Parshat Bamidbar

803 related texts · Page 69 of 90

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.

Kingdom of Moses and Midian

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 22:4

It’s a deeply human dilemma, and it appears even in the stories of our greatest leaders. to a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah, specifically section 22, to uncover just suc...

Hell/GehennaNoah & FloodMosesSolomon

Yoav at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 23:13

The text opens with a powerful image. "The power of His deeds He told to His people" (Psalms 111:6). According to Bamidbar Rabbah, God could have simply created a new land for the ...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveMoses

The Garden of Eden and Lakish

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 21:8

We all know the story: they ate the forbidden fruit, gained knowledge, and were banished. But what was the nature of that banishment? Was it a final, crushing blow, or something…el...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveTemple

Cain's Offering of Abel

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 22:5

The story of Cain and Abel, right at the beginning of Genesis, gives us a clue, but also raises some fascinating questions about sacrifice itself. "Cain brought an offering of the ...

CreationNoah & FloodMosesSolomon

Trial of Ishmael of Elazar

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 45:9

Today, let's consider Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, and a rather cryptic verse from Genesis (16:12) that attempts to define him: "He will be a wild man: His hand will be again...

CreationPatriarchsKing DavidDaniel

Birth of Abraham and Yudan

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 47:3

It's right there in Genesis 17:17: "Abraham fell upon his face, and he laughed. He said in his heart: Shall a child be born to one who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, a ...

CreationPatriarchsMatriarchsJoseph

Abraham and Creation of Isaac

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 55:4

Our story begins with the seemingly simple phrase, “After these matters [devarim]…”. The Hebrew word devarim can mean both "matters" and "words," and as we delve into Bereshit Rabb...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsTemple

Moses: The Binding of Isaac

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 55:6

The story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, the Akeidah, is a powerful lens through which to explore this idea. Our text today comes from Bereshit Rabbah 55, a collection of rab...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David

Ishmael and Creation of Alexander

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 61:7

This story, found in Bereshit Rabbah 61, takes us right into the middle of just such a scene. The verse that sparks this whole episode is from Genesis 25:6: "But to the sons of the...

CreationHell/GehennaAdam & EvePatriarchs