Parshat Chukat

985 related texts · Page 78 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.

Moses the Lawgiver and Father

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 34:3

And it all starts with this idea of building a home – not just for ourselves, but for the Divine. We find this idea beautifully illustrated in Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbi...

Noah & FloodMosesKing DavidSolomon

Moses Speaks to God and Calf

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 36:2

It's not that God needs our light, the text insists. As it says, it’s not that I need the light of the candelabra." But why then does God command us to bring light? Here's the beau...

MosesKing DavidTempleProphecy

The Golden Calf

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 37:2

We find one of those moments in the story of the Golden Calf, and how Aaron, brother of Moses, reacted to it. The scene: Moses is descending from Mount Sinai, clutching the tablets...

MosesTempleRepentanceHoly Land

Yabetz and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 38:5

The ancient rabbis, plumbing the depths of the Torah, had a different take, and it’s one that resonates even today. We find a fascinating discussion in Shemot Rabbah, a collection ...

CreationAdam & EveMosesSolomon

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 38:6

In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exploration of this very idea. The verse "This is the matter [hadavar]" (Exo...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsJoseph

Avin: Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 41:2

It's more than just handing something over. It's like tossing a pebble into a pond, the ripples go far beyond what you can see. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretati...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMoses

Giving of the Torah

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 41:3

The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, delves into this very idea. It centers around the verse in Proverbs 2:6, "For the Lord grants wis...

MosesKing DavidSolomonTorah

Wonders of Genesis and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 42:1

The book of Exodus and the sages of the Midrash explore this very idea. In Exodus 32:7, we read, "The Lord spoke to Moses: Go descend; for your people, whom you brought up from the...

CreationHell/GehennaAngelsAdam & Eve

The Golden Calf

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 42:2

We all know the story: Moses ascends Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and the Israelites, impatient and fearful, build a golden idol. But what happens behind the scenes, in the he...

CreationPatriarchsMosesEgypt