Parshat Behar

958 related texts · Page 72 of 107

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

Divine Presence and Abba

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 2:1

There's a fascinating little snippet in Shir HaShirim Rabbah – a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs – that touches on exactly that. It starts with the idea...

HeavenKing DavidSolomonTemple

Angels Attend to Tatenai

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:1

We’re going to delve into a fascinating interpretation found in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Song of Songs. Here, a single verse – "The sentri...

AngelsMosesSolomonTorah

Yitro in Zion

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 2:3

Jewish tradition often uses metaphors to help us understand our place in the world, our relationship with God, and the destinies of nations. Take this story, as told by Rabbi Shmue...

Holy Land

Bilam and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9:4

The passage begins by interpreting a verse about those who left Egypt during the Exodus. It states, "There are sixty queens…" But instead of taking this literally, the Rabbis offer...

CreationPatriarchsJosephTorah

Lamp of Prophecy and Samuel

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9:5

In Shir HaShirim Rabbah (Song of Songs Rabbah), a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, we find a verse being unpacked with layers of meaning. The verse spea...

ProphecyPrayerHoly Land

Morning and Evening Prayer of Songs

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:1

Song of Songs, that beautiful, sensual, often enigmatic book of the Bible, gives us a clue. Chapter 8, verse 8, poses a curious question: “We have a little sister, and she has no b...

SolomonPrayerRepentanceHoly Land

Adam Names the Animals and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9:3

Our Rabbis certainly did. They grappled with this very question, especially when comparing the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. In Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the Rabbis delve into...

Adam & EveNoah & FloodPatriarchsMoses

Mikhael and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 10:2

The text begins with a beautiful analogy, connecting the "vineyard" mentioned in Song of Songs to the Sanhedrin, the ancient Jewish high court. Why a vineyard? Because, as we learn...

CreationHeavenAngelsMoses

Angels Attend to Moses and Haggai

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 1:1

The Torah starts the book of Leviticus—Vayikra in Hebrew—with just that kind of a call. "He called to Moses, and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying…" (Leviticus...

AngelsJosephMosesKing David