1,523 related texts · 18 related myths · Page 31 of 32
The ancient rabbis grappled with this, too. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, we find a fascinating story that touches on ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah centers this passage on Sixty Righteous Souls Under the Tree of Life in Eden. What's truly astonishing is the sheer scale described. It's taught that the Tree ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah centers this passage on Sixty Queens and Eighty Concubines - An Exodus Allegory. It doesn't stop there! "And eighty concubines," the verse continues. According...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, and unpacking just such a verse. Get ready for a journey through noble lineage, the power of brit milah (circumcision), a...
It all revolves around the verse in (Song of Songs 8:2): "I would lead you, would bring you to my mother's house, that you would teach me; I would give you to drink from the spiced...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah centers this passage on Yehoyakhin and the King. Rabbi Berekhya suggests a beautiful interpretation: the "seal upon your heart" is the recitation of the Shema,...
A beautiful analogy, connecting the "vineyard" mentioned in Song of Songs to the Sanhedrin, the ancient Jewish high court. Why a vineyard? Because, as we learned in Mishna Eduyot, ...
It all starts with a verse from (Song of Songs 8:13): “The one who dwells in the gardens, companions listen to your voice; let me hear it.” Rabbi Natan, quoting Rabbi Aḥa, uses a p...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Vayikra Rabbah, that treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations, offers us some beautiful insights. Rabbi Yehoshua ben ...
This week, we're diving into Vayikra Rabbah 6, a fascinating passage that wrestles with the complexities of truth, testimony, and our relationship with both God and each other. It ...
Jewish tradition certainly does, especially when it comes to oaths. In fact, the Rabbis saw the misuse of oaths as so serious that it could literally bring down the house! Vayikra ...
The Torah tells us of an agreement, a covenant, between God and the Israelites. But the details, as explored in Vayikra Rabbah, are far more intricate and, frankly, a little . Rabb...
The Vayikra Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, dives into the idea that even our innermost thoughts have significance. In Vayikra Rabbah 7, we fin...
Believe it or not, the ancient rabbis had some thoughts on the matter. to Vayikra Rabbah, specifically chapter 8, a fascinating collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Levi...
It happens. But sometimes those moments can teach us something profound about ourselves and the world. Let me tell you a story from Vayikra Rabbah that really hit home for me. It s...
Bar Kappara starts with a verse from Proverbs: “Wisdom has built her house” (Proverbs 9:1). He equates this house with the Torah itself. Makes sense. The Torah is our foundation, t...
Not just Torah as in, "read the text." More like, experience the Torah. The passage begins with a verse from Psalms (19:9): "The precepts of the Lord are upright, gladdening the he...
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...
A passage from Vayikra Rabbah 13 that explores just that. It all starts with the verse, "The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them" (Leviticus 11:1). Seems straightforwa...
As Rav teaches us, the mitzvot (commandments) were given to Israel to refine us, to elevate us. Why? "He is a shield for all who rely on Him" (Proverbs 30:5). Because God protects ...
That’s because, often, it is! one such instance. We find ourselves in Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah) 19, diving into a seemingly straightforward verse from (Leviticus 15:25), de...
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman starts us off by interpreting a verse about evildoers in light of the Goliath narrative. He points out how Goliath, described in Samuel as approaching "ever...
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...
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...
The verse from (Leviticus 23:24) sets the stage: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, shall be a rest for you, a remembrance b...
The verse in Leviticus (23:40) instructs us: "You shall take for you on the first day the fruit of a pleasant tree, branches of date palms, and a bough of a leafy tree, and willows...
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:...
It uses the four species taken on Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles, as a metaphor for the Jewish people. It comes from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive comment...
Vayikra Rabbah imagines Moses ascending into a heavenly debate over Torah, wisdom, and power. The tradition turns to Vayikra Rabbah, specifically chapter 31. This Midrash, a collec...
When Israel Is Sold Into Exile God Goes With Them is the question behind this passage from Vayikra Rabbah. Heavy stuff. So, what’s the solution? Despair? Assimilation? Absolutely n...
The verse from Proverbs sets the stage: “One hand to another will not be absolved from evil, [but the descendant of the righteous will escape]” (Proverbs 11:21). This raises the qu...
Birth order, historical sequence. But what if there’s more to it than that? Vayikra Rabbah 36, a fascinating passage in the rabbinic commentary on Leviticus, flips that script on u...
“Pay them retribution, Lord, according to their handiwork” (Lamentations 3:64).“Pay them retribution” – Jeremiah said: “Pay them retribution.” Asaf said: “Pay our neighbors retribu...
Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “But you did not call Me, Jacob, for you wearied of Me, Israel” (Isaiah 43:22). Rabbi Yoḥanan understood it [the verse in (Isaiah 43:22)] from this, as it is w...
Rabbi Berekhya said: The Holy one blessed be He recorded the redemption of Israel in the Torah, as it is written: “If a stranger who is a resident among you shall prosper…” (Leviti...
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 confront 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. the...
Kissing is often remembered as a sign of affection, love, or respect. But in ancient times, it could also be a form of worship. Strange. The Bible itself gives us a glimpse into th...
That’s kind of the vibe I get from this passage. Someone (we don't know who, exactly) has just asked a question about prophecy. Now, the author of this text (also unnamed in this s...
Remember how we talked last time about the "Wars of God," those intellectual battles fought over the proper approach to divine wisdom? Well, buckle up, because the debate rages on!...
How do we know what's real, especially when it comes to something as immense as the Divine? How do we stay on the path, the derech, when so many voices clamor for our attention? Th...
Jewish thought is FULL of those moments. The source unfolds one Our journey starts with what some might call "foolishness and evil folly." Strong words. The text we're looking at q...
a world where falsehood reigns and those who uphold Torah are scorned. It's a harsh indictment, a cry of pain from someone who feels that the very foundations of their community ar...
Isn't it frustrating when someone twists your words, puts ideas in your mouth, and generally acts in bad faith? That's the vibe I get from this next section of "The Wars of God." S...
The esteemed Rabbi Tam, of blessed memory, as we learn, was deeply troubled by these developments. He saw these new approaches to Kabbalah as a breach, a violation of the very fenc...
Jewish mysticism offers us a glimpse, a whisper of understanding, and some of the most fascinating insights come from the Zohar, the foundational text of Kabbalah. And within the Z...
This is a tricky concept, one that's tripped up even seasoned students of Kabbalah. We're diving deep into the nature of the Divine, confronting ideas about creation, generation, a...
The Jewish tradition grapples with this very question, and it's a fascinating journey to explore. Rabbi Tzadok ben Yechiel, in the book "Ravid HaZahav," makes a crucial distinction...
