1,879 related texts · 4 related myths · Page 37 of 40
It seems that even in the hallowed pages of the Bible, we see echoes of this self-serving behavior. to the story of Joseph, the coat of many colors, and Pharaoh's dream. Remember t...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Joseph and Creation of Judah. The Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah don't just read the surface; they dive deep into the layers of meaning. Judah's words become a ...
The Torah tells us, "Jacob called to his sons, and he said: Gather, and I will tell you what will befall you at the end of days. Assemble and hear, sons of Jacob, and listen to Isr...
The Torah portion Vayechi gives us a glimpse into just that, through the blessings Jacob bestows upon his sons. to the unique dynamic between Zebulun and Issachar. Jacob, nearing t...
The verse in question is (Genesis 49:28): "This is what their father Jacob spoke to them." But the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah notice something subtle. It doesn't say, "This is what ...
Maybe you'd messed up before, and the consequences stung. It's a very human feeling, that hesitation. And guess what? Even Moses, Moshe Rabbenu himself, felt it too. Our story come...
Our sages explore the depths of these words, seeking to understand the true scope of Moses’s blessing. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov points out something fascinating: The text doesn't s...
Deuteronomy, or Devarim in Hebrew, is full of Moses' final words, his reflections on a lifetime of leadership. And within the rabbinic compilation called Devarim Rabbah, a midrash ...
Deuteronomy, the last book of the Torah, isn't just a farewell speech from Moses. It's also a prophecy. A roadmap, if you will, of the Jewish people's journey through exile and red...
The familiar telling remembers the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the mighty hand of God... But what about the internal processes, the spiritual shifts that paved the way for...
It all starts with the verse from Deuteronomy, "You shall know this day, and restore to your heart" (Deuteronomy 4:39). Rabbi Meir interprets this in a fascinating way. He suggests...
Rabbi Levi offers a compelling insight: "One who ate the dish knows its taste." In other words, Moses' own experiences, his own brushes with danger and the law, gave him a unique u...
It might seem like a niche legal issue, but within it lies a profound understanding of justice, forgiveness, and even the nature of hope itself. In Deuteronomy, we read, "Then, Mos...
It's a poignant moment, and the book of Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, illuminates the depth of that experience. "You are crossing t...
The Book of Deuteronomy, or Devarim in Hebrew, opens with Moses preparing to bless the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. But the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic inter...
Kohelet Rabbah, in its wonderfully enigmatic way, wrestles with this very question, using the verse, "The eye is not satisfied..." as its jumping-off point. It’s a verse that speak...
Kohelet Rabbah turns to Elijah — Moses at the Dawn of Creation. The first part, "What has been, already is," gets a fascinating unpacking. Imagine someone questioning if the entire...
Kohelet Rabbah turns to Are Humans Really Better Than Animals. First, the text considers the wicked. It suggests that the "speech of the sons of man" refers to the curses and blasp...
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent figure in the Zohar (the foundational text of Jewish mysticism), puts it this way: a good name is more beloved than the Ark of the Covenant itse...
It's woven into the very fabric of our faith. Rabbi Berekhya, in Kohelet Rabbah, makes a powerful point: acts of kindness appear at the beginning, middle, and end of the Torah. ! F...
Kohelet Rabbah turns to How Bribery and Corruption Cloud Even the Wisest Mind. So, what's the connection? The text suggests that even disagreements amongst Torah scholars can muddl...
Take this one, from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes. It's a powerful allegory, and one we can all relate to. The story begins: ...
The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, certainly did. And the rabbis of old, in their interpretations, saw that same topsy-turvy world reflected in their own times. Kohelet Rabbah, ...
Take the verse from Ecclesiastes (10:8): “One who digs a pit will fall into it; and one who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him.” It's a powerful image. But what does it real...
Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, grapples with this very question, using the famous story of King Solomon and the two mothers t...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, is part of the Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible. Kohelet Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on ...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with these very questions. And the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Kohelet Rabbah, offer a fas...
It all starts with that pivotal moment when Moses encounters God at the burning bush. Remember the verse? "God said to Moses, 'I will be what I will be,' and He said, 'So shall you...
The familiar story is this: God commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites. But Moses hesitates. He protests, famously declaring, "I am not a man of w...
A seemingly insignificant phrase can carry immense weight, altering the course of destiny. to a curious observation from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on ...
It all starts with the verse, "This month shall be for you the first of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you" (Exodus 12:2). But instead of a straightforward exp...
The Book of Exodus, as The familiar version gives us, begins with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. "The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying.." (Exodus 12...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Snake Analogy and Why Israel Needed Redemption Now. One fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exo...
Shemot Rabbah turns to How God Relates to Israel Around the Exodus. The passage starts with the verse, "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), which refers to the month of Nis...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Exodus. Specifically, it focuses on the instruction to take a bunch of hyssop and dip i...
Specifically, What does "song" mean here? According to this Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), it's not necessarily a happy tune. Instead, "song" can refer to disaster, to...
The Torah itself calls it a "night of vigil" – leil shimurim (Exodus 12:42). But what exactly does that mean? What is God watching over? In Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of M...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Why No Foreigner May Eat of the Passover Offering. The Midrash then dives into a comparison between the Exodus from Egypt and the future redemption. During t...
Get out as fast as possible! But (Exodus 13:17) tells us, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them via the land of the Philistines, although it was near, as Go...
It wasn't just about finding the best route to the Promised Land. It was about timing. The Book of Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, of...
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 ...
It all comes down to what those moments taught us about ourselves and about our relationship with God. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpr...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses Sings and the Bond Between God and Israel Endures. ” Rabbi Levi offers a powerful image: Usually, a bride is adorned and perfumed before being led to t...
Can you picture them all crying out at the same moment? Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, tells us that God hears them all concurrently...
The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, offers some fascinating insights. Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ḥanina kicks things off with a quote from (Psalms ...
In Shemot Rabbah, it's a promise. A promise of unwavering commitment, far beyond what any earthly ruler could offer. When a human king builds a palace, can he just uproot it and mo...
More importantly, there's a way out. The verse in Exodus (22:24) says, "If you lend money to My people, to the poor who is with you, you shall not be as a creditor to him; you shal...
That feeling, that fear, is something the Jewish people have grappled with throughout our history. And it's right there in Shemot Rabbah 31, a midrash on the book of Exodus. The pa...
