
The ancient rabbis grappled with that too. They understood the struggle to dedicate ourselves completely, especially when it comes to something as profound as connecting with the D...
Our tradition suggests he did, and in a fascinating way: it reveals moments where Moses' own reasoning aligned perfectly with the divine will. The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of ra...
It's a feeling that Judaism, in its wisdom, addresses head-on. We find a fascinating exploration of this theme in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Boo...
The story starts with a seemingly simple commandment: "This is the statute of the paschal offering." Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta paints a vivid picture: God, blessed be He, instructs ...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Why No Foreigner May Eat of the Passover Offering. The Midrash then dives into a comparison between the Exodus from Egypt and the future redemption. During t...
It goes way beyond just family lineage. In fact, according to Shemot Rabbah, it points to something truly messianic. The verse in (Exodus 13:2) commands us to "Consecrate to Me eve...
It goes all the way back to the Exodus, to the very night God spared the Israelite firstborn while striking down the Egyptians. But there’s more to it than just remembering a histo...
Get out as fast as possible! But (Exodus 13:17) tells us, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them via the land of the Philistines, although it was near, as Go...
The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) thought Pharaoh knew exactly how that felt when he finally let the Israelites leave Egypt. Shemot Rabbah, a compilation...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Did Pharaoh Simply Cave or Was There More. Our sages explore this question in Shemot Rabbah, a rich collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary...
The verse Here's the twist. God says, "I wrote in the Torah: ‘You shall let the mother go, and take the young for yourself’ (Deuteronomy 22:7)." This refers to the mitzvah, the com...
The verse says, "it was when Pharaoh let the people go," (Exodus 13:17) which leads us to (Song of Songs 4:13): "Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates." Rabbi Levi uses a pa...
The ancient rabbis certainly knew the feeling, and they used vivid imagery to describe the Israelites' escape from Egypt. It wasn't just a political liberation; it was a soul's lib...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Did Pharaoh Himself Weep When Israel Left. That's the surprising question raised in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ex...
That bittersweet feeling is ancient, deeply human, and, Moses. MOSES! The guy who stood up to Pharaoh, who parted the Red Sea… he didn't get to walk into the Promised Land with the...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) felt that way about Pharaoh letting the Israelites go. It wasn't just a political decision; it was a colossal blunder, a...
Our story begins with the verse, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go." (Exodus). But it's not just a simple statement. It's an invitation to reflect on the sheer audacity of God...
The book of Exodus tells us, “God did not lead them via the land [derekh eretz]” (Exodus 13:17). But what exactly does that mean? Well, Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbi...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling when they looked at the Exodus story. The Torah tells us that God "did not lead them" – lo naham – after Pharaoh finally let the ...
Eleven! As it says, "From Egypt to the Land of Israel there are eleven journeys, which can be conducted in eleven days." (Shemot Rabbah 20). So, why did it end up taking them forty...
The Torah tells us, "God did not lead them [naḥam]..." (Exodus 13:17). The word naḥam here is key, often translated as "by way of" or "directly." So, what's the story behind this d...
It wasn't just about finding the best route to the Promised Land. It was about timing. The Book of Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, of...
The Torah tells us, "God did not lead them [naḥam]" that way. (Exodus 13:17). So, what gives? There's more to this story than meets the eye. The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic int...
You'd think after all that, they'd want to get there as quickly as possible. But the Torah tells us something curious: "God led the people around, via the wilderness by the Red Sea...
Jewish tradition teaches us that this feeling might be more than just a lucky coincidence. It might be the very presence of the Divine. Shemot Rabbah, a classic compilation of rabb...
The familiar version gives us about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea.. but there's a smaller, more personal story woven into the grand narrative of the Exodus. It's a story ...
The Israelites are trapped. The sea is before them, Pharaoh's army is closing in from behind. Panic is in the air. They cry out to God, as we read in (Exodus 14:10): "The children ...
In that moment of desperation, Moses, their leader, turned to God. But what happened next is more surprising than it first appears. The Book of Exodus, or Shemot in Hebrew, is fill...
It suggests that God isn't just listening, but already knows what's in our hearts, even before we utter a word. The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the B...
We pour our hearts out, sometimes in joy, sometimes in desperation. But is anyone actually listening? The Book of Exodus Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Boo...
Jewish tradition recognizes that very tension within us, and even within the relationship between God and Israel. Shemot Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commenta...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Waters Of The Red Sea Refuse To Part. In some fascinating midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) traditions, they did. Imagine Moses, staff raised ...
It sounds like something out of a movie, but the Rabbis grappled with this moment, and what it truly meant. The book of Exodus (14:16) tells us, "And you, raise your staff, and ext...
In Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus, they offer a powerful, if somewhat unsettling, answer. The verse in question is God's instruction to M...
The Israelites are trapped. The Red Sea crashes before them, the Egyptian army thunders behind. Panic. Desperation. But at that very instant, something else is happening. According...
The Israelites certainly did at the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army was bearing down on them, and the sea was, well, a sea. So what were they supposed to do? Pray? Act? Just give up? The B...
The scene unfolds like this: the Israelites are trapped between the pursuing Egyptian army and the seemingly insurmountable Red Sea. Moses, holding his staff, is their leader, thei...
The verse in (Exodus 14:22) tells us, "The children of Israel came into the midst of the sea upon dry ground; and the waters were a wall for them to their right, and to their left....
There's a fascinating, and perhaps unsettling, perspective offered in Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, that uses a surprising analogy...
The verse in question is God's command to Moses: "Extend your hand over the sea, and the waters will return upon Egypt, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen" (Exodus 14:26)...
Pharaoh's army bearing down, water as far as the eye could see. What do you do? The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, paints a vivid pi...
It all comes down to what those moments taught us about ourselves and about our relationship with God. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpr...
Pay close attention to that little word, "Then" – in Hebrew, az. "Az Moses sang.." That tiny word holds a universe of meaning, according to Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic ...
