975 related texts · 16 related myths · Page 20 of 21
Rabbi Levi makes a staggering claim in Shemot Rabbah: a single, perfectly observed Shabbat (the Sabbath) could bring about the Messiah. He says, “If Israel observes Shabbat properl...
The familiar story is this:, but the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those ancient interpreters of scripture, explore the details, revealing layers of mea...
It quickly jumps to a seemingly unrelated verse from Psalms: "I had said: You are divine beings, celestial beings, all of you" (Psalms 82:6). What's the connection? Shemot Rabbah e...
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 feeling, that sense of unfair ostracism, resonates deeply within a fascinating interpretation of the Torah portion Ki Tissa in Shemot Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah). The familiar read...
That, in a nutshell, is the tragedy of the Golden Calf. But how quickly did things really fall apart after the revelation at Sinai? The rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive...
Like, "Why does this even exist?" The ancient rabbis grappled with this too. And in Shemot Rabbah (a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus), we find a fascinating e...
A fascinating, even audacious, story from Shemot Rabbah – a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It's a story about Moses, the ultimate intercessor, and it...
It seems even Moses, the great lawgiver himself, felt that way at one point. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ex...
Shemot Rabbah notices the repeated phrases that shape Moses' life: "The Lord spoke with Moses," "The Lord said to Moses," "Moses said to the Lord," and "Moses spoke to the Lord." T...
The Torah tells us, "He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, ...
The Torah tells us that when Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony – the luchot ha-brit (לוחות הברית) – he didn't realize his face was radiating li...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Betzalel and the Lawgiver of Behold. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, offers a fascinating perspective on this que...
It involves the story of Betzalel, the artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The verse says, "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel" (Exodus 35:30). But Shemot R...
Who do we trust? Why do we trust them? And what happens when that trust is broken? In Jewish tradition, the concept of trust, of being a ne'eman, a trustworthy person, is incredibl...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It centers on a seemingly simple verse: “The Tabernacle of the Testimony, as the...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to He Brought Me to the Wine House and His Banner Is Love. The first reading, this sounds pretty romantic. But the Rabbis, as they often do, find layers ...
In the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, we find a fascinating exploration of this very idea. The verse What does a dove in the r...
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 ...
It's a story about perspective, gratitude, and maybe even a missed opportunity to usher in... the Messiah! The passage begins with a verse from Song of Songs, "Look from the peak o...
Take this one: "His hands are rods of gold set with beryl; his belly is a slab of ivory covered with sapphires." (Song of Songs 5:14). Beautiful imagery, but what does it mean? Wel...
It's filled with metaphors, and some of them are truly striking. Take this one: "Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon." What does that even mean? Well, the Rabbis of Shir HaShiri...
Li (לי). It simply means "to Me" or "for Me." But according to the ancient sages, as we learn in Vayikra Rabbah, that little word packs a cosmic punch. It signifies an unbreakable ...
They ask some fascinating questions about the roles of Moses and Aaron, especially during those pivotal moments of transition. we know Aaron becomes the High Priest. But what about...
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman tells us that all the prophets, in their visions, saw the rise and fall of kingdoms, particularly their impact on Israel. It all starts with a seemingly inn...
In the rabbinic imagination, as we see in Vayikra Rabbah 17, tzara'at becomes a physical manifestation of spiritual failings. It's a fascinating, if unsettling, idea. Vayikra Rabba...
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai paints a powerful picture of that experience. He teaches that when the Israelites stood at Sinai and proclaimed, "Everything that God said we will perform an...
Rabbi Ḥiyya taught that this specific portion, Kedoshim, was delivered in a grand assembly – "Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel..." (Leviticus 19:2). Why? ...
Vayikra Rabbah notices that two Torah portions about ritual purity were written side by side by Moses himself. Rabbi Tanhum ben Rabbi Hanilai had something fascinating to say about...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Why the High Priest Had to Excel in Beauty Wisdom and Wealth. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find an intr...
Jewish tradition definitely has something to say about that. It's not just about charity; it's about justice, divine presence, and the very fabric of our world. to a fascinating pa...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to Rain, Torah, and Light as God's Greatest Gifts. Rabbi Yonatan, in this passage, identifies three core gifts: the Torah, the luminaries (sun, moon, and stars...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Leviticus, gives us a glimpse into that idyllic vision. Specifically, it discusses the verse “I ...
“The yoke of my transgressions is preserved in His hand, becoming entangled, coming upon my neck, sapping my strength. The Lord delivered me into the hands of those against whom I ...
And it came to pass after these words that God did prove Abraham (Gen. 22:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Forasmuch as the king’s word hath power; and wh...
And he went out on the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together (Exod. 2:13). Who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram, who later said: Let us m...
And the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Scripture states elsewhere For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then cons...
In the third month (Exod. 19:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Have I not written unto thee excellent things (shilshom) of counsels and knowledge (Prov. 22:20...
And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense (Exod. 30:1). What do the letters in the word ketoret (“incense”) stand for? The kuf stands for kedushah (“sanctification”), tet for ta...
This they shall give, everyone that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel (Exod. 30:13). Because they had sinned at the sixth hour,16Word-play reading the word boshet...
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel … then shall they give every man a ransom (Exod. 30:12). When Moses heard this, he said: Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath ...
And the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Go, get thee down…. I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people” (Exod. 32:7–9). R. Tanhuma the son of Abba began the discussio...
Go, get thee down (Exod. 32:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Mankind has already compelled Me to descend from this place to witness its degradation, as is said: And ...
And the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Go, get thee down” (Exod. 32:7). May our masters teach us: If a person sends his eruv34Through the legal procedure known as eruv (“mixing”), various...
And the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Depart, go up hence” (Exod. 33:1). This is what Scripture says in allusion to this verse: For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee ...
Hew these two tablets of stone (Exod. 34:1). When did Moses descend from the mountain? R. Judah the son of Shalum said: Moses remained on the mountain with the Holy One, blessed be...
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai … Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams (Exod. 34:29). Why did Moses merit the beams of glory? Our sa...
And Moses said unto the children of Israel: “See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel” (Exod. 35:30). Scripture states elsewhere: So shalt thou find grace and favor in the sight o...
