Parshat Vaera

2,883 related texts · Page 219 of 321

God reveals His name to Moses, the first seven plagues strike Egypt, and Pharaoh's heart is hardened. Exodus 6:2-9:35.

Jacob's Transgression and Kora

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 18:5

Our stories are woven into our lineage, and sometimes, those threads get tangled. to a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of N...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David

Adam and Creation and the Serpent

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 20:11

But Jewish tradition loves to peel back the layers, and Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, dives deep into this very verse. The tex...

CreationAdam & Eve

Nimrod: Enosh at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 23:7

to a fascinating little exploration from Bereshit Rabbah 23, where they unpack the Hebrew word huḥal (הוחל), meaning "then commenced." The discussion kicks off with Rabbi Simon, wh...

CreationJobProphecyDivine Names

Noah's Ark and Craft

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 31:8

The verse in Genesis (6:14) states: "Craft for you an ark of cypress wood; you shall craft the ark with compartments, and you shall coat it within and without with pitch." Now, Rab...

CreationAdam & EveNoah & FloodMoses

Abraham: Nimrod at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 38:13

The Torah gives us glimpses, but it's in the rabbinic stories, the aggadah, that we really get a sense of the spiritual climate. One story, found in Bereshit Rabbah 38, sheds light...

CreationPatriarchsDaniel

Nimrod: Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 44:2

Turns out, even Abraham, our patriarch, felt that way. Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. In this passage, the v...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonWisdom

Moses Ascends to Heaven and Kippur

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 2:38

The story begins with Moses, our great leader, ascending to the heavens. Imagine the scene: clouds parting, a divine ladder stretching upwards, and Moses, step by step, approaching...

AngelsRepentanceHoly Land

Miriam in Heaven

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 6:14

The Jewish tradition certainly does. In fact, it links our speech directly to our relationship with the Divine. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homilies on the Book of Deuteronomy,...

HeavenMosesKing DavidTorah

Stars and Firmament and the Serpent

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

Ancient Jewish wisdom grappled with these questions too. Take this passage from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes. It starts with...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaAngels