1,613 related texts · Page 25 of 34
Similarly, R. Eliezer b. Yossi expounded (Isaiah 63:9) "In all of their afflictions, He was afflicted," (Ibid. 8) "And He said: 'Surely, they are My people, children who will not l...
"And the voice of the shofar" (Exodus 19:19) — the Mekhilta declares that this is a propitious sign in all of Scripture. Wherever the shofar is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, it si...
The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael asks a deceptively simple question: why were the Ten Commandments not placed at the very beginning of the Torah? If they are the foundation of the cov...
Rebbi says: (The thrust of "your [singular] G–d") is to apprise us of the eminence of Israel, that when they all stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, they were all of one hea...
The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael identifies another pairing across the two tablets of the Ten Commandments. "Honor your father and your mother" stood directly opposite "You shall not ...
The Torah permits the making of cherubim — golden winged figures — atop the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 25:18). These are not merely decorative. They are the ...
The Mekhilta examines one of the most consequential legal distinctions in the Torah: the difference between intentional killing and accidental death. The text lays out three vivid ...
Beloved is Israel — so beloved that God gave entire nations as kofer, as ransom, for the souls of His people. The proof is (Isaiah 43:3): "I gave Egypt as kofer for you, Ethiopia a...
"Who is not betrothed" — the Torah specifies that the seduction law applies to a virgin who has not been betrothed. The Mekhilta records a disagreement about the scope of this excl...
"The ox of your foe" — who is the "foe" the Torah refers to? The Mekhilta records multiple interpretations. In one reading, the idolators of the nations are called "foes" of Israel...
If they saw him pursuing another to kill him, the knife in his hand, and they said to him: Be it known to you that he is a son of the covenant, and the Torah writes "and a clean on...
The prophet declares in (II Kings 21:12): "Thus said the L-rd, the God of Israel." The Mekhilta stops on this phrase and asks a question that seems almost impertinent. Is God only ...
"It is a sign forever" — the Mekhilta derives from this phrase that the Sabbath will never be lost from Israel. No matter what happens — exile, persecution, assimilation pressures ...
We, with our messy emotions and tear-streaked faces, tend to project a lot onto the Divine. But Jewish tradition actually gives us some incredibly vivid, even surreal, images of Go...
The Talmud tells us a wild story about Rabbah bar Bar Hannah, a figure whose legendary travels are filled with unbelievable encounters (B. Bava Batra 73a). On one of these journeys...
Jewish tradition offers a powerful, heart-wrenching image: Mother Zion. The image of Mother Zion comes from a deep well of sorrow and longing, born from the exiles and devastations...
It's more than just a colorful arc in the sky. It's a promise, a symbol, and, according to some, a glimpse of something truly extraordinary. The most familiar story, of course, con...
According to one fascinating oral tradition, Adam's first wife wasn't quite the helpmate he expected. She was, shall we say, a little too clever, a little too strong for him. Can y...
Jewish tradition has a fascinating answer, a story whispered through generations about an angel named Lailah. Lailah, the Angel of Conception, is like the midwife of souls. Accordi...
The story centers around Rabbah bar Bar Hannah, a figure known for his… let’s just say, colorful travel stories. One day, as recounted in Bava Batra 74a, a Bedouin approached Rabba...
Jewish tradition has a place for them, a sort of spiritual purification chamber we call Gehenna. But the story doesn't end there, not by a long shot. What's truly fascinating is wh...
Remember the scene: Moses, up on Mount Sinai, receiving the very word of God, etched onto stone tablets. And then… disaster. The Israelites, impatient and faithless, melt down thei...
It was a spectacle. The Targum Neophyti on (Exodus 20:1) describes it as shooting stars, lightning, and fiery torches all rolled into one. Can you picture that? A blazing, celestia...
We often think about them as a time for personal reflection, a chance to atone for our mistakes. But the tradition paints a far grander picture, one involving cosmic judgment and t...
We've fasted, we've prayed, we've poured out our hearts. And then… one final, powerful blast of the shofar. But why? It's more than just a signal that the fast is over and bagels a...
Did you know that some traditions claim Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel, never actually died? It sounds impossible, doesn't it? He was embalmed, buried… but the story ...
We know from Genesis that before he passed, Joseph made his brothers swear a solemn oath: when God finally remembers them, they must carry his bones out of Egypt with them (Gen. 50...
The stones are still hot, the air thick with ash and despair. Who would you expect to find there? According to a powerful story preserved in the Talmud (B. Menahot 53b), it was non...
Did you ever think about the exile from Eden as… a divorce? It sounds a little strange, I know. We tend to think of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden as a punishment, a seve...
The tale of Sodom and Gomorrah definitely fits that bill. It's a story of hospitality gone wrong, moral decay, and divine retribution that leaves you breathless. It all starts with...
It’s one of those enduring mysteries that captures the imagination. They were carried away, prisoners in their own land, and exiled beyond the mysterious river Sambatyon. But what ...
It’s one of those enduring mysteries that tugs at the imagination. Where did they go? Did they assimilate? Are they still out there, waiting to be found? Well, Jewish folklore offe...
What does it truly mean for the Messiah to come? What would be required? We often hear about the miraculous, the earth-shattering changes that the arrival of Mashiach – the Messiah...
The prophet Ezekiel knew that feeling. And he saw it reflected, not just in his own heart, but in the collective soul of his people. The story, as told in the Book of Ezekiel (Ezek...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so. And there’s a powerful story that illustrates just how deeply connected we are across generations, a story about the pleading of the fathers a...
We often picture him as this divinely favored ruler, harp in hand, composing the Psalms. But even kings, especially those after God’s own heart, have their burdens. Midrash Tehilli...
It’s almost as if our souls crave that sense of resolution, that promise of a better future. It turns out, this isn't just a modern storytelling trope. It's deeply embedded in Jewi...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, wrestles with this very idea. Specifically, Midrash Tehillim 6, drawing inspiration from the phras...
The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of Rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, grapples with just that, using Psalm 7 as a springboard to explore themes of guilt, respect, and ...
The story, as told in Midrash Tehillim, is truly terrifying. Imagine Moses, up on Mount Sinai, receiving the Torah. A moment of ultimate revelation. And down below? The Israelites,...
It’s not just about remembering a historical event; it’s about something far more profound. Midrash Tehillim 8, a commentary on the Book of Psalms, delves into the very heart of th...
It’s a question that’s plagued humanity for ages, and Midrash Tehillim 10 grapples with it in a way that’s both challenging and ultimately hopeful. The midrash (rabbinic interpreti...
The rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those brilliant interpreters of scripture, have a lot to say about this verse. Specifically, Midrash Tehillim, the col...
He interprets the verse, "I will bless the Lord who counsels me" (Psalm 16:7) with regard to Abraham. But Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai takes it a step further. He says that God Himself ...
The ancient texts offer some pretty fascinating clues, particularly in how they describe the transformation that comes with repentance. Take Midrash Tehillim, for example, a collec...
Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani kicks things off, wondering why we sweat during times of transition. He suggests it's connected to the fall of one kingdom and the rise of another. He poi...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers some fascinating perspectives on this very question, particularly in its treatment of Psal...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) starts with a powerful statement: "God's way is perfect." And it connects this perfection to Abraham, pointing to the verse in Genesi...
