Parshat Bamidbar

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The census of the Israelites in the wilderness, the arrangement of the tribal camps, and the duties of the Levites. Numbers 1:1-4:20.

Moses's Journey of Aaron

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 19:19

Our story centers around the verses in Numbers 20:25-28: "Take Aaron and Elazar his son, and take them up Hor Mountain… Strip Aaron of his vestments, and dress Elazar his son in th...

MosesTemple

Moses and the King of Balak

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:1

The text opens with a quote from Numbers 22:2: "Balak son of Tzipor saw all that Israel had done to the Emorites." This sets the stage for a larger discussion about divine justice ...

MosesKing DavidSolomonDaniel

Bilam and the Angels

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:15

The Torah gives us a fascinating glimpse of such a moment in the story of Bilam, the non-Jewish prophet hired to curse the Israelites. In Numbers, chapter 22, verse 31, we read: “T...

CreationHell/GehennaAngelsNoah & Flood

Kingdom of Bilam and Balak

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:18

It's one of those biblical tales that's just packed with odd details, and the Rabbis of the Midrash had a field day unpacking it all. We find a fascinating take in Bamidbar Rabbah,...

HeavenAngelsAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Kingdom of Bilam of Balak

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:20

We find ourselves in the book of Numbers, with Balak, the king of Moab, terrified of the Israelites. He hires the sorcerer Bilam to curse them. But, as we soon discover, things don...

AngelsPatriarchsJosephMoses

Aaron's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 21:1

And the story of Pinḥas, as told in Bamidbar Rabbah, shines a light on just how vital shalom is. The story begins with a moment of intense crisis. The Israelites are straying, and ...

Noah & FloodMosesKing DavidSolomon

Kingdom of Zimri

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 21:3

God Himself steps in to clarify Pinḥas's lineage. But why now? What did God see that prompted this? The Midrash, specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 21, digs deep into this. The Rabbis of...

CreationAdam & EveNoah & FloodPatriarchs

Teachings of He and Tabernacle

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 21:22

Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea – the seeming imbalance between what we offer God and what God offers us. The passage in Bamidbar Rabbah 21, a collection of rabbinic ...

CreationMosesJobTemple

Cosmic Origins and Flood

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 21:23

Like after all the hard work, the dedication, the striving... shouldn't there be a bonus round of celebration? Well, Jewish tradition understands that feeling perfectly. to a fasci...

CreationNoah & FloodMosesDaniel