2,086 related texts · Page 12 of 44
The Torah is full of such moments, and the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) are masters at unearthing the layers of meaning. Let's take a peek into Bereshit...
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." We all know the famous line from Ecclesiastes (3:1). But have you ever stopped to consider just how m...
The scene is set: Jacob, disguised as his brother Esau, deceives his aging and blind father Isaac to receive the blessing meant for the firstborn. The Torah tells us, "He came to h...
The book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, opens with the simple phrase, "These are the words…" And immediately, the ancient interpreters of our tradition, the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbin...
It's one of those burning questions that lingers after you read the Book of Exodus. We celebrate Passover every year, retelling the story of the Exodus, and Moses is the central fi...
Like stacking the deck. Well, Shemot Rabbah, the great collection of interpretations on the Book of Exodus, wrestles with just that. One fascinating reading hinges on a verse from ...
We often focus on the miraculous nature of it all, but sometimes, the Rabbis of the Midrash offer us insights into the why behind the what. Take the plague of locusts, for instance...
In (Exodus 10:21), God tells Moses to stretch out his hand, and the text says, "there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, and the darkness will be tangible." Tangible! What do...
Our story today comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. Specifically, we're diving into section 15, which grapples with the meanin...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Exodus. We’re looking at chapter 17, which delves into the symbolism of the Passover of...
We often focus on the miracles, the parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Torah. But nestled within that incredible narrative are moments of sheer, unadulterated divine power.....
The ancient texts offer some fascinating perspectives. Let's look at (Exodus 12:23), the verse describing the pasach, the Passover: "The Lord will pass to smite Egypt, and He will ...
Today's story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It's a powerful reflection on God's role in the Exodus, and really, in all o...
It’s a concept that’s wrestled with beautifully in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The verse "I will sing to the Lord, for He is exal...
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...
What's in a name? More than you might think. Our tradition teaches that a good name is more valuable than even the finest oils. But why? The text opens with a striking statement: "...
The passage starts by quoting (Exodus 37:1): “Betzalel crafted the Ark of acacia wood: its length was two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit an...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classical Rabbinic commentary on Song of Songs, offers a fascinating perspective. It suggests that we can "recount your love through wine [miyayin]." But ...
It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs itself: “The fig tree has formed its unripe figs, and the vines in blossom have emitted fragrance. Rise, my love, my fair one, and...
We find this echoed in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon. This text isn't just about romance; it's a profound alle...
It all hinges on this verse: "It is the sound of my beloved knocking." The Rabbis interpret this verse in a powerful way, linking the "knocking" to Moses and his announcement of th...
The passage begins by interpreting a verse about those who left Egypt during the Exodus. It states, "There are sixty queens…" But instead of taking this literally, the Rabbis offer...
Our story begins with a loaf of bread on the road, and it takes us on a journey filled with divine insight, legal intricacies, and a little bit of wine! The tale, found in Vayikra ...
It is written: “And set it in the ears of Joshua” (Exodus 17:14), this is one of four righteous people to whom a portent was given; two sensed it and two did not sense it. A porten...
And the Lord said unto Moses: “stretch out thy hand toward the heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt” (Exod. 10:21). Scripture ...
And it shall be when thy son asketh thee tomorrow: “What is this?” (Exod. 13:14). Sometimes tomorrow means the next day, and sometimes it means the time to come. In the verse When ...
See I, etc. (Deuteronomy 11:26): This is what is stated in the verse (Job 36:10-12), "He opens their ear by discipline, etc. If they will listen and serve, they shall spend their d...
We all know the highlights – the Nile turning to blood, the frogs, the darkness. But some sources really dial up the intensity, giving us a truly nightmarish vision of divine retri...
We know the big story: the plagues, the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the nitty-gritty details of those first few days of freedom? The Book of Jasher, a text m...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so. And when it comes to the Tribes of Israel, their names aren't just labels, they're prophecies, whispers of a future redemption woven into the ...
According to Legends of the Jews, Jethro, Zipporah's father, gave Moses considerable wealth and his daughter's hand in marriage. But there was a condition. Jethro, a Midianite prie...
The legends tell us that God, in His infinite wisdom, gave Moses a glimpse into the years to come, specifically concerning his own life and fate. This wasn't a simple prophecy, but...
Pharaoh, puffed up with his own power, demanded proof. "Who will believe you," he sneered, "when you claim to be God's ambassadors, if you can't even perform wonders that convince ...
It's not just about a people escaping slavery. It’s a cosmic battle, a divine showdown. Think of it as a king going to war, but this king? This king is the Lord. According to Legen...
The frogs were gone. Vanished! You'd think he'd be thanking his lucky stars. You'd think he’d be packing up the Israelites and sending them on their way with a "Godspeed!" But nope...
The Torah itself describes the plague of boils in stark terms (Exodus 9:8-12). But the Legends of the Jews, that magnificent collection of rabbinic lore compiled by Louis Ginzberg,...
Think of that friend who finally starts exercising after a doctor's warning, or the colleague who suddenly becomes a team player when their job is on the line. Well, Pharaoh, in th...
Moses, the man who stood toe-to-toe with Pharaoh, the man who witnessed unimaginable plagues unleashed upon Egypt, still maintained a certain level of deference. It's almost counte...
It's more than just a ritual; it's a declaration of independence. God wouldn’t have redeemed Israel, wouldn’t have pulled them out of Egypt, if they hadn’t turned away from idol wo...
It’s more than just a day off. It’s a connection to something ancient, something profound. It’s a chance to step back and remember. But it wasn't always easy. Imagine this: The Isr...
They've just been liberated from slavery in Egypt, they're being miraculously fed with manna – that heavenly bread that just appears each day – and, according to the lore, they're ...
Our ancestors did the very same thing, as we learn from the story of Moses and the water from the rock. Imagine the scene: The Israelites are wandering in the desert, thirsty, desp...
Today, let's talk about Amalek. You might remember Amalek from the Bible – this was the nation that attacked the Israelites shortly after their miraculous Exodus from Egypt. It see...
It wasn't just about God wanting to give the Torah, you see. According to the legends, it was about who was receiving it. : right after the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites weren'...
The ancient stories certainly resonate with that feeling. Today, we’re diving into a powerful moment in the relationship between God and the Israelites after the Exodus, a moment f...
There you are, wandering in the desert, sustained by food that literally falls from the sky. And yet…you grumble. You whine. You say, "Ugh, not manna again!" It sounds almost unbel...
The Israelites, fresh from the Exodus, knew that feeling all too well. And in Deuteronomy, Moses doesn’t pull any punches reminding them of it. He lays it all out, a litany of miss...
It might seem like a simple administrative task, but according to some fascinating Jewish traditions, there's a deeper, more spiritual reason behind it. The story goes that God com...
