329 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Vayikra Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 5 of 7.
It turns out the Talmud and Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) are full of stories about them. And, interestingly, God seems to have taken special notice of their actions. ...
In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating discussion on how some biblical figures actively fought against their yetzer ha...
A fascinating, and frankly, pretty intense passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus. This particular section, Vayikra Rabbah 23, expl...
We all do it. But have you ever wondered what it truly means to avert your gaze, to consciously choose kedushah (holiness), holiness? Rabbi Menashya, grandson of Rabbi Yehoshua ben...
Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, puts it so powerfully. He says that King David proclaimed, "You, Lord, are forever exalted" (Psalms 92:9). What does it mean to say God is alway...
Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic commentary) on the Book of Leviticus, explores this very idea in a fascinating way. It starts with the seemingly simple phrase, "You shall be ho...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Zion's Transgression. We find a fascinating passage in Vayikra Rabbah, a midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection focusing on the Book of Lev...
Rabbi Ḥiyya taught that this specific portion, Kedoshim, was delivered in a grand assembly – "Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel..." (Leviticus 19:2). Why? ...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this very question. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, they explore a fascinating connection between ho...
It’s about something far deeper: our relationship with the Divine. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, offers some stunni...
Rabbi Avin uses a parable. Imagine a king with a wine cellar. He hires guards, some are nezirim (Nazirites, who abstain from wine), and others are… well, let's just say they enjoy ...
Surprisingly, the ancient Rabbis found clues in the most unexpected places – even in the words of the wicked Pharaoh himself! It's a fascinating idea, isn't it? That even through t...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Torah as a Tree of Life You Must Not Treat Like a Spade. Rav Huna, citing Rabbi Aḥa, offers a powerful analogy. He warns us not to treat Torah like a desper...
Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya, citing Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, paint this incredible picture: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to craft shelters and canopies in the Garden of E...
He begins with a verse from Deuteronomy (13:5): “You shall follow the Lord your God.” But then he asks, how can mere mortals like us truly follow the Divine? After all, as the Psal...
The ancient sages grappled with this too, particularly when thinking about the relationship between God, the patriarchs, and the land of Israel.Here, Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quo...
The book of Job asks, "Who set wisdom batuḥot?" (Job 38:36). The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Vayikra Rabbah, explores this, asking, what even is batuḥo...
It touches on themes of covenant, perfection, and even the very nature of blessing. to a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tex...
Sometimes, the answer lies in the most unexpected places, like, say, a close reading of the book of Ezekiel and a bit of ancient commentary. In Vayikra Rabbah 25, we find a fascina...
It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (5:15): “His calves [shokav] are pillars of marble [amudei shesh].” What do calves and marble pillars have to do with… well, anyth...
Our sages explore this very idea in Vayikra Rabbah 26, drawing out fascinating contrasts between human promises and divine pronouncements. ” It seems straightforward. But Rabbi Tan...
Rabbi Yosei of Milḥaya and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, paint a picture of King David's time. They speak of children so gifted in Torah that they could debate the...
Vayikra Rabbah notices that two Torah portions about ritual purity were written side by side by Moses himself. Rabbi Tanhum ben Rabbi Hanilai had something fascinating to say about...
Vayikra Rabbah 26, a section of the Midrash Rabbah on Leviticus, invites us to do just that. It starts with the familiar verse, "The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, sons ...
Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, tells a parable. Imagine an Israelite and a Kohen, a priest, both suffering from epilepsy. They seek help from a skilled doctor, but the doctor ...
A whole tractate of Midrash can grow out of three words, and Vayikra Rabbah 26 proves it. It all starts with a simple phrase: "Speak to the priests." But as is so often the case in...
It's a tale of desperation, disobedience, and the dark consequences that follow when we turn away from the divine. The story begins with a pointed question: what comes before this ...
For the sages, repeated words are clues that lead deeper into the verse. Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash on the book of Leviticus, dedicates itself to uncovering these hidden layers. And...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Why the High Priest Had to Excel in Beauty Wisdom and Wealth. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find an intr...
This week, What does this have to do with the balance of the cosmos? Well, the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) saw in this verse a profound analogy. "A bul...
Rabbi Tanhuma kicks things off with a quote from Job: "Who has given Me anything beforehand, that I shall pay? Everything beneath the heavens is Mine" (Job 41:3). It sounds a bit… ...
A song, a smell, a place... and suddenly you're right back there, feeling the weight of it all over again. Jewish tradition is keenly aware of this power of association, and how ea...
In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating discussion anchored to the verse “a bull, or a sheep, or a goat” (Leviticus 1:2...
If so, you're in good company. Jewish tradition teaches us that God has a special connection to the persecuted, the downtrodden, the ones who are constantly being pursued. It's a t...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to God Asks Israel to Testify Against Him in the Book of Micah. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, ...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, opens our eyes to this truth in a rather startlin...
It might seem random, but Jewish tradition offers a fascinating explanation, one rooted in rumor, reputation, and divine forgiveness. Our story begins with the prophet Hosea, who s...
Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, illuminates this very connection. When Leviticus speaks of offering "a bull, or a sheep, or a goa...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Rabbi Shimon and the Torah of Shabbat. "A bull, a sheep, or a goat, when it is born, shall be seven days under its mother." Why those seven days? The text e...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to The Righteous God Who Knows the Needs of Every Animal. Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, connects this seemingly simple law to (Proverbs 12:10): “The righ...
It all starts with the verse in (Leviticus 22:29): “When you slaughter a thanks offering to the Lord, you shall slaughter it to garner favor for yourselves.” Rabbis Pinḥas, Levi, a...
These questions, It starts with a verse from Leviticus (23:10): “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving to you, and you reap i...
He points out a simple truth: When we wash our clothes on a rainy day, we have to work so hard to dry them. But while we're sleeping soundly, the Holy One, blessed be He, sends a l...
The book of Vayikra Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Leviticus, dives deep into this very idea. It all starts with a quote from the prophet Jerem...
It's like a cosmic echo, a recurring theme of the powerful and the hungry, of oppression and redemption. Vayikra Rabbah 28, a section of the ancient Midrash Rabbah, explores just t...
Jewish ritual is rarely about only the action, it's about the choreography of meaning. Take (Leviticus 23:11), which instructs us about waving the omer "before the Lord, for accept...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Land — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation. What exactly is the omer? It's a ritual offering of barley, brought to the Temple in Jerusalem on the second day of ...
The verse from (Leviticus 23:24) sets the stage: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, shall be a rest for you, a remembrance b...
