273 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Sifrei Bamidbar, shown in source order. Page 5 of 6.
It wasn't quite as simple as drawing lines on a map. There were… exceptions. Special cases. And those exceptions, as always, tell us a lot about the rules themselves. The verse in ...
It’s not as simple as drawing lines on a map! Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Numbers, sheds some light on this. We learn that when t...
Take the prophet Ovadiah, for instance. The book of Ovadiah opens with a prophecy against Edom, as we read in Ovadiah 1:1, "The vision of Ovadiah: Thus has said the L-rd G-d to Edo...
Sifrei Bamidbar turns to Kingdom of Tzelofchad. Here’s the thing: Sifrei Bamidbar points out that this encounter couldn’t have happened until the fortieth year after the Exodus, af...
The Torah tells us that Tzelofchad died without sons (Numbers 27:3). Now, in the ancient world, inheritance laws heavily favored male heirs. But Tzelofchad had five daughters: Mach...
It's about being heard, and even more amazingly, being validated by... well, by GOD. Our tale comes from Sifrei Bamidbar, a portion of the book of Numbers, specifically Bamidbar 27...
Our journey begins with a specific case: the daughters of Tzelafchad. In (Numbers 27:8), God tells Moses, "And to the children of Israel shall you speak, saying: A man, if he die, ...
It might seem dry, but there’s a fascinating peek into family structures and social values hidden in the details. to a passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal commentar...
The verse in question is Bamidbar 27:12: "And the L-rd said to Moses: Go up to this Mount Avarim." Now, Mount Avarim overlooked the promised land. But it wasn't just any land; it w...
" Va'ethchanan is a term loaded with entreaty, a heartfelt plea. Moshe isn't just asking; he's begging. The text then throws us a little curveball: "Let 'to say' not be written." W...
Sifrei Bamidbar turns to Covenant of Moses of Israelites. Why wasn't Moses allowed to enter? The verse reads, "because of you." Because of the Israelites' actions at the waters of ...
In Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal and ethical teachings from the Book of Numbers, we find a discussion about that very moment. (Deuteronomy 34:4) tells us, "And the L-rd sa...
Moses, the great lawgiver himself, knew that feeling. We find in Sifrei Bamidbar, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection on the Book of Numbers, a poignant momen...
Death is often remembered as something to be feared, something to be avoided at all costs. But what if I told you that Moses, the man who spoke to God face-to-face, actually desire...
The Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal and ethical teachings connected to the Book of Numbers, contrasts two figures: David and Moses. David, the sweet singer of Israel, pleads...
It’s a question the Torah touches upon in subtle, yet profound ways. We find a beautiful example in the book of Bamidbar, Numbers, chapter 27, verse 15. "And Moses spoke to the L-r...
In the book of Bamidbar – that's Numbers in English – we find a fascinating glimpse into this very mystery. The verse It tells us that this verse is teaching us something profound:...
Our tradition teaches us it's something far more profound, something deeply connected to the well-being of the people. We find a fascinating insight in Sifrei Bamidbar, a collectio...
The Torah, our guide to life, gives us a glimpse in the book of Bamidbar (Numbers) when Moses is tasked with selecting his successor. It’s more than just picking someone competent;...
It is often remembered as a simple transfer of power, but in Jewish tradition, it's so much more nuanced than that. It's about legacy, about diminishing brilliance, and about the u...
The Torah gives us a powerful example in the story of Moses and Joshua. We find ourselves in the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, specifically chapter 27. God has commanded Moses to appo...
It turns out, even the Holy One, Blessed be He, experiences something similar with us, the children of Israel. The book of Bamidbar, Numbers, opens with a fascinating exchange. In ...
It's really. Take, for instance, a seemingly straightforward verse about offerings in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar). and see what the Sifrei Bamidbar, an ancient rabbinic commenta...
Sifrei Bamidbar turns to The Daily Fire-Offerings and Their Hidden Meaning. That’s where the rabbis of the Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Num...
