Parshat Bo

1,311 related texts · Page 71 of 146

The final three plagues including the death of the firstborn, the first Passover, and the Exodus from Egypt. Exodus 10:1-13:16.

Birth of Pharaoh of Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:5

We read the story of the plagues, and it can feel like a foregone conclusion, like Pharaoh was just cartoonishly stubborn. But there were moments... moments where the pressure was ...

Hell/GehennaMosesTempleEgypt

Pharaoh's Transgression and Egyptians

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:6

Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating take on the plague of frogs. We all remember the story: Egypt is overrun with ...

JosephMosesHoly LandExile

Aaron in Joseph's Time and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 10:7

We find ourselves in Shemot Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The verse in question is Exodus 8:12: “The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron:...

DemonsJosephMosesEgypt

Pharaoh in Battle and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 11:3

The Book of Exodus gives us a glimpse into just that, with the plague of the swarms descending upon Egypt. We pick up the story in Exodus 8:20: "The Lord did so; and heavy swarms c...

Hell/GehennaJosephMosesTemple

Joseph and His Brothers of Egyptians

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 11:4

It wasn't random, you know. Jewish tradition often sees a deeper, more poetic justice at play. Take the plague of pestilence, for example. We read in Exodus (9:2-9:3): "For if you ...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Moses the Lawgiver and Pharaoh

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 11:6

The verse in Exodus 9:10 tells us, "They took soot of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it heavenward; and it became boils erupting into blisters upon man and ...

Hell/GehennaMosesEgyptJudgment

From Nothing to Everything and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 12:3

In the book of Exodus, we read, "The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens, and there will be hail throughout the land of Egypt…" (Exodus 9:22). It seems straight...

CreationJosephMosesKing David

Pharaoh's Transgression and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 12:5

We often think of him as this monolithic, unyielding villain. But what if there were moments of genuine, albeit fleeting, remorse? The Book of Exodus tells us that after the devast...

JosephMosesEgyptSinai

Blood on the Nile and Pinchas

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 12:6

It turns out, even a seemingly simple verse about crops can open up a whole world of midrashic interpretation. Take Exodus 9:31-32: “The flax and the barley were stricken, as the b...

MosesEgypt