4,670 related texts · Page 31 of 98
Rabbi Yudan tells us that for seven long years, as Solomon built the Beit Hamikdash, the Temple, he abstained from wine. A monumental achievement. But the moment he finished, the m...
Vayikra Rabbah, specifically chapter 20, dives right into this difficult territory. It starts with a quote from Proverbs (17:26): “To punish also the righteous is not good." It's a...
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...
The ancient rabbis certainly did! They saw profound symbolism woven into every thread, especially when it came to the garments of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. : the High Pries...
Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, explores this idea in a fascinating way. It begins with the v...
It’s a fascinating idea, and one that Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah), specifically section 22, explores in a surprisingly beautiful way. The passage begins by quoting (Psalm 146...
In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Leviticus, we find a powerful exploration of this idea. It all starts with a seemingly simple verse: "You shall...
Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, puts it so powerfully. He says that King David proclaimed, "You, Lord, are forever exalted" (Psalms 92:9). What does it mean to say God is alway...
Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya, citing Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, paint this incredible picture: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to craft shelters and canopies in the Garden of E...
Our sages explore this very idea in Vayikra Rabbah 26, drawing out fascinating contrasts between human promises and divine pronouncements. The passage opens with a verse from Levit...
A song, a smell, a place... and suddenly you're right back there, feeling the weight of it all over again. Jewish tradition is keenly aware of this power of association, and how ea...
It’s more than just a random rule. to Vayikra Rabbah 27 and see what wisdom we can uncover. "A bull, a sheep, or a goat, when it is born, shall be seven days under its mother." Why...
In Jewish tradition, the number seven is definitely one of those numbers. It’s not just a random figure; it's woven into the very fabric of our understanding of the world and our r...
The story begins with two prominent scholars, Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish, deep in discussion. They were grappling with a seemingly simple question: Should the shofar (ram's hor...
King David certainly did. In Vayikra Rabbah 30, we find a fascinating exploration of just that – David's quest for the "way of life" and "abundant joy," as he puts it in (Psalm 16:...
This isn't just about political correctness; it's about the power of our words, our thoughts, and their ripple effects in the cosmos. Rabbi Avin kicks things off with a powerful id...
“And her tears are on her cheeks [leḥya],” over her priests, just as it says: “He shall give to the priest the foreleg, the jaw [haleḥayayim], and the maw” (Deuteronomy 18:3). Alte...
“Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and her wretchedness, all her delights that she had from the days of old; with the fall of her people into the hand of the adver...
“How the Lord has clouded the daughter of Zion in His wrath. He cast the splendor of Israel from the heavens to the earth, and did not remember His footstool on the day of His wrat...
“And did not remember His footstool [hadom raglav],” Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak said: The Holy One blessed be He does not remember that blood [hadam] that was between the legs of the...
“All wayfarers clapped their hands over you; they whistled and shook their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem: Is this the city that was said to be perfect beauty, the joy of the e...
“He has broken my teeth with gravel, covered me in ashes” (Lamentations 3:16).“He has broken my teeth with gravel” – there was an incident involving the son of Rabbi Ḥananya ben Te...
“Remember my affliction and my anguish, wormwood and gall” (Lamentations 3:19).“Remember my affliction and my anguish [umrudi]” – the congregation of Israel says before the Holy On...
“You are covered with wrath and have pursued us; You have killed, did not have compassion. You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass. You have rendered us f...
“How has gold tarnished, the fine gold changed? The sacred stones are spilled at the head of every street” (Lamentations 4:1).“How has gold tarnished [yuam]?” Rabbi Shmuel said: Ho...
“The hands of merciful women cooked their children; they were food for them in the disaster of the daughter of my people” (Lamentations 4:10).“The hands of merciful women cooked th...
“The blind wandered in the streets, having been sullied with blood, so that one could not touch their garments” (Lamentations 4:14).“The blind wandered in the streets.” The blind a...
“Remember, Lord, what befell us; look, and see our disgrace” (Lamentations 5:1).“Remember, Lord, what befell us.” Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “The greyhound, or the goat” (Proverbs 30:31)...
“Our skin burns like an oven due to fear of famine” (Lamentations 5:10).“Our skin burns like an oven.” Two amora’im, one said: Like those sun-withered dates; and one said: Like an ...
Another matter: “One hundred and twenty-seven provinces” – Rabbi Yuda and Rabbi Neḥemya: Rabbi Yuda said: He conquered seven that were as difficult as twenty; he conquered twenty t...
“And governors of the provinces before him.” Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Rabbi Elazar said: Like the court in Geder, where the king sits in judgment above, and all th...
“Have the king appoint officials in all the provinces of his kingdom and they will gather every virgin young woman of fair appearance to the Shushan citadel, to the harem, to the c...
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One blessed be He said to them, to Israel: You wept and said: “We have become orphans, fatherless” (Lamentations 5:3). By yo...
“The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and grace in his eyes more than all the virgins. He set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen in place...
What did Mordekhai say to someone who would say to him: “Why are you violating the king’s command?” (Esther 3:3) Rabbi Levi said: Mordekhai would say: ‘Moses our master cautioned u...
“Haman said to King Aḥashverosh: There is one people that is scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from every peo...
“The king removed his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, son of Hamedata the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews” (Esther 3:10).“The king removed his ring from his hand and gave i...
“And in each and every province, any place where the word of the king and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews” (Esther 4:3).Is there great mourning and mino...
After he erected the gibbet, he went to Mordekhai and found that he was sitting in the study hall with the children sitting before him, with sackcloth on their waists, engaging in ...
“The Jews gathered in their cities in all the provinces of King Aḥashverosh, to lay hand on those who sought their harm. And no one stood against them for the fear of them had fall...
The rabbis of Esther Rabbah made a stunning claim: every time the Hebrew word vayhi ("it was") appears in the Torah, it signals disaster. Rabbi Tanhuma, Rabbi Berekhya, and Rabbi H...
Isn't it fascinating how often we grapple with the line between respect and worship? Where do we draw that boundary? It's a question that goes right to the heart of Jewish thought....
It’s a question that’s been wrestled with for centuries in Jewish tradition. What if someone says Elijah himself appeared to them? According to some, that person might be peddling ...
It's a harsh rebuke, a stark reminder of the damage that lashon hara – evil speech – can inflict. The writer directly confronts his friend, accusing him of believing falsehoods wit...
We've all been there. And sometimes, the debate gets heated! Imagine a conversation, or rather, a spirited disagreement, where someone feels like their carefully considered questio...
Someone is being called out for criticizing the act of diligently seeking to understand the sacred texts. The response is sharp: "Who gave you the authority to seek and investigate...
We call Him by names like YHWH and Adonai, and our sages, may their memory be a blessing, refer to Him as HaKadosh Baruch Hu, "The Holy One, Blessed be He." But what does it all me...
It’s a question that’s occupied mystics and scholars for centuries. And some of the most fascinating answers can be found within the rich tapestry of Jewish esoteric thought. to a ...
