2,435 related texts · 25 related myths · Page 50 of 51
The verse He says that wherever eleh appears, it acts like a reset button, essentially rejecting what came before. On the other hand, ve'eleh – "and these" – adds to what was previ...
A seemingly straightforward instruction: "The Lord said to Moses: Count every firstborn male of the children of Israel from one month old and above, and take the number of their na...
Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, explores this very question, specifically in the context of redeeming firstborn sons. The passage hinges...
The Torah tells us in (Numbers 4:29), “The sons of Merari, by their families, by their patrilineal house, you shall count them.” Now, it first appears all Levites were treated equa...
A fascinating, and frankly, a little unsettling, passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 9 that tackles this very idea, exploring the consequences of hidden sins, specifically adultery, and h...
We flip a switch and flood a room with light without a second thought. But millennia ago, kindling a flame was a precious act. So why did God command it in the Mishkan, the Taberna...
Bamidbar Rabbah, if you're not familiar, is a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection, meaning it's a compilation of rabbinic interpretations and expansions on the ...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those brilliant interpreters of Jewish texts, grappled with this very question. In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rab...
While there aren't easy answers, Jewish tradition grapples with this in profound ways. a fascinating Midrash – a rabbinic interpretation – from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), sp...
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...
That feeling of existential dread isn't new. In fact, it’s wrestled with in some of our most ancient texts. to a passage from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretatio...
It's like, bam, out of nowhere, you're bearing a load you didn't even see coming. Well, the ancient Israelites knew that feeling all too well when they found themselves in Egypt. W...
Where is God, exactly? Is He up in the heavens, completely removed from our earthly struggles? Or is He still somehow… here? The book of Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic int...
Instead, greatness is often forged in the quiet moments, the seemingly insignificant tasks. Shemot Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text – a compilati...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating, and frankly chilling, comparison ...
It seemed hopeless. So, what turned the tide? What was the secret ingredient that finally led to their redemption? The Book of Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretatio...
It was about a whole new way of counting time itself. Think of it this way. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Exodus, offers a beautiful analogy to e...
It's a declaration. The text connects it to the verse "Happy is the nation that the Lord is its God" (Psalms 33:12), suggesting a deep link between national identity, divine provid...
It begins with the verse, "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), spoken to Moses and Aaron. Why them? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks, why did God speak t...
Eleven! As it says, "From Egypt to the Land of Israel there are eleven journeys, which can be conducted in eleven days." (Shemot Rabbah 20). So, why did it end up taking them forty...
Jewish tradition teaches us that this feeling might be more than just a lucky coincidence. It might be the very presence of the Divine. Shemot Rabbah, a classic compilation of rabb...
It suggests that God isn't just listening, but already knows what's in our hearts, even before we utter a word. The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the B...
A collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, the answer might surprise you. It all goes back to Mount Sinai. Rabbi Yitzḥak makes a bold claim: Everything the prophets w...
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 ...
A collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, there's a whole world of meaning packed into that single verse. It wasn't just a pronouncement; it was an entrance. ...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, dives right into this question with a powerful idea. It begins with the verse, "These are the ordinances...
Our tradition teaches that wealth, valor, and wisdom are not inherently good or bad – it's how we use them that truly matters. Shemot Rabbah (31) explores this very question, drawi...
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...
It all comes down to the seemingly simple phrase, "You shall craft the boards for the Tabernacle." This comes from Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations o...
A collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, there are four specific things that God longs for from His creation. The passage begins with the verse, "And you sha...
Take the story of atonement after the sin of the Golden Calf. It all starts with an offering. But what kind of offering? The verse in Exodus tells us to "Take one young bull." But ...
The familiar picture has him descending triumphantly, tablets in hand. But what if the timing was more delicate than we imagine? Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
Rabbi Abahu tells us that for all forty days Moses spent up on the mountain, he was studying Torah… and forgetting it just as quickly. Can you imagine the frustration? "Master of t...
You remember the story. Moses is up on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah, and the Israelites, feeling abandoned, panic and create a golden idol to worship. Big mistake. Shemot Rabbah...
In our tradition, People often turn to stories to explore these complex emotions and find a path forward. a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpr...
Take, for instance, this powerful moment described in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. We find Moses, pleading with God. The Israelite...
Where a promise seemed broken, and you just had to ask, "What now?" That's the kind of raw honesty we find in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of...
The familiar story centers on the first set, shattered in anger at the sight of the Golden Calf. But what about the second? Was it just a simple do-over? Shemot Rabbah, the compila...
The verse in question is (Exodus 34:27), "Write for yourself these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." But what does "these ...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. We find this idea beautifully illustrated in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It uses a verse...
It’s not always just for emphasis. Sometimes, there’s a deeper, almost heartbreaking reason. Take the word mishkan, "Tabernacle," in the Book of Exodus. We find it stated twice in ...
Our ancestors certainly did. And they found a beautiful way to confront that tension, a way that still resonates today. It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (6:10): “W...
The Torah portion of Vayikra (Leviticus) dives deep into the intricate world of offerings, and Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Leviticus, illuminates on...
It all starts with the verse: “Take Aaron, and his sons with him, and the vestments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of un...
The book of Job speaks to that feeling. "Even at this my heart trembles veyitar from its place" (Job 37:1). What does veyitar even mean? Rabbi Aha and Rabbi Ze'eira, in Vayikra Rab...
There was a lot of… well, let's call it "divine growing pains." The Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, gives us a glimps...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Land — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation. What exactly is the omer? It's a ritual offering of barley, brought to the Temple in Jerusalem on the second day of ...
“Her impurity is on her hems, she had not considered her end; she has declined extraordinarily, there is no one to comfort her. See, Lord, my affliction, for the enemy has expanded...
