261 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 2 of 6.
It's like a beautiful tapestry, where each thread, each color, contributes to the overall picture. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on Song of Songs, explores this very idea, u...
In Shir HaShirim Rabbah – that’s the collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs – we find a beautiful exploration of just that. It's all about unpacking the verse ...
A passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a commentary on the Song of Songs, that grapples with just that. It all starts with a verse: "By the fragrance of your good oils, your name is ...
It pops up in unexpected places, carrying layers of meaning far beyond just a tasty fruit. Take the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs. It uses the ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to Levites — Levi in the Days of Moses. (Song of Songs 3:3). Who are these watchmen? And who is this beloved that the soul so desperately seeks? Shir HaS...
Take this one, from (Song of Songs 4:3): “Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your speech is lovely; your temple is like a pomegranate slice behind your braid.” What does it e...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this feeling, turning to the beautiful, enigmatic verses of the Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim) for answers. to one such interpretation from Shir HaS...
Ever read the Song of Songs and thought, "Wow, that's... descriptive?" It’s poetry, of course, but sometimes those ancient metaphors leave you scratching your head. Take (Song of S...
We see it used for anointing, for lighting, for cooking. but what's the deeper symbolism? to a fascinating exploration from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpret...
The apple tree in Shir HaShirim Rabbah is not decoration. It is Sinai in bloom. Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ze'eira notices the order of the tree: blossom first, leaves after. Israel, he s...
Jewish tradition often uses metaphors to explore those pivotal moments, and – to explain the power of Torah. We find this beautiful, and somewhat surprising, image in Shir HaShirim...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of Songs, dives deep into the verse where God tells Abraham, “Go you from your land, fro...
What was God's response? According to Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, it was like a king with priceless gems being asked for a treasure by his son. The king doesn't...
I know, it sounds random. But stick with me. In Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs, that very grain becomes a powerful symbol for t...
The earth shook, the trumpets blared, GOD spoke... but was that it? Rabbi Elazar has a fascinating take on this, and it all hinges on a seemingly simple verse from Leviticus: "The ...
The experience was so intense that if other nations had understood the benefit of the Ohel Mo'ed, the Tent of Meeting, they would have protected it fiercely. Why? Because before th...
It wasn't just handed to us on a silver platter, so to speak. According to the ancient rabbis, receiving the Torah at Sinai was contingent on something quite surprising: finding su...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to He Brought Me to the Wine House and His Banner Is Love. The first reading, this sounds pretty romantic. But the Rabbis, as they often do, find layers ...
The mystics of old certainly did. They saw this feeling echoed in the Song of Songs, that passionate and enigmatic book we call Shir HaShirim in Hebrew. Specifically, in the verse:...
It's filled with poetic imagery, and One thousand bucklers are hung upon it, all the shields of the mighty." What does it all mean? Well, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classic Midrashic ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to Joseph and His Brothers of Jerusalem. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon, for example, connects the phrase "fair, my love, like Tirtza" to offerings. Yes, offerin...
That feeling, that intense desire, is at the heart of today's story. We find ourselves in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, an ancient commentary on the Song of Songs, that most beautiful and ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to Daniel's Transgression. Remember? Mene, mene, tekel, ufarsin (Daniel 5:25). The king's terrified, no one can read the writing… except for Daniel. Shir...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to Israel Won Against Midian Through Moses and Pinchas. The text even seems to play with the wording of (Numbers 31:6) – "Moses sent them, a thousand of ...
" But it's not just about physical beauty. The Rabbis interpret "Tirtza" as connected to the Hebrew word rotza, meaning "when you wish." It suggests that true beauty lies in the wh...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling, this sense that some groups seem to get away with things that others don't. And they found surprising answers in the stories of ...
Sometimes, the answer lies not in the present, but in the deep echoes of the past, in the merit of our ancestors. to a fascinating exploration of this idea, as seen through the len...
They found ways to see even those challenging forces as a path towards the Divine. to a fascinating interpretation of a verse from Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs, explored in Shi...
Jewish tradition sees it as an allegory, a story of the love between God and Israel. And within its verses, we find echoes of the Temple, its destruction, and the hope for redempti...
Four sages once walked into a garden that wasn't really a garden at all. No, not the fruit orchard, but the Orchard, a mystical, metaphorical space where one could contemplate the ...
Song of Songs is already pretty heady stuff – love, longing, metaphor piled upon metaphor. But the Rabbah, the commentary, takes it to a whole new level, interpreting the poem as a...
Rabbi Yanai had a similar thought. He pointed out that the Torah truly needed to begin only with the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), marking the start of the Jew...
What's that about?" It's beautiful poetry, sure, but sometimes the imagery feels… obscure. Well, the ancient rabbis had a field day unpacking those metaphors. And when we dive into...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They explored every facet of joy, dissecting its many shades and flavors. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, they g...
Take this one from the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim: "Your hair is like a flock of goats" (Song of Songs 4:1). Goats? Hair? What’s that all about? Well, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns one phrase from Song of Songs into a story about marriage, grief, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai's wisdom. The verse But what does that really mean? The Rabb...
That feeling is something our ancestors grappled with intensely after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the ancient commentary on Song of Son...
That feeling is something the ancient rabbis grappled with too, especially when reading scripture. Take (Psalm 118:24): "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and re...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classical Rabbinic commentary on Song of Songs, offers a fascinating perspective. It suggests that we can "recount your love through wine [miyayin]." But ...
“How upright [yashiryan] are the ones You love?” (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4). The answer? The patriarchs! They are the epitome of uprightness, of unwavering devotion. Rabbi Aivu goes ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, captures this beautifully in its interpretation of the verse: "I am black but lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, li...
It's a book filled with passionate love poetry, and this verse, 2:5, is especially intriguing: "Support me with raisin cakes, cushion me with apples, for I am lovesick." Simple eno...
Ever read the Song of Songs and thought, "Wait, is this... about breasts?" Well, you’re not wrong! But in the world of Jewish interpretation, things are rarely just what they seem....
A passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, that explores just that feeling. Specifically, What does it all mean? The Rabbis...
It’s a powerful human experience, and surprisingly, it's one that Jewish tradition ascribes to God. We find this idea explored in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic int...
It’s like a tiny seed containing an entire orchard. Take, for instance, the verse from (Song of Songs 7:5): "Your neck is like an ivory tower; your eyes are pools in Ḥeshbon, by th...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah reads "Who is that ascending from the wilderness?" as a map of Israel's rise, collapse, and return. The text immediately grounds us in the stark reality of the...
Our tradition understands that duality intimately. Take the verse from the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim, "I am black, but lovely." It seems paradoxical. But Shir HaShirim Rabbah, t...
