329 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Vayikra Rabbah, shown in source order. Page 7 of 7.
Our tradition certainly thinks so. There’s a powerful message tucked away in Vayikra Rabbah, specifically in section 33, about the weight of our words and the damage they can infli...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw echoes of these struggles in the biblical text, particularly in the stories surrounding kings and their kingdoms. In Vayikra Rabbah, a co...
When Israel Is Sold Into Exile God Goes With Them is the question behind this passage from Vayikra Rabbah. Heavy stuff. So, what’s the solution? Despair? Assimilation? Absolutely n...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Blessed Is the One Who Considers the Poor Says David. Abba bar Yimeya, quoting Rabbi Meir, suggests it’s about “crowning the good inclination over the evil ...
The verse we’re exploring today comes from Vayikra Rabbah 34, which is part of the larger collection of Midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that interpret the Book of Levi...
They had a knack for seeing the sacred in the mundane, and Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah), a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Leviticus, is full of such gems. to ...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Poverty of Knowledge and Poverty of Generosity Explained. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) interpret...
The ancient sages did, too. And they found wisdom in the balance. Rabbi Tanhum ben Rabbi Hiyya, a wise teacher of old, opened his heart with a verse from Ecclesiastes (7:14): “On a...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so when reflecting on the history of Israel. Vayikra Rabbah, a midrash – a collection of rabbinic teachings – on the Book of Leviticus, explore...
Rabbi Ze’eira had a fascinating idea about this, especially when it comes to the Land of Israel. He said, remarkably, that even the conversation of the people living there is Torah...
Vayikra Rabbah opens a hard teaching about giving and withholding kindness, and the stakes begin with the poor at the door. The first example? None other than Abraham. Abraham as a...
Jewish tradition definitely has something to say about that. It's not just about charity; it's about justice, divine presence, and the very fabric of our world. to a fascinating pa...
Sometimes, the answers we find are… well, unexpected. to a fascinating, and slightly unsettling, story from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Levitic...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Twenty-Four Curses Descend When You Ignore Tzedakah. In Rabbi Simon, in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, in Vayikra Rabbah 34, we can't afford to take l...
The story, as recounted in Vayikra Rabbah 34, is It all started on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, a time for reflection and new beginnings. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, explores this very question, challenging us to examine our motivations and the impact...
The Torah touches on this profoundly, urging us not to ignore the suffering of others. It's more than just a nice idea; it’s a core principle woven into the fabric of Jewish ethics...
It turns out, according to ancient wisdom, there just might be. to Vayikra Rabbah 34 and see what treasures we can unearth. Our journey begins with a verse from Isaiah (58:8): "The...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Rabbi Akiva Spent Rabbi Tarfon's Investment on Torah Teachers. The story goes that Rabbi Tarfon gave Rabbi Akiva a significant sum – six hundred silver tale...
Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, dives into this very struggle. It all starts with the verse, "If you follow My statutes, and observe My ...
The Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection on the Book of Leviticus, explores this very idea. It opens with the verse "If you follow ...
Rabbi Elazar, in Vayikra Rabbah 35, offers a powerful comparison. He says, "The way of the world is that a king issues a decree; if he wishes to fulfill it, he fulfills it, and if ...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Divine Statutes That Hold the Stars and Seas in Place. Not just any statutes. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive c...
You're not alone. Our tradition recognizes this struggle, this internal tug-of-war. And it offers a powerful image to understand it. The text Specifically, it's from section 35. It...
Rabbi Aḥa ben Elyashiv, in Vayikra Rabbah 35, offers a powerful answer, drawing on the words of Isaiah: "It will be that he that is left in Zion and he that remains in Jerusalem sh...
It centers around the verse, "And observe My commandments, and perform them" (Leviticus 26:3). What does it really mean to "perform" them? Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina offers a radi...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Rain, Torah, and Light as God's Greatest Gifts. Rabbi Yonatan, in this passage, identifies three core gifts: the Torah, the luminaries (sun, moon, and stars...
The familiar version gives us rain is a blessing, a sign of divine favor. But what if it rained at the wrong time? What if the heavens opened up right when you were trying to do yo...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Leviticus, gives us a glimpse into that idyllic vision. Specifically, it discusses the verse “I ...
The verse Seems straightforward. God promising timely rain for a bountiful harvest. But the Rabbis, never content with the surface level, ask a crucial question: Is this promise ju...
It’s a question our Sages grappled with, digging deep into scripture and tradition. The text How many rains are needed for the earth to produce its fruits? Rabbi Meir, ever the pra...
This question, And it all stems from a seemingly simple verse in Leviticus (26:42): “I will remember My covenant with Jacob, also My covenant with Isaac, also My covenant with Abra...
It's a metaphor, a living, breathing symbol of the Jewish people themselves. We find this beautiful idea elaborated on in Vayikra Rabbah 36, a section of the Midrash (rabbinic inte...
The verse from Proverbs sets the stage: “One hand to another will not be absolved from evil, [but the descendant of the righteous will escape]” (Proverbs 11:21). This raises the qu...
The ancient rabbis grappled with these very questions, and their answers, preserved in texts like Vayikra Rabbah, are both surprising and deeply inspiring. to one fascinating passa...
Birth order, historical sequence. But what if there’s more to it than that? Vayikra Rabbah 36, a fascinating passage in the rabbinic commentary on Leviticus, flips that script on u...
It’s a question the rabbis grappled with, and in Vayikra Rabbah 36, we find some fascinating. And differing, answers. The text explores just how long the merit, the z’chus, of the ...
Vayikra Rabbah turns Jacob's delayed vow at Bethel into a warning about promises made before God. Our starting point is (Leviticus 27:2): “Speak to the children of Israel, and say ...
Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, tackles this very question. And it does so with a story – a really compelling one. It starts with...
Our story begins with a loaf of bread on the road, and it takes us on a journey filled with divine insight, legal intricacies, and a little bit of wine! The tale, found in Vayikra ...
In Vayikra Rabbah 37, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explores this idea through a fascinating lens: vows. Specifically, it looks at instances where individuals made...
