Parshat Behar

955 related texts · Page 71 of 107

The sabbatical year, the jubilee year, laws of land ownership, and the prohibition against usury. Leviticus 25:1-26:2.

Acts of Creation and Sivan

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 3:2

Jewish tradition is full of such considerations, especially when it comes to our sacred texts. Take, for example, the apple tree. Seems simple. But in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a compi...

CreationJosephMosesTorah

Moses and the Heavenly Realms of Shir

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:1

But in the beautiful, multi-layered world of Jewish interpretation, this verse opens up into a world of meaning far beyond the literal. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classic midrashic co...

HeavenMosesSolomonTemple

Rabbi Yehuda's Song and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:1

The Song of Songs, that beautiful, evocative poem, begins with the line: "The sound of my beloved! Behold, he approaches, he leaps over the mountains and bounds over the hills" (So...

CreationPatriarchsMosesSolomon

Rod and Serpent of Elazar

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 14:3

The ancient rabbis certainly knew that feeling. And they found it mirrored in one of the most dramatic moments in the Torah: the splitting of the Red Sea. In Shir HaShirim Rabbah, ...

MosesHoly LandEgypt

Kingdom of Solomon and Lebanon

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 10:4

The ancient rabbis did, and they found clues in the most unexpected places, even in the love poetry of the Song of Songs! We're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a rabbinic comment...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodMoses

First Days of Existence and Sanhedrin

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:2

to Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations, and unpack just one verse: "Your eyes are doves." Now, on the surface, it's a beautiful compliment. Poetic, even....

CreationHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Elisha: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:2

Our sages pondered just such a return, a return from exile so profound it would reshape the world. This vision is beautifully captured in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on th...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Life of Moses and Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 14:1

Specifically, Song of Songs 4:14 paints a fragrant picture: “Nard and saffron, fragrant cane and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloe, with all the finest spice...

MosesKing DavidSolomonMiracles

Divine Presence at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:1

The Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw layers upon layers of meaning in these words. The phrase “I came to my garden” is especially rich. Rabbi Menaḥem, son-in-law of Rabbi Elaz...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood