316 related texts · 8 related myths · Page 7 of 7
Our story comes from Bamidbar Rabbah, a Midrash on the Book of Numbers. It focuses on a seemingly simple verse: "But do this for them, and they will live, and will not die upon the...
Especially when we explore the curious case of the sotah – the suspected adulteress – in Numbers chapter 5. It’s a wild ride, full of ritual, suspicion, and a whole lot of barley f...
The verse sets the scene: "The man shall bring his wife to the priest, and he shall bring her offering on her behalf, one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour; he shall not pour oil u...
It comes from Numbers, Chapter 5, verse 26. The verse reads: "The priest shall take a handful from the meal offering, its memorial portion, and burn it upon the altar, and then he ...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to The Law of Jealousy Leaps to a Cosmic Perspective. The passage starts with a verse about the law of jealousy, specifically concerning a woman suspected of ...
Bamidbar Rabbah refuses to skim the tribal offerings. Reuben's silver dish, basin, and incense ladle all become signals. The Torah tells us about Elitzur's offering: "His offering ...
The story of Pinḥas (Phineas) in the book of Numbers is a wild ride, a tale of zealotry, divine intervention, and a whole lot of questions about what's right and wrong. The scene i...
The story of Cain and Abel, as explored in Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis, offers some pretty profound insights. The familiar version gives us the basi...
(Genesis 17:23) tells us that Abraham, obedient to God's command, circumcised his son Ishmael and all the males in his household. “Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born ...
Her story, found in Kohelet Rabbah, the commentary on Ecclesiastes, is a stark reminder that joy and sorrow can be two sides of the same coin. The verse But what does that really m...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses Set as God Before Pharaoh and Aaron as His Prophet. The story takes an unexpected turn. We're transported to the time of King Solomon and the construct...
One fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, illuminates this through a rather striking image. " Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai...
That feeling, that sting of inner circle treachery, echoes through the ancient words of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the collection of Rabbinic teachings on the Song of Songs. Shir HaShir...
It's a place of transformation, of revelation, of becoming. "Who is this ascending from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all the...
Forget the sanitized Sunday school version. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations, offers a glimpse into a world of...
The ancient rabbis did, and they found clues in the most unexpected places, even in the love poetry of the Song of Songs! It speaks of a "palanquin" made by King Solomon. But this ...
Vayikra Rabbah, the great Midrash on the Book of Leviticus, dives right into this question with a startling statement. It says that a Torah scholar without sense – meaning, without...
The book of Leviticus, specifically chapter 2, opens with the laws of the minchah, the meal offering. "When a person presents a meal offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of ...
It centers on the verse: "And the fire of the altar shall be kept burning in it" (Leviticus 6:2). Now, Rabbi Pinchas makes a subtle but profound observation. He points out that the...
That feeling, that ache of separation, is what this week’s portion of Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah) touches upon. It centers around a seemingly simple phrase in (Leviticus 16:2...
It teaches us that even the smallest injustice can have enormous consequences, echoing through the world and even impacting our relationship with the Divine. Our jumping-off point ...
Maybe that feeling is a tiny glimpse into the ultimate truth: that everything is sacred. Philo, the 1st-century Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, certainly thought so. He envisio...
The Wars of God turns to When Does Serving Another Cross Into Idolatry. The Talmud, in Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court), tackles this very question. It discusses someone who ...
Philo, in his allegorical style, sees deep meaning behind seemingly simple words and numbers. In this particular passage, he examines the significance of virtues and numbers, speci...
That they take for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). May it please our masters to teach us: What did they do with the surplus offering?1The surplus offering was from the funds contribut...
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (Exod. 25:8). On which day did He relate to Moses the portion relating to the Temple? It was on the Day of Atonement. ...
And Bezalel made the ark (Exod. 37:1). You find that everything constructed for the Tabernacle was made in its proper order. First he made the boards and joined them together. Afte...
(Lev. 8:3:) “And assemble the whole congregation.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Pay him honor in front of all Israel, in order that they may see him today when he e...
