1,099 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Sifrei Devarim, shown in source order. Page 2 of 23.
What did they face? According to Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary) on the book of Deuteronomy, it was…intense. "And we journeyed fr...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Moses and the Promised Land of Emori. The verse But to really understand it, the text uses an analogy – a mashal. A king who’s entrusting his son to a teach...
Doubt whispers in your ear, "Wait, the moment isn't ripe. It's not time." Then comes this powerful declaration: "See, the L-rd your G-d has set the land before you." (Sifrei Devari...
The Israelites felt that way too, right before they were about to enter the Promised Land. But did they trust the One who'd brought them that far? In the book of Sifrei Devarim, a ...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Knowing Which City to Conquer First in the Land. It’s the next verse, (Deuteronomy 1:23), that really gets interesting. It says, "And the thing was good in ...
Sometimes, it's about picking the absolute best people for the job. In the book of Sifrei Devarim, we find a fascinating little detail about the selection of the twelve spies sent ...
That brings us to a fascinating little detail in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the book of Deuteronomy. It's all about names and origins, ...
Why all this talk of "going up"? It's not just poetic license. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, points to a fasc...
Our story comes from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. It zeroes in on a specific verse, (Deuteronomy 1:27): "And you murmured in yo...
Instead of rejoicing, a wave of despair washed over them. "And you murmured in your tents..." That simple phrase from Sifrei Devarim (Deuteronomy) opens a window into a moment of p...
Take the Israelites wandering in the desert, for example. They’d been through so much – slavery in Egypt, the Exodus, the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Yet, here they were, facing ...
You're not alone. Turns out, this is a tale as old as time, or at least as old as the Israelites wandering in the desert. We find ourselves in the Book of Devarim, Deuteronomy (1:2...
Where do we draw the line? When is it just a colorful way of speaking, and when is it a promise we can truly count on? In Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on t...
The ancient Israelites felt that way too, and their story, preserved in the Sifrei Devarim, offers a powerful lesson. Let's rewind. The Israelites are poised to enter the Promised ...
The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary) on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a powerful reminder of this. When it says, "as all that He...
It turns out, quite a bit. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a peek into the anxieties of Moses himself....
Our tradition understands this deeply. It recognizes that certain events, especially those marked by sorrow or loss, leave an indelible mark, not just on individuals, but on the ve...
Sifrei Devarim turns to David Begged God to Erase His Sin with Bathsheba. The tale begins with David pleading with the Holy One, Blessed be He. His request is simple, yet profound:...
We all do sometimes. But have you ever considered that even the greatest among us felt that way? Let’s Our story comes from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of halakhic midrashim (rabb...
Our tradition teaches us that prayer, or tefillah, has a tradition of expressions, each a unique pathway to connecting with the Divine. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal mi...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Moses Pleads Desperately to Enter the Promised Land. Why that time? What made it so significant? Sifrei Devarim offers an analogy: Imagine a province asking...
Take a look at (Deuteronomy 3:24): "O L-rd (Yod-keh-vav-keh), G-d (Elokim)." Even in just these few words, there's a depth of meaning. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of halakhic ...
There's a beautiful little piece in Sifrei Devarim (a collection of legal Midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary), meaning interpretations of the Torah), that gives us a glimp...
This idea of "servant" comes up in Sifrei Devarim, that's the book of Deuteronomy, and it got me thinking. The verse Now, the Sifrei Devarim takes this simple phrase and unpacks it...
In the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), specifically chapter 3, verse 24, we find Moses pleading with God. He says, "Your greatness (gadlecha).." But what exactly does that gadlecha ...
Pondering the phrase "who can do as Your deeds" (Deuteronomy 3:24). Sifrei Devarim finds echoes of God's power in two pivotal moments of our history: the Exodus from Egypt and the ...
Our guide for this exploration is the Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. Within its verses, we find a fascinating pers...
The familiar story is this: Moses, after leading the Israelites for forty long years, is denied entry into the Promised Land. But have you ever stopped to consider the intensity of...
Our tradition has something to say about that, specifically through the lens of Moses, no less. The passage from Sifrei Devarim 29 opens with a rather poignant admission. Moses say...
It offers a variant reading of a phrase, switching out "rav lach" (enough for you) with "harbeh lach" (there is much owing you). The text then suggests this is like telling a neigh...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Jordan — Covenant of Moses. The verse in Devarim, Deuteronomy, says, "for you shall not cross this Jordan." It seems harsh, doesn’t it? After leading the Is...
This teaching dives into the verse, "And charge (tzav) Joshua." Now, this isn't just a simple instruction, but a "charging" (tzivui), which the text interprets as prompting to zeal...
Sometimes, the answers are staring you right in the face, buried in the very place you're trying to escape. In the book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, we find a poignant moment of reflec...
He's addressing the Israelites, reminding them of their journey, their struggles, and most importantly, their relationship with God. And he makes a rather pointed comparison: "And ...
"Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" – "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4). We say it every day, often multiple times a day. But where did it ...
It's so central to Jewish prayer, so foundational to our understanding of G-d, that we might sometimes take it for granted. But the rabbis of old saw so much depth and meaning pack...
When Moses Despaired Over Israel's Craving for Meat is the question behind this passage from Sifrei Devarim. Moses, understandably, is at his wit's end. He cries out to God, overwh...
It's an old, old story. And it seems it was happening even in the time of the prophet Ezekiel. to a fascinating passage from Sifrei Devarim 31, which brings us a discussion about i...
They aren't just random dates; each one marks a significant moment of sorrow, a rupture in our history. The prophet Zechariah, in chapter 8, verse 19, offers a glimmer of hope amid...
Our tradition certainly understands that feeling. And it finds a powerful voice in the prayer of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes. We find this prayer tucked away in Sifrei D...
It's a story about Reuven, Jacob's eldest son, and a deeply troubling act. "And it was, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuven went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine...
Before Jacob's passing, he gathered his sons. But it wasn’t just a sentimental family reunion. First, he rebuked them, each individually, and then he addressed them all together. W...
Sometimes, it feels that way to me. It's like the text is saying, "Pay attention! This is important." And that's exactly the feeling I get when I explore certain passages, especial...
What will the world look like, not just in terms of technology or politics, but in terms of. well, God? There's a fascinating little passage in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of earl...
The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a stunningly beautiful and profoundly challenging answer. It starts with...
Deuteronomy, or Sifrei Devarim in Hebrew, commands us to love God "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). Seems straightforward enough...
The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary) on the Book of Deuteronomy, grapples with this very question in a powerful passage. It all st...
Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal and ethical teachings associated with the Book of Deuteronomy, tackles this very question head-on. It suggests something radical: we should ac...
