2,211 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Yalkut Shimoni on Torah, shown in source order. Page 46 of 47.
The continual offering, the tamid, frames the entire Temple day like two bookends of fire. The morning tamid must come first, before any other sacrifice ascends the altar. The afte...
The fire on the altar was to burn perpetually, and the sages take that word seriously in every direction. It burns on the Sabbath, when so much labor is forbidden. It burns even wh...
The verse opens "this is the law of the meal-offering," and the sages hear several rulings packed into those few words. The word "this" ties the law to the permanent Sanctuary; it ...
The Torah commands that from every meal offering of fine flour, the priest scoops out a single fistful and burns it on the altar, mingled with its oil and frankincense. The rest be...
What happens to the meal offering after the priest burns its handful on the altar? The remainder is given to Aaron and his sons to eat, and the Torah surrounds even this leftover b...
It's absolutely fundamental. In fact, Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, makes a powerful statement: "Great is peace, for all blessings are sealed with peace." This isn...
This fascinating scenario comes to us from the Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 745, a compilation of rabbinic teachings and interpretations of the Hebrew Bible. It paints a vivid picture o...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, hints at just such an idea with a fascinating take on a seemingly ordinary object: a st...
R’ Shim’on ben Lakish makes a startling claim: Pinhas is Eliahu! Yes, Pinhas, the zealous priest who took action to stop the plague, is none other than the prophet Elijah, who will...
The beginning of the book of Numbers (Bamidbar in Hebrew), where we find a meticulous accounting of the Israelites' travels in the wilderness. There was a deeper, more poignant rea...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings on the entire Hebrew Bible, offers us a glimpse into that world. In section 786, comment...
The ancient Israelites knew that feeling intimately. The Yalkut Shimoni, a fascinating collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) interpretations of the Hebrew Bibl...
It’s a story richer than it first appears, and it all starts as the Israelites journeyed from Elim. The scene: the newly freed Israelites, fresh from the miracle of the Red Sea, ar...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the Hebrew Bible, offers a fascinating and poignant glimpse into the deaths of Aaron and Moses. Specifically, Yalkut Shim...
The Israelites certainly did as they stood poised to enter the Promised Land. “And they camped by the Jordan,” the Torah tells us (Numbers 22:1). But what exactly was this Jordan R...
In the book of Numbers (33:55), we find a rather stark warning: "And if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, then those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your ...
The tradition grapples with this question in fascinating ways, especially when you bring the sea into the equation. The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the ...
It's a real grab bag of topics, from protecting orphans to the boundaries of Levite cities. "And one prince," the verse says. Rav Giddel, quoting Rav, asks a crucial question: how ...
It's about belonging, a deep and profound connection that resonates through our history. The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Hebrew Bible, offers a beau...
Our tradition wrestles with this question constantly, and one striking example comes from the Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Bible. Specifically, Yalku...
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah turns to Moses Studies Torah of Jordan. Well, it all stems from an earlier verse: "Then Moses set apart three cities." We know Moses established these citie...
The verse Now, right away, the Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Hebrew Bible, jumps on this. Could these cities be any old settlements? Big or small? May...
It all revolves around the idea of a city of refuge, a place of sanctuary for someone who committed accidental manslaughter. The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic interpret...
" The passage begins by asking a fundamental question: why the term "redeemer of blood"? It all hinges on the verse, "If the avenger of blood finds him, he may kill him" (Numbers 3...
The Torah provides a fascinating and compassionate solution: cities of refuge, places where an unintentional manslayer could flee and find sanctuary. But how did these cities work,...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, wrestling with the nuances of laws, especially those concerning cities of refuge. The passage begins by examining the biblical command to establis...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a fascinating compilation of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, brings up an intriguing point about exile. The text references the Torah po...
It's a whirlwind of hypotheticals, interpretations, and ultimately, a search for fairness. "And if he struck him with an iron tool…" Why, asks Samuel, doesn't it say "with a hand i...
It’s a fascinating process, a kind of sacred detective work. Take, for instance, the seemingly straightforward command, "Mot Yumat" – "He shall surely be put to death." How much is...
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah turns to The Redeemer of Blood and Why the Torah Specifies Wood. The passage begins with a seemingly simple question: Why does the Torah specify "a wooden i...
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 787 explores the complexities of culpability specifically focusing on scenarios involving fathers and sons, intent, and the role of the court. It's a dense ...
Jewish law, as we find it discussed in the Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 788, delves deep into these questions, wrestling with intent, circumstance, and the very definition of responsibi...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a fascinating compilation of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings (Midrash means interpreting scripture) and rabbinic commentary on the entire...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They wrestled with these very questions, poring over every word of the Torah to glean wisdom about how to establish just and equitable legal syste...
The ancient legal system and uncover the minimum number of wise heads needed for a fair trial. Not just any Sanhedrin. Why twenty-three? What’s so special about that number? The Ya...
The Talmud and Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) are FULL of debates about how justice should be applied, especially when dealing with something as serious as accidental d...
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah turns to Cities of Refuge and Their Expanding Boundaries. Abaye, a prominent Babylonian Talmudic scholar, steps in to smooth things over. He says, "This is ...
The verse in question? "The manslayer shall return to his own land of possession." But what does "his own land of possession" really mean? That's where our Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda and...
The Torah actually dedicates quite a bit of thought to this, and the Rabbis, ever delving into the details, explore the concept of the city of refuge, or Ir Miklat (עיר מקלט), in f...
Jewish law guards human life with layers of procedural care, and section 788 of the Sifrei on the Book of Numbers shows us why. The text grapples with a seemingly simple verse: "Ev...
Specifically, Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 788 explores the complexities of witness testimony. A trial. Someone’s fate hangs in the balance. A witness steps forward. But what if there's...
Someone robs a store, and the witness saw it happen. But what about situations where the consequences are less… visible? Like exile? The Yalkut Shimoni, a fascinating collection of...
Our tradition grapples with this question intensely, especially when dealing with accidental death and the concept of atonement. to a passage from the Yalkut Shimoni on Torah, spec...
As it says in the Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 788, "Do not deceive the land." This might sound strange. How can we deceive the land? One interpretation offered is a straightforward war...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a vast collection of rabbinic commentary on the Hebrew Bible, compiled sometime in the 13th century, hints at just such a thing. Specifically, the commentary on...
Five sisters walked into Moses's tent and changed Jewish inheritance law forever. Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 788 wrestles with some tricky questions arising from that encounter, the s...
It all starts with the phrase "this good mountain and the Lebanon." This isn't just any mountain, you see. It's the mountain. Everyone, it seems, calls it that. Abraham calls it a ...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, gives us a glimpse into the heart of Moshe at this pivotal moment, drawing on Torah 816...
