470 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Shemot Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 7 of 10.
The Torah tells us in (Exodus 19:8), "Moses reported the statement of the people to the Lord." According to Shemot Rabbah, this moment prompted God to want to give the Torah to the...
Can you picture them all crying out at the same moment? Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, tells us that God hears them all concurrently...
Shemot Rabbah (a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus) offers a mind-bending perspective on this, using God as the ultimate example. It begins with the simp...
A collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, the answer might surprise you. It all goes back to Mount Sinai. Rabbi Yitzḥak makes a bold claim: Everything the prophets w...
The book of Deuteronomy (4:33) asks a pretty profound question: “Has a people heard the voice of God [Elohim] speaking [medaber] from the midst of the fire, as you heard, and lived...
The familiar picture has it as a solitary moment, maybe Moses standing on the mountain alone. But Jewish tradition paints a much grander, more awe-inspiring picture. Get ready for ...
He says that God declares "I am the Lord your God" precisely because He took us out of Egypt. It's the foundation. He freed us so that we would, in turn, accept His divinity upon o...
The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, offers some fascinating insights. Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ḥanina kicks things off with a quote from (Psalms ...
It’s a declaration, a relationship. And Shemot Rabbah, the great collection of homiletical teachings on the Book of Exodus, offers some profound insights into why this phrasing is ...
A collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, there's a whole world of meaning packed into that single verse. It wasn't just a pronouncement; it was an entrance. ...
In Shemot Rabbah, it's a promise. A promise of unwavering commitment, far beyond what any earthly ruler could offer. When a human king builds a palace, can he just uproot it and mo...
The familiar picture has a grand, almost theatrical event. But the ancient texts hint at something far more profound, and even a little terrifying. The Shemot Rabbah, a classic col...
The verse "These are the ordinances that you shall place before them" (Exodus 21:1) seems straightforward enough. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw much more. Shemot Ra...
Take a look at Exodus. Right after (Exodus 21:1). What gives? What’s the connection? It’s like starting a story about building a house and then immediately launching into a discuss...
In Jewish tradition, even a single letter can unlock hidden depths." It's a difference that, according to some rabbinic interpretations, can tell us what's being included and what'...
It all begins with the phrase, “these are [ve’eleh] the ordinances.” But it's not just about the laws themselves; it's about the dedication behind them. The Rabbis of the Midrash (...
Shemot Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, points this out explicitly. "Come and see," it urges, "how excellent this portion is!" What's so ex...
The verses in Exodus dealing with accidental harm to a pregnant woman. The text quotes (Exodus 21:22-23): “If men fight and they strike a pregnant woman and her children are miscar...
It all starts with a seemingly straightforward verse from (Exodus 21:37): “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five cattle for the ox and f...
It might seem obvious – they're in need of help! But the Rabbis, those masters of interpretation, saw something deeper at play. Consider the verse in Exodus (22:21): "You shall not...
It's a pretty radical concept, really. Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Midrash on the Book of Exodus, dives right into this. It starts with the verse "These are the ordinanc...
It all centers around the Hebrew word ve’eleh, meaning "these are." The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) opens with a question: What's so special about ve’eleh? The Rabbi...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Ten Commandments of David. Think of it like this: Imagine two people going to court. One's a lawyer, the other's just winging it. What makes the layman m...
Shemot Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus, gives us a glimpse into a fascinating answer. The passage begins with the verse, “These are the ordina...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exploration of this idea, starting with the verse "These are the ordinances....
Shemot Rabbah, a treasure trove of interpretations on the Book of Exodus, brings us a powerful insight through a teaching connected to the verse, "These are the ordinances" (Exodus...
"Endow the king with Your justice, God…May he judge Your people with righteousness" (Psalms 72:1–2). Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, a key figure in the compilation of the Mishnah (the earlie...
Shemot Rabbah turns to God's Justice Shows No Favoritism to Anyone. Rabbi Natan, in Shemot Rabbah, makes a pretty strong statement: justice is fitting for God precisely because He ...
Rabbi Shimon, in Shemot Rabbah, really zeroes in on this. He points out the verse in Exodus (21:18), "If men quarrel and one strikes the other." Rabbi Shimon emphasizes that "nothi...
Rabbi Meir shares a profound insight: "These are the ordinances,” says the verse, and the Holy One, blessed be He, entrusted justice to the elders of Israel. But why these elders? ...
It's justice. That’s why, as Shemot Rabbah tells us, God gave us laws after the Ten Commandments. If justice is perverted, everything crumbles. God, in his ultimate justice, brings...
It's about living a life that avoids pain and embraces blessing. Rabbi Yehoshua continues, "I cautioned you regarding all the mitzvot, which are your life, as it is stated: 'One wh...
Shemot Rabbah 30 begins by stating that "the punishment that is prepared for the wicked is plentiful," drawing on the fiery imagery of (Psalms 11:6), "He will rain burning coal upo...
Shemot Rabbah turns to God's Ordinances Give Life Unlike the Nations. " It asks, what distinguishes the legal systems of idolaters from those of Israel? Do we even know the differe...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, dives right into this question with a powerful idea. It begins with the verse, "These are the ordinances...
The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, dives deep into this question, particularly in section 30. It all starts with a verse from Isaiah...
More importantly, there's a way out. The verse in Exodus (22:24) says, "If you lend money to My people, to the poor who is with you, you shall not be as a creditor to him; you shal...
Rabbi Abahu offers a powerful insight into this very question, drawing from the book of Exodus. "Three pilgrimage festivals you shall hold a festival to Me during the year" (Exodus...
Our tradition teaches that wealth, valor, and wisdom are not inherently good or bad – it's how we use them that truly matters. Shemot Rabbah (31) explores this very question, drawi...
Jewish tradition teaches us that our actions, especially those involving money and compassion, carry immense weight. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of ra...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Solomon's Prayer. The text then contrasts the seeming unfairness of this world – "In this world, the wicked are wealthy and live in tranquility and serenity,...
The verse Sounds simple. But the Rabbis unpack this with a force that’ll make you rethink every loan agreement you’ve ever signed. This scenario: someone comes to you for a loan. Y...
The verse in question is from (Exodus 22:25): "If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral, you shall return it to him by the setting of the sun." Simple enough. But the rabb...
One minute someone is a hero, the next. well, not so much. It's human nature. But what about those in positions of authority, like judges? Do our shifting opinions of them have con...
In this week's exploration, we turn to Shemot Rabbah 31, a beautiful midrash (rabbinic interpretation) on a seemingly simple verse in Exodus, to unpack this very idea. The verse in...
That feeling, that fear, is something the Jewish people have grappled with throughout our history. And it's right there in Shemot Rabbah 31, a midrash on the book of Exodus. The pa...
Jewish tradition, as always, has some fascinating perspectives. The Book of Exodus, Shemot in Hebrew, is rich with laws and ethical guidelines. And within Shemot Rabbah, a classica...
In the book of Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a powerful idea linked to the verse, "you shall not be as a creditor to him" (...
