1,374 related texts · 18 related myths · Page 27 of 29
What does it really mean? Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, dives right in. It suggests that "the rebuke of a wise man" refers to those who deliver homilies – ...
Kohelet Rabbah turns to How Bribery and Corruption Cloud Even the Wisest Mind. So, what's the connection? The text suggests that even disagreements amongst Torah scholars can muddl...
The ancient sages felt that too, and they offered some pretty timeless advice on how to prioritize what truly matters. Our starting point is a verse from (Ecclesiastes 7:18): "It i...
The wisdom of a man illuminates his face, and the boldness of his face is changed" (Ecclesiastes 8:1). Right away, the Rabbis ask: Who is this wise man? And their answer, in a move...
Today's story from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, speaks directly to that feeling, urging us to pause and consider our approa...
They weren’t afraid to call it out. In Kohelet Rabbah, a commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes, we find a fascinating passage tied to the verse, "This, too, I have seen as wisdom ...
Kohelet Rabbah looks at a small city with few men and sees Sinai, with Moses standing against everything that threatens Torah. The passage starts with an allegory, a little parable...
Kohelet Rabbah turns to Wisdom of Yoav. The story goes that Yoav was laying siege to the city of Avel Beit Maakha, and things were about to get ugly. But then, a wise woman, identi...
It’s a book known for its wisdom, but sometimes couched in rather…opaque language. Take this verse from (Ecclesiastes 10:9): "One who transports stones will be saddened by them; an...
Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, grapples with this very question, using the famous story of King Solomon and the two mothers t...
The first reading, that sounds like a recipe for a pretty good Friday night. The Rabbis saw multiple layers within this simple verse. "A feast is made for laughter"… but what kind ...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with that very idea. It's a book of wisdom, attributed to King Solomon, but some of its verses have sparked d...
The rabbis of old, in their infinite wisdom, dove deep into its poetic verses, finding layers of meaning we might miss today. Specifically, we’re unpacking a rather… vivid interpre...
Not just the biblical Ruth, but the Ruth we meet in the rabbinic imagination – a figure so compelling that her story continues to resonate with us centuries later. The familiar ver...
Our story begins in ancient Egypt, where the Israelites are flourishing, a little too flourishing for the liking of the Pharaoh. He sees their growing numbers as a threat, and so, ...
The verse But what did He see? What did He know? One interpretation, drawing on (Ezekiel 20:9), suggests that God knew it was time to redeem the Israelites for the sake of His name...
The ancient rabbis saw that struggle playing out in the life of Moses, as he stood on the cusp of his world-changing mission. The book of Exodus (4:18) tells us, "Moses went and re...
The book of Exodus tells us that God spoke, but the how… that’s where the Jewish tradition gets truly wondrous. Our exploration starts with a seemingly simple verse: “The Lord said...
The familiar story is this:, but Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary) – interpretations and expansions – on the Book of Exodus, offer...
Even Moses, the great lawgiver, felt that way. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers us a fascinating glimpse into a moment where Mo...
Our starting point is the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2). But Shemot Rabbah, in its characteristic way, finds a connection to (Micah 6:4): "I sent Moses, Aaron, ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did! And they painted a vibrant picture, filled with light, healing, and unimaginable peace. Our starting point is a fascinating passage from Shemot Ra...
The verse "Draw, and take for yourselves lambs" (Exodus 12:21) might seem straightforward, but the Rabbis saw layers of meaning. They connect it to the verse "With stillness and pl...
The verse Here's the twist. God says, "I wrote in the Torah: ‘You shall let the mother go, and take the young for yourself’ (Deuteronomy 22:7)." This refers to the mitzvah, the com...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Ten Commandments of David. Think of it like this: Imagine two people going to court. One's a lawyer, the other's just winging it. What makes the layman m...
"Endow the king with Your justice, God…May he judge Your people with righteousness" (Psalms 72:1–2). Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, a key figure in the compilation of the Mishnah (the earlie...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, dives deep into this idea, using the verse "If you lend money to My people" (Exodus 22:24) as a springboard ...
Take the story of the Golden Calf. According to Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, that single act changed everything. "Behold, I am sen...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exchange. God tells Moses, "And you, draw near to you." Now, Moses isn't exa...
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 ...
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...
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...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a fascinating perspective on this, likening the people of Israel to a vine. Rabbi Tanhuma bar ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw the world – our world, and all the worlds beyond – as hanging in the balance, dependent on something surprisingly simple: our commitment ...
The Torah portion of Terumah introduces us to Betzalel, the artisan chosen to construct the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. But where did he get all that skill? Shemot Rabbah, a classical...
A verse from Psalms (45:17): “Your sons will be in the stead of your fathers.” This seemingly simple statement kicks off a fascinating exploration of legacy and lineage, asking: Wh...
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 ancient rabbis grappled with this very feeling, this sense that some groups seem to get away with things that others don't. And they found surprising answers in the stories of ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9, a section of the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, and it’s not always what you’d expect. The verse under discussion is "I have likened you, my love...
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...
Like, you look around and wonder, "How did we get here?" Well, ancient Jewish wisdom has some thoughts on that – and a surprising solution involving a rose. to Shir HaShirim Rabbah...
As with many ancient mysteries, there's not just one answer, but a tradition of explanations woven together. One fascinating perspective comes to us from Rabbi Yehuda, quoting Rabb...
Forget the sanitized Sunday school version. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations, offers a glimpse into a world of...
The ancient rabbis did, and they found clues in the most unexpected places, even in the love poetry of the Song of Songs! It speaks of a "palanquin" made by King Solomon. But this ...
How the Rabbis Connected Doves to the Sanhedrin Court is the question behind this passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah. The first reading, it's a beautiful compliment. Poetic, even. B...
Like any great poem, it's been interpreted in countless ways. one particularly fascinating interpretation from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs. We'...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this feeling, turning to the beautiful, enigmatic verses of the Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim) for answers. to one such interpretation from Shir HaS...
The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of interpretations on the Song of Songs, brings us this fascinating idea. The verse "Black as a raven" sparks a discussion, and Rabbis Alexan...