In the Torah, even a single word can hide a legal storm. Consider (Numbers 28:4), which describes the daily offering: "the one lamb, etc." Seems One lamb. But the Sifrei Bamidbar a...
Sifrei Bamidbar turns to Mount Sinai's Transgression. It’s an intriguing comparison, isn’t it? This verse seems to be drawing a parallel between the regular, daily tamid offering a...
It wasn't just about following rules; it was about timing, intention, and connecting with something far greater than ourselves. Our journey begins with a verse from Bamidbar (Numbe...
It all boils down to a delicate balance, a dance between the sacred and the serene. to a seemingly simple verse in Bamidbar, the Book of Numbers, to unpack this very idea. The vers...
Sifrei Bamidbar turns to The Sabbath Burnt-Offering Prepared on Friday Evening. The verse states, "the burnt-offering of the Sabbath on its Sabbath." Simple enough. But as always, ...
The Torah tells us, "And in the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt-offering to the L-rd" (Bamidbar 28:11). But what exactly is the purpose of this specific instruct...
Sifrei Bamidbar turns to Can You Make Up a Missed New Moon Sacrifice. What does that seemingly simple phrase really mean? The text asks a crucial question: What if you missed the d...
In Jewish law, this creates a state of ritual impurity, or tumah. It's a pretty unsettling thought, isn’t it? So, how do we atone for this accidental transgression? Well, Sifrei Ba...
In Bamidbar (Numbers) 28:18, we encounter the phrase, "On the first day it is a calling of holiness." What does that even mean? Well, the Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal int...
That's where today’s little gem from Sifrei Bamidbar (a legal commentary on the Book of Numbers) comes in. The verse But why is it even there? Why does the Torah need to explicitly...
It's not always as straightforward as it seems. Take Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, for example. The Torah tells us in Bamidbar (Numbers) 28:26, "And on the day of the first-fruit...
It's a delicate dance, isn't it? And the ancient texts, like Sifrei Bamidbar, offer us a glimpse into the intricacies of that dance. Specifically, The verse states, "And you shall ...
“Unblemished shall they be for you, and their libations.” This isn’t just about offering something; it's about offering the best. The text draws a parallel: just as an animal sacri...
The word atzeret (עצרת) appears in Bamidbar, or the Book of Numbers (29:35), in the context of Shmini Atzeret, the "eighth day" that follows the seven days of Sukkot, the Festival ...
Sometimes, digging into those nitty-gritty bits reveals surprising insights about how our ancestors thought about connecting with the Divine. The source turns to a passage from Sif...
It seems like a simple question, but in the world of Jewish law and tradition, even something as seemingly straightforward as who speaks to Moses first becomes a subject of deep co...
A fascinating little puzzle found in Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Numbers. The verse But what "thing" are we talking about? According to Si...
Specifically, Get ready, because it's about to get wonderfully nuanced. The verse begins, "A man, if he vow a vow…" Simple enough. But right away, the text asks: who exactly is "a ...
We've all been there. But what does Jewish law say about the power – and responsibility – of our words? This week, It wrestles with the intricacies of vows, oaths, and the weight t...
When a Father Can Nullify His Daughter's Sacred Vows is the question behind this passage from Sifrei Bamidbar. The Sifrei doesn't stop there. It asks: What if the father doesn't di...
In the book of Bamidbar, also known as Numbers, we find a fascinating discussion about vows, and particularly, the power a father and husband have to either uphold them or, to use ...
It can get pretty fascinating, trust me! The verse states, "And if she be to a man, and her vows be upon her..." Now, who exactly is "she"? Rabbi Yoshiyah says this refers to a wom...
It's not always golden, especially when it comes to a wife's vows in Jewish law. to a fascinating little corner of the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), specifically chapter 30, verse 8,...
The verse from Numbers (Bamidbar 30:9) sets the stage: "And if on the day that her husband hear, he constrain her and annul her vow." The Sifrei Bamidbar teases out the implication...
