Parshat Vaera

2,979 related texts · Page 46 of 331

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

Pharaoh: Haman and the Angels

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:10

Our story begins with the verse, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go..." (Exodus). But it's not just a simple statement. It's an invitation to reflect on the sheer audacity of G...

AngelsMosesKing DavidDaniel

Humility of Moses and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:12

The ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling when they looked at the Exodus story. The Torah tells us that God "did not lead them" – lo naham – after Pharaoh finally let the ...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Humility of Moses of Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:17

You'd think after all that, they'd want to get there as quickly as possible. But the Torah tells us something curious: "God led the people around, via the wilderness by the Red Sea...

JosephMosesHoly LandEgypt

Moses in Battle and Joseph

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 20:19

We all know about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea... but there's a smaller, more personal story woven into the grand narrative of the Exodus. It's a story of loyalty, promi...

CreationAdam & EveJosephMoses

Moses's Prayer and Esau

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 21:1

The Israelites are trapped. The sea is before them, Pharaoh's army is closing in from behind. Panic is in the air. They cry out to God, as we read in Exodus 14:10: "The children of...

CreationPatriarchsMosesKing David

Foundations of Being and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 21:8

The Israelites certainly did at the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army was bearing down on them, and the sea was, well, a sea. So what were they supposed to do? Pray? Act? Just give up? The B...

CreationHell/GehennaAdam & EvePatriarchs

Moses's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 23:7

The story begins, as we all know, with the parting of the Red Sea. A moment of unimaginable salvation for the Israelites, fleeing slavery in Egypt. Moses leads the people, and as t...

JosephMosesKing DavidProphecy

Heavenly Messengers and Pharaoh

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 23:14

It all starts with the verse, "For He is exalted." The Rabbis ask, what does that truly mean? Rabbi Pappos offers a beautiful and subtle reading of the verse from Song of Songs 1:9...

AngelsMosesKing DavidSolomon

Kingdom of Yitro and Moses

Midrash Rabbah Shemot Rabbah 27:7

It all revolves around Yitro, Moses' father-in-law. The verse we're looking at is “Yitro…heard” (Exodus 18:1), which is the start of the portion where Yitro comes to visit Moses in...

MosesSolomonHoly LandEgypt