10,602 related texts · Page 87 of 221
And our sages, wrestling with the creation story itself, asked a very similar question. The Book of Psalms (8:5) asks, "What is a mortal that You remember him, a man that You take ...
Because the answer, as is often the case with these things, is layered and lovely. We find a fascinating clue in Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations...
It turns out, even the shapes of the letters themselves can hold profound secrets about creation. to a fascinating interpretation from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabb...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this question, and their answers, tucked away in texts like Bereshit Rabbah, offer a fascinating glimpse into the human condition. The passage in B...
The verse in Genesis (6:14) states: "Craft for you an ark of cypress wood; you shall craft the ark with compartments, and you shall coat it within and without with pitch." Now, Rab...
There's a curious incident involving Noah's son, Ḥam, that raises some eyebrows and leads to some pretty profound interpretations. (Genesis 9:22) tells us, "Ḥam, father of Canaan, ...
to a fascinating exploration of just that, as we unpack a verse from Genesis and see what the Rabbis of old found hidden within its folds. Our journey begins with the powerful word...
The verse in question comes from (1 Chronicles 29:9): “The people rejoiced in their donation, because they donated to the Lord wholeheartedly, and King David too rejoiced with grea...
Like everyone's shouting, "Me! Me! It's all about me!" Well, the ancient rabbis felt that too, and they captured this human tendency in a beautiful, earthy parable found in Bereshi...
That’s where Judah found himself in the biblical story of Joseph. to a powerful moment from that saga, as illuminated by the ancient commentary of Bereshit Rabbah. The verse we’re ...
But what does this seemingly simple commandment truly mean? What deeper lessons about mercy and compassion can we learn from a bird's nest? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic inte...
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 we're looking at is from (E...
The Torah tells us that Pharaoh, increasingly paranoid about the growing Israelite population, ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn baby boys (Exodus 1:16). But the midw...
In the Book of Exodus, we read, "The foremen of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying: Why have you not fulfilled your appointed...
This very human experience echoes in the ancient texts, specifically in a powerful passage from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The ...
And his reaction to Moses and Aaron's miracles in Egypt, as described in Shemot Rabbah, is a masterclass in insecure overcompensation. We all know the story: Moses and Aaron come b...
It's easy to see them as just divine punishment, but the rabbis found layers of meaning, justice, and even hidden miracles within each one. Let's look at the plague of boils as des...
Take Betzalel, for example, the master craftsman of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. We read in (Exodus 31:2), "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur…” But ...
to Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations, and unpack just one verse: "Your eyes are doves." Now, on the surface, it's a beautiful compliment. Poetic, even....
It's not just a love poem, you know. Jewish tradition sees it as an allegory, a story of the love between God and Israel. And within its verses, we find echoes of the Temple, its d...
The Book of Proverbs tells us, "A man's giving expands him" (Proverbs 18:16). But what does that really mean? Well, Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the ...
Seven, for instance, pops up everywhere – the seven days of creation, the seven days of mourning (shiva), the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot (the Festival of Weeks). But ...
And it's one that the ancient rabbis understood deeply. They wrestled with these feelings in their interpretations of scripture, offering us a timeless roadmap for finding strength...
We’re so used to the sun, moon, and stars that we often forget the sheer miracle of their existence, their order, their reliable dance above us. But according to tradition, there's...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating, and frankly, pretty intense passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus. This particular section...
This week, we're diving into Vayikra Rabbah 27, a fascinating exploration of these very questions, sparked by a seemingly simple verse from Leviticus: "A bull, or a sheep, or a goa...
He points out a simple truth: When we wash our clothes on a rainy day, we have to work so hard to dry them. But while we're sleeping soundly, the Holy One, blessed be He, sends a l...
Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Yirmeya, opens a window onto this very idea. He starts with a verse from Proverbs (15:24): "The path of life goes upward for the intelligent." But wha...
It centers around the verse, "And observe My commandments, and perform them" (Leviticus 26:3). What does it really mean to "perform" them? Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina offers a radi...
Ever stumble upon something that seems contradictory, something that makes you scratch your head and wonder, "Wait, did I miss something?" That’s exactly the kind of question someo...
It’s a question that has echoes through Jewish tradition, and one that comes up in a fascinating discussion about bowing down, prostration, and the very nature of God’s glory. The ...
But what if I told you there's a perspective, woven into ancient Jewish thought, that offers a slightly different angle?Now, midrash (מדרש) itself, broadly speaking, is a way of in...
to a fascinating interpretation found in The Midrash of Philo. Philo, a Jewish philosopher living in Alexandria in the first century CE, wasn't afraid to think outside the box. He ...
We're talking about Noah, of course. The righteous man in a world gone completely bonkers. And just before the floodgates open, God says something really interesting: "I will set u...
We often skim past the stark pronouncements in the Torah, like "And all flesh capable of motion perished" (Genesis 7:21), without truly grasping the implications. But what exactly ...
We all know the story: Noah, the ark, the animals, and the rain that just wouldn't stop. But what about that crucial moment when the waters finally receded? (Genesis 8:2) simply st...
Philo, in his Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), dives headfirst into this question when talking about Noah and the flood. It's a fascinating exploration of time, virtue, ...
Philo, in his unique way, dives into this very question, and his insights, drawn from his interpretation of scripture, are surprisingly relevant even today. He speaks of two kinds ...
Take Noah, for example. We all know the story: the ark, the flood, the animals two-by-two. But then, (Genesis 9:20) hits us: "Noah began to be a cultivator of the earth." Okay... s...
We're told, in no uncertain terms, that the Land of Israel is the heart of it all. But it doesn't stop there. Jerusalem, we learn, is the heart of the Land of Israel. And within Je...
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel (Gen. 14:1). R. Tanhuma the son of Abba opened the discussion with the verse The wicked began with the sword, and have bent their bow; t...
And Jacob sent messengers (Gen. 32:4). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: And the Lord uttereth His voice before His army; for his camp is very great, for He is ...
This is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them (Gen. 49:28). Scripture does not say “he blessed him” but rather he blessed them. Why is this so? Because he attribute...
Another comment upon the verse And the Lord said to Aaron: “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses” (Exod. 4:27). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: O that thou wer...
And he took six hundred chosen chariots (Exod. 14:7). Whose beasts drew the chariots? If you should say they belonged to the Egyptians, has it not already been said: And all the ca...
If thou lend money to any of my people (Exod. 22:24). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Well is it with the man that dealeth graciously and lendeth, that order...
Bezalel the son of Uri (Exod. 31:2). He was one of the seven descendants of Adam called by various names. Jesse was called by four names, Bezalel by six, Joshua by eight, Elijah by...
(Lev. 13:2) “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh.” Why does it not say, “Speak unto the Children of Israel,” just as it says in all the [other] sections22In the Pentateuch the...
