1,629 related texts · 12 related myths · Page 32 of 34
The familiar version gives us about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea.. but there's a smaller, more personal story woven into the grand narrative of the Exodus. It's a story ...
We pour our hearts out, sometimes in joy, sometimes in desperation. But is anyone actually listening? The Book of Exodus Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Boo...
Jewish tradition recognizes that very tension within us, and even within the relationship between God and Israel. Shemot Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commenta...
The scene unfolds like this: the Israelites are trapped between the pursuing Egyptian army and the seemingly insurmountable Red Sea. Moses, holding his staff, is their leader, thei...
There's a fascinating, and perhaps unsettling, perspective offered in Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, that uses a surprising analogy...
Pay close attention to that little word, "Then" – in Hebrew, az. "Az Moses sang.." That tiny word holds a universe of meaning, according to Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic ...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Horse and His Rider Cast Into the Sea. Shemot Rabbah, that rich collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glim...
The Israelites, fresh from their miraculous escape from Egypt, certainly did. The book of Exodus tells us, "Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went out to the wilderness of...
The Jewish people know that feeling all too well. In fact, there's a fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, that uses...
The familiar picture has it as a solitary moment, maybe Moses standing on the mountain alone. But Jewish tradition paints a much grander, more awe-inspiring picture. Get ready for ...
It’s a declaration, a relationship. And Shemot Rabbah, the great collection of homiletical teachings on the Book of Exodus, offers some profound insights into why this phrasing is ...
The verse "These are the ordinances that you shall place before them" (Exodus 21:1) seems straightforward enough. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw much more. Shemot Ra...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Building a Dwelling Place for the Divine Presence on Earth. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to Israel, "You are My flock and I am a shepherd." Isn't that a...
It's not that God needs our light, the text insists. As it says, it’s not that I need the light of the candelabra." why then does God command us to bring light? Here's the beautifu...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Aaron and His Sons Chosen to Lead Israel in Service. The text cleverly connects this verse in Exodus to one in Zechariah (10:4): “From it will come a corners...
Shemot Rabbah turns to How Aaron Reacted When Moses Smashed the Tablets. The scene: Moses is descending from Mount Sinai, clutching the tablets of the law. He sees the Israelites r...
The ancient rabbis, plumbing the depths of the Torah, had a different take, and it’s one that resonates even today. We find a fascinating discussion in Shemot Rabbah, a collection ...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exploration of this very idea. The verse "This is the matter [hadavar]" (Exo...
It's like tossing a pebble into a pond, the ripples go far beyond what you can see. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, explores this ver...
The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, explores this very idea. It centers around the verse in (Proverbs 2:6), "For the Lord grants wisd...
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...
The book of Exodus and the sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explore this very idea. In (Exodus 32:7), we read, "The Lord spoke to Moses: Go descend; for your...
The familiar story is this: Moses ascends Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and the Israelites, impatient and fearful, build a golden idol. But what happens behind the scenes, in t...
The Book of Exodus, Shemot in Hebrew, tells the story of the Israelites' journey from slavery to freedom, a story punctuated by moments of incredible faith and… well, moments of pr...
In (Exodus 32:9), after the sin of the Golden Calf, God says to Moses, "I have seen this people and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people." But what exactly does "stiff-necked" even...
That’s kind of the situation Moses found himself in after the incident of the Golden Calf. The people had strayed, big time, and God was understandably furious. But Moses, ever the...
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...
The story of how he did it, according to Shemot Rabbah, is The verse says, "Remember Abraham.." But the question is, why Abraham? Why not just appeal to God's mercy directly? Rabbi...
He's being asked to lead the Israelites, but he feels utterly unprepared, and he's not afraid to tell God exactly how he feels. The verse that sets the stage is (Exodus 33:12): “Mo...
Shemot Rabbah (a classical collection of Rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus) explores this very human dynamic, and it hits surprisingly close to home. Then it veers int...
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...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Ark of Acacia Wood and the Light It Contains. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) is suggesting that just as God’s “opening words” brought lig...
Shemot Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a fascinating glimpse. Specifically, Shemot Rabbah 51 dives into the idea that the Israelite...
That feeling, that struggle, is something deeply human, and surprisingly, it echoes in the story of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
Shemot Rabbah sees the Tabernacle not only as a sanctuary, but as a mirror of creation itself. The passage starts with a seemingly simple statement: "They brought the Tabernacle." ...
Almost immediately, we're whisked away to a completely different topic: cheese. Specifically, the cheese of the gentiles. The Mishnah (the earliest code of rabbinic law) in Avoda Z...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of Songs, dives deep into the verse where God tells Abraham, “Go you from your land, fro...
The tradition turns to Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classic rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs (also known as Song of Solomon). The rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, find layers...
That, my friends, is a glimpse into the mystical world of Torah study as described in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a beautiful, poetic exploration of the Song of Songs. It starts with the...
"While the king was at his feast..." (Song of Songs 1:12). Rabbi Pinḥas, quoting Rabbi Hoshaya, connects this verse to the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, and His "feas...
It’s a humbling, and frankly, a little thought. And it's exactly what we find explored in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings and interpretations on the Song o...
In the ancient wisdom of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the Song of Songs commentary, we find just that: the humble lily as a powerful metaphor for the enduring spirit of Israel. Rabbi Avun...
The apple tree in Shir HaShirim Rabbah is not decoration. It is Sinai in bloom. Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ze'eira notices the order of the tree: blossom first, leaves after. Israel, he s...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to God as a Gazelle Leaping Between the Patriarchs. Think about a gazelle, leaping effortlessly across the landscape. That's how the Holy One, blessed be...
The ancient rabbis certainly understood that feeling, and they used powerful stories to explore it. The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song o...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to The Hidden Terror of Slavery Behind the Red Sea Miracle. The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection of interp...
Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Ilai, a sage of the 2nd century, offers a beautiful analogy. He interprets the verse in Song of Songs (3:9), "Palanquin," as referring to the Ark. Now, what's ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah opens the verse about a crown, "At the crown with which his mother crowned him" (Song of Songs 3:11), and turns it into a portrait of God's love for Israel. Ra...
