808 related texts · Page 10 of 17
They were enslaved, toiling under Pharaoh’s harsh rule. They’d hoped things would get better when he died, maybe his son would be more merciful. But nope. The new Pharaoh? Even wor...
We all know the story: Moses and Aaron plead with Pharaoh, Pharaoh refuses, plagues ensue. But what about the details? The little human moments tucked away in the grand narrative? ...
They'd just given him a hard time, no doubt. You can almost picture him throwing his hands up in exasperation, turning to God with a plea. According to Legends of the Jews, Moses p...
We find Moses in a rather… argumentative mood. It all starts when Moses witnesses God writing the attribute of "long-suffering" – in Hebrew, erekh apayim – into the Torah. Now, ere...
The moment at Mount Sinai. Imagine it: Revelation itself, unfolding before the eyes of all Israel. The Torah, the divine instruction, about to be given. A moment of unparalleled fa...
Jewish legend has a beautiful answer. The story goes that after Moses finished writing the Torah, he wiped his pen on his forehead. Now, this wasn't just any ink. This was heavenly...
Twelve days of celebration, twelve days of dedication… and Aaron's tribe, the Levites? Nowhere to be seen. According to Legends of the Jews, Aaron was deeply troubled. "Woe is me!"...
Jewish tradition is full of this – names packed with meaning, whispers of destiny. a few, shall we? Take Shelumiel, for instance. Prince of the tribe of Simeon. Shelumiel means "My...
Moses knew something profound. He understood that, more than anything else, God valued mercy. Remember the story of the Golden Calf? When the Israelites went completely astray, Mos...
He had led the Israelites through unimaginable hardship, pleaded with God on their behalf countless times, and witnessed miracles beyond comprehension. Yet, when he faltered, the h...
The Torah portion V'Zot HaBerachah, "This is the blessing," recounts the final moments of Moses, and the sages fill in the gaps with incredible stories. Imagine this: Moses, the ma...
It's a wild ride of heavenly ascent and divine secrets. In this particular passage, Rabbi Ishmael encounters Seganzegael, a powerful angelic being, the Prince of the Presence. Now,...
R. Eliezer says: They journeyed by the word, for thus do we find in two or three places. What, then, is the intent of "And Moses made Israel journey?" He did so against their will,...
The passage from (Proverbs 1:22-33) kicks things off: "'How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?'... 'and fools hate knowledge.'" The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive com...
They turned to midrash, a method of interpreting scripture that fills in gaps, answers questions, and breathes life into the text. Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage fr...
to a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, specifically Psalm 93. The passage begins with a powerful statement: "Your te...
Sometimes, the connection isn’t immediately obvious. Take, for instance, the verses about atonement and taking a census in the book of Exodus. What’s the link? The Pesikta DeRav Ka...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. And in the Sifrei Bamidbar, a mishnah (the earliest code of rabbinic law) of legal commentary on the Book of Numbers, they explore this very idea,...
Today, we’re diving into the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), specifically chapter 18 in Sifrei Bamidbar, to unpack the intense responsibilities placed on the Kohanim and Levi'im (Levit...
It all starts with the verse, "All that opens the womb of all flesh" (Numbers 18:15). Right away, the text asks a crucial question: does this include animals? The answer, as often ...
Moses, the great lawgiver himself, knew that feeling. We find in Sifrei Bamidbar, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection on the Book of Numbers, a poignant momen...
That feeling of responsibility, that urge to protect the ones you care about... it's deeply human, isn't it? But what if that feeling extended to an entire nation? What if you were...
Furthermore, said R. Levi b. Chama, in the name of Resh Lakish : "What is meant by the passage (Ex. 24:12) And I will give thee the tablets of stone, with the law and the Commandme...
It turns out, quite a few times. And each counting, each census, seems to carry its own weight, its own story. Our springboard is the verse in Numbers, 2:32: "These are those who w...
Why priests were priests, Levites were Levites, and the firstborn... well, what was the deal with the firstborn? Our story begins in Bamidbar Rabbah 6, a section of the great Midra...
The Torah, in its infinite wisdom, touches upon this very feeling when describing the Levites. We find in (Numbers 3:46), "All the counted, whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of ...
Jewish tradition offers a powerful and comforting message: that those who choose righteousness are deeply loved and cherished by God. In fact, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive co...
But in Jewish tradition, there are moments where even MOSES, our greatest prophet, seems to do just that. to one of those fascinating instances from Bamidbar Rabbah 19. The verse w...
It's more than just a day off; it's a taste of something truly divine. Bereshit Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, offers some bea...
The verse we're focusing on is from (Genesis 2:7): "Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground [adama], and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became ...
Take this passage from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy. It all starts with a verse: "It will be, because you heed these ordinances, an...
It's a poignant moment, and the book of Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, sheds light on the depth of that experience. "You are crossin...
Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on Deuteronomy, unpacks this verse in a beautiful way. Rabbi Yitzhak suggests that being "blessed in the city" is a reward ...
The Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a breathtakingly intimate perspective on that pivotal moment. Specifically, Shemot...
Remember the manna, that miraculous bread from heaven? God instructed the Israelites to gather only what they needed for each day, except on Friday, when they were to collect a dou...
But in Jewish tradition, a census wasn't just a matter of logistics. It was a delicate, even potentially dangerous, undertaking. Shemot Rabbah, a rich collection of midrash (rabbin...
This passage grapples with the aftermath of the Golden Calf. Moses is up on Mount Sinai, receiving the Torah, while the Israelites down below are, well, not exactly holding the fai...
Our tradition wrestles with that very feeling in the story of the Golden Calf. Imagine the scene: Moses is up on Mount Sinai, receiving the Torah, the very blueprint for a just and...
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...
It’s a question that delves into the very heart of our tradition, and Shemot Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah) offers some pretty powerful insights. Let's unpack it. The verse in question is ...
Take Betzalel, for example, the master craftsman of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. We read in (Exodus 31:2), "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur…” But ...
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...
Today, we’re diving into a fascinating interpretation of a verse from the Song of Songs – Shir HaShirim – that explores just this idea: the contrast between foul odor and sweet fra...
It's not just a love poem, you know. Jewish tradition sees it as an allegory, a story of the love between God and Israel. And within its verses, we find echoes of the Temple, its d...
Today, we’re diving into a passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, that explores just that feeling. Specifically, we're lo...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this question, and their insights, preserved in texts like Vayikra Rabbah, offer some truly fascinating answers. Rabbi Abba bar Avina, a sage of ol...
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (Exod. 25:8). On which day did He relate to Moses the portion relating to the Temple? It was on the Day of Atonement. ...
Those weren't just pretty gems; they were powerful symbols, each one connected to a tribe of Israel and radiating its unique essence. Today, let's focus on two of those stones, and...
