Parshat Shelach

533 related texts · Page 40 of 60

The twelve spies sent to Canaan, the people's rebellion, God's decree of forty years of wandering, and the laws of tzitzit. Numbers 13:1-15:41.

Levites: Moses at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 7:2

It's almost like a cosmic nudge, inviting us to dig a little deeper. Take, for example, the juxtaposition of the laws concerning lepers right before the section detailing the dutie...

CreationJosephMosesKing David

Before the Fall and Command

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 7:7

It's not just a stylistic choice. Our sages teach that each word carries a world of meaning. Take the word tzav (צו), for instance. What does it really mean when God commands? In t...

CreationAdam & EveTorahWisdom

Sin of the First Pair and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 10:8

This passage in Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives deep into the laws surrounding the nazir (or nazirite) – an individual who takes a...

CreationAdam & EveNoah & FloodMoses

Jacob: Mount Sinai and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 13:8

The Torah portion Naso, particularly in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, delves into this very concept, using the offerings of the princes as a springboard. It's a fascinating exploration of Is...

CreationAdam & EvePatriarchsJoseph

Pharaoh: Joseph and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 14:6

to a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a Midrash, or interpretation, on the Book of Numbers, that explores this very tension. The passage starts with a seemingly simple ...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaNoah & Flood

Ishmael Among the Fathers

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:10

Does a name shape destiny? Does it reflect character? Or is it just… a label? The book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, gives us a lot to chew on in that regard. Specifically, Bamid...

PatriarchsHoly LandExile

Covenant of Moses of Land

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:12

Even in the Bible, the order in which things are presented can tell a whole story. Take the story of the spies sent by Moses to scout out the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, bef...

MosesHoly Land

Amalek's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:18

It all starts with a seemingly simple verse: “Amalek dwells in the region of the south” (Numbers 13:29). But the rabbis of the Midrash ask a pointed question: why did the spies, wh...

PatriarchsHoly Land

Temple and the First Humans

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:20

The scene is set in Numbers 14:1: “The entire congregation raised and sounded their voice and the people wept that night.” It sounds dramatic, doesn't it? But what was behind all t...

Adam & EveKing DavidSolomonJob