Parshat Vayakhel

453 related texts · Page 39 of 51

The people bring offerings for the Tabernacle, Bezalel and the craftsmen begin construction. Exodus 35:1-38:20.

Daily Sacrifices and the Altar

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 13:9

It wrestles with a seemingly simple question about the dedication of the altar in the Tabernacle. The text focuses on the phrase "the first, and his offering." It’s from the Book o...

CreationTempleSacrifice

Nachshon and the Heavenly Realms

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 13:10

Sometimes, those little things hold the key to unlocking profound insights. to one such instance from Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), specifically chapter 13, and see what we can...

HeavenMosesKing DavidSolomon

Temple: Solomon at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:2

We flip a switch and flood a room with light without a second thought. But millennia ago, kindling a flame was a precious act. So why did God command it in the Mishkan, the Taberna...

CreationMosesKing DavidSolomon

Levi: Aaron and the Lawgiver

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:6

Our ancestors felt that way, too. The ancient rabbis understood this, and that's why we find so much human drama, even in the most sacred texts. Take this story from Bamidbar Rabba...

MosesKing DavidTempleHoly Land

Wisdom of Moses and Betzalel

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 15:10

The story of the menorah, the candelabrum in the Tabernacle, as told in Bamidbar Rabbah 15, is a wild ride about just that. It's a reminder that even Moses, the ultimate receiver o...

HeavenNoah & FloodMosesTemple

Joshua Among the Heavenly Host

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 16:1

It all starts with a seemingly simple instruction: "Send you men that they may scout the land of Canaan that I am giving to the children of Israel" (Numbers 13:2). But before we di...

AngelsJosephMosesTorah

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

Cosmic Origins and Flood

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 21:23

Like after all the hard work, the dedication, the striving... shouldn't there be a bonus round of celebration? Well, Jewish tradition understands that feeling perfectly. to a fasci...

CreationNoah & FloodMosesDaniel

Daily Sacrifices and Sukkot

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 21:24

The ancient rabbis certainly did. They found that very human feeling reflected in the Torah itself, specifically in the book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew. And they explore it in ...

King DavidTemplePrayerHoly Land