Parshat Balak

538 related texts · Page 53 of 60

King Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel, the talking donkey, and Balaam's blessings instead of curses. Numbers 22:2-25:9.

Pharaoh: Abraham and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:1

Get out as fast as possible! But Exodus 13:17 tells us, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them via the land of the Philistines, although it was near, as God ...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Egypt: Job at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 22:3

It all comes down to what those moments taught us about ourselves and about our relationship with God. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpr...

CreationNoah & FloodJosephMoses

Korah in Paradise

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 31:16

It's not just about power, but about the very fabric of society and our relationship with the Divine. The book of Exodus, specifically 22:27, lays down a firm rule: "You shall not ...

Adam & EveJosephMosesSolomon

Torah and Wisdom of Land

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:5

It’s a surprisingly ancient feeling. And it's at the heart of a fascinating passage in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs. The pass...

TorahProphecyHoly LandExile

Ezekiel and the Lawgiver of Sabbath

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 16:4

Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Tanḥum bar Rabbi Ḥiyya, quoting Rabbi Yoḥanan, offer a beautiful and practical answer, drawing on the words of the prophet Ezekiel: "Sanctify my Sabbaths" (Ezek...

MosesMessiahProphecyMiracles

Shem and Divine Judgment

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 5:3

to a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash, or interpretive commentary, on the Book of Leviticus, that touches upon this very issue. The passage opens with a quote fro...

Hell/GehennaCreaturesPatriarchsJoseph

Fall from Paradise and Zechariah

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 6:3

Jewish tradition certainly does, especially when it comes to oaths. In fact, the Rabbis saw the misuse of oaths as so serious that it could literally bring down the house! Vayikra ...

DemonsAdam & EveMosesJob

Prophetic Calling and Avin

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 15:5

Sometimes, the answers lie in the most unexpected connections, bridging seemingly unrelated passages of Torah. to one such fascinating interpretation found in Vayikra Rabbah, a col...

Prophecy

Job in Joseph's Time

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 17:4

In Vayikra Rabbah 17, a fascinating midrash – that's a story that unpacks the deeper meaning of a biblical text – explores this very idea. Specifically, it looks at whether God inf...

JosephKing DavidDanielJob