Parshat Chukat

967 related texts · Page 63 of 108

The red heifer purification ritual, the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, Moses strikes the rock, and the bronze serpent. Numbers 19:1-22:1.

Rabbi Akiva and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 14:22

Bamidbar Rabbah, that incredible collection of Midrashic teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives deep into this very question. It’s not just a matter of geography, is it? It’s abou...

CreationAngelsNoah & FloodMoses

Temple: Solomon at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:2

We flip a switch and flood a room with light without a second thought. But millennia ago, kindling a flame was a precious act. So why did God command it in the Mishkan, the Taberna...

CreationMosesKing DavidSolomon

Levi and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:3

Even the tribe of Levi felt that way once, and their story, preserved in Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah) 15, is a powerful reminder of how God sees and values each of us, even whe...

MosesTemple

Yeshurun and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:18

Jewish tradition teaches that there's a profound spiritual power in gathering together, a power that even resonates in the heavens. But is any gathering automatically holy? The Mid...

CreationHeavenMosesHoly Land

Giving of the Torah

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:25

Moses knew the feeling. Leading the Israelites through the desert? No small feat! And it seems even he needed a little help. We find ourselves in Bamidbar Rabbah 15, a section of t...

MosesTorahMessiahSoul

Mission of Moses and Canaan

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:11

The story of the spies sent to scout the Land of Canaan in the Book of Numbers is a powerful example of how fear and negative speech can derail even the most promising journeys. Th...

MosesTempleMessiahProphecy

Kingdom of Moses

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:28

That’s kind of the situation the Israelites found themselves in after the sin of the spies. They'd just heard a terrifying report about the Land of Israel and, gripped by fear, the...

Moses

Moses's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 19:10

Specifically, Bamidbar Rabbah 19. The passage wrestles with a pretty tough question: Why was Moses punished so severely for what seems like a relatively minor offense – striking th...

MosesHoly Land

Faith of Moses and Sabbatical

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 19:12

That's kind of what's going on in this fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Numbers. The verse in question is from Numb...

MosesKing David