Parshat Shoftim

2,634 related texts · Page 255 of 293

Laws of judges and officers, the king, the Levitical priests, true and false prophets, cities of refuge, and warfare. Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9.

Ahab: Avner at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 26:2

Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah 26 that explores the devastating power of lashon hara (לשון הרע), or "evil tongue" – slander. Rabbi Yosei of Milḥ...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveKing David

Death of Saul and Levi

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 26:7

Today, let's dive into a fascinating, and frankly, unsettling story from Vayikra Rabbah 26, found within the larger collection of Midrash Rabbah, about King Saul and his fateful en...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsJoseph

Haman Among the Heavenly Host

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 26:8

It’s not just filler! According to the sages, these repetitions are clues, little breadcrumbs that lead us to deeper meanings. Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash on the book of Leviticus, d...

AngelsMosesKing DavidElijah

Moses the Lawgiver and Micah

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 27:6

Turns out, according to the ancient rabbis, even the Israelites felt that way sometimes. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Levitic...

PatriarchsMosesProphecyPrayer

Behold: Levi in the Days of Moses

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 27:7

Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, opens our eyes to this truth in a rather startling way. Rabbi Levi kicks things off ...

MosesProphecyHoly LandEgypt

Abraham: Nimrod and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 28:4

It's like a cosmic echo, a recurring theme of the powerful and the hungry, of oppression and redemption. Vayikra Rabbah 28, a section of the ancient Midrash Rabbah, explores just t...

CreationPatriarchsMosesEsther

Hashanah: Reish Lakish at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 29:12

The story begins with two prominent scholars, Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish, deep in discussion. They were grappling with a seemingly simple question: Should the shofar (ram's hor...

CreationTorahTempleProphecy

Hidden Secrets of Creation and Rabbis

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:3

It all starts with the phrase "Command the children of Israel" – which, on the surface, sounds like a divine order. But the Rabbis, masters of unpacking layers of meaning, saw some...

CreationJobTempleProphecy

Maker of Heaven and Earth of Yitz

Midrash Rabbah Vayikra Rabbah 31:7

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very question. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating discussion. Rabbi Ḥanina p...

CreationHeavenKing DavidTorah