Parshat Chukat

985 related texts · Page 76 of 110

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

Israelites: Pharaoh in the Days of Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:9

The sages of the Midrash felt that way about Pharaoh letting the Israelites go. It wasn't just a political decision; it was a colossal blunder, a spiritual miscalculation of epic p...

MosesSolomonHoly LandEgypt

Ephraim at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:11

The book of Exodus tells us, “God did not lead them via the land [derekh eretz]” (Exodus 13:17). But what exactly does that mean? Well, Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbi...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsJoseph

Joseph in Egypt and Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:14

But the Torah tells us, "God did not lead them [naḥam]..." (Exodus 13:17). The word naḥam here is key, often translated as "by way of" or "directly." So, what's the story behind th...

JosephMosesKing DavidHoly Land

Humility of Moses of Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:17

You'd think after all that, they'd want to get there as quickly as possible. But the Torah tells us something curious: "God led the people around, via the wilderness by the Red Sea...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Moses in Battle and Joseph

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:19

We all know about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea... but there's a smaller, more personal story woven into the grand narrative of the Exodus. It's a story of loyalty, promi...

CreationAdam & EveJosephMoses

Exodus Rabbah's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 21:4

We pour our hearts out, sometimes in joy, sometimes in desperation. But is anyone actually listening? The Book of Exodus Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Boo...

AngelsJosephMosesKing David

Wonders of Genesis of Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 21:5

Jewish tradition recognizes that very tension within us, and even within the relationship between God and Israel. Shemot Rabbah, a classic midrashic collection that delves into the...

CreationHeavenAngelsAdam & Eve

Moses and the Promised Land of Egyptians

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 21:9

The scene unfolds like this: the Israelites are trapped between the pursuing Egyptian army and the seemingly insurmountable Red Sea. Moses, holding his staff, is their leader, thei...

MosesHoly LandEgypt

Pharaoh's Transgression and Lakish

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 21:11

There's a fascinating, and perhaps unsettling, perspective offered in Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, that uses a surprising analogy...

JosephMosesKing DavidMysticism