Parshat Chukat

967 related texts · Page 81 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.

Songs: Giving of the Torah

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 12:2

"While the king was at his feast..." (Song of Songs 1:12). Rabbi Pinḥas, quoting Rabbi Hoshaya, connects this verse to the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, and His "feas...

CreationHeavenMosesTorah

Hezekiah's Prayer and Abahu

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 12:3

It’s a humbling, and frankly, a little thought. And it's exactly what we find explored in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings and interpretations on the Song o...

AngelsJosephMosesSoul

Avun: Esau at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 2:6

But in the ancient wisdom of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the Song of Songs commentary, we find just that: the humble lily as a powerful metaphor for the enduring spirit of Israel. Rabbi ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Pharaoh's Journey and Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 14:2

The ancient rabbis certainly understood that feeling, and they used powerful stories to explore it. The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song o...

Adam & EveJosephMosesPrayer

Fire of the Prophet and Israelite

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 15:2

We often focus on the parting of the Red Sea, a miraculous escape. But what about the pain, the suffering, the sheer terror of those enslaved in Egypt? The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a ...

MosesProphecyHoly LandEgypt

Betzalel Beyond the Firmament

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 10:2

Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Ilai, a sage of the 2nd century, offers a beautiful analogy. He interprets the verse in Song of Songs (3:9), "Palanquin," as referring to the Ark. Now, what's ...

HeavenNoah & FloodMosesSolomon

Dwelling Place of God and Elazar

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 11:2

The text we're diving into today comes from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs. It's a fascinating exploration of a verse that ment...

HeavenMosesKing DavidSolomon

Elisha: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8:2

Our sages pondered just such a return, a return from exile so profound it would reshape the world. This vision is beautifully captured in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on th...

CreationPatriarchsJosephMoses

Reuben and Creation of Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim Rabbah 12:1

We're looking at verse 4:12-13: “A locked garden is my sister, my bride; a locked fountainhead, a sealed spring. Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates, with delicious fruit,...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsMatriarchs