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In the Book of Exodus, we read, "The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron: Extend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to asc...
We read the story of the plagues, and it can feel like a foregone conclusion, like Pharaoh was just cartoonishly stubborn. But there were moments... moments where the pressure was ...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating take on the plague of frogs. We all remember the story: Egypt is overrun with ...
We find ourselves in Shemot Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The verse in question is (Exodus 8:12): “The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaro...
Take the story of the plagues in Egypt. It's not just about showing off God's power; it's a complex tapestry woven with themes of justice, redemption, and even a little bit of…well...
The Book of Exodus gives us a glimpse into just that, with the plague of the swarms descending upon Egypt. We pick up the story in (Exodus 8:20): "The Lord did so; and heavy swarms...
It wasn't random, you know. Jewish tradition often sees a deeper, more poetic justice at play. Take the plague of pestilence, for example. We read in Exodus (9:2-9:3): "For if you ...
It's easy to see them as just divine punishment, but the rabbis found layers of meaning, justice, and even hidden miracles within each one. Let's look at the plague of boils as des...
The Torah tells us, "Behold, I will rain down tomorrow at this time very severe hail, that there has not been like it in Egypt since the day it was founded until now" (Exodus 9:18)...
The Book of Exodus tells us, "Moses extended his staff toward the heavens and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the ground, and the Lord rained hail upon the lan...
We often think of him as this monolithic, unyielding villain. But what if there were moments of genuine, albeit fleeting, remorse? The Book of Exodus tells us that after the devast...
The passage centers around (Exodus 10:10), where Pharaoh says, "So let the Lord be with you, when I will let you and your children go; see that evil is facing you." It seems like a...
We often focus on the miraculous nature of it all, but sometimes, the Rabbis of the Midrash offer us insights into the why behind the what. Take the plague of locusts, for instance...
In (Exodus 10:21), God tells Moses to stretch out his hand, and the text says, "there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, and the darkness will be tangible." Tangible! What do...
It's so much more than just a simple "Let my people go!" narrative. Take, for instance, the exchange in (Exodus 10:24-29). It's a masterclass in negotiation, divine will, and maybe...
It's not just about freedom from slavery, but about a deeper truth about power, righteousness, and our relationship with the Divine. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpr...
The story of the Exodus, as told in Shemot Rabbah, the compilation of rabbinic sermons on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glimpse into this idea, focusing on the final p...
We often focus on the miracles, the parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Torah. But nestled within that incredible narrative are moments of sheer, unadulterated divine power.....
We often read these epic stories in the Torah and just accept that things happened at the right moment. But what if there's a hidden layer of incredible detail beneath the surface,...
It's not just about spooky stories! to a fascinating explanation from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Exodus, that sheds light on this very q...
We often read the verse in (Exodus 12:30), "As there was no house in which there was no one dead," and maybe we don't fully grasp its implications. But the ancient rabbis, in their...
That's the scene we find ourselves in, in this passage from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. We're talking about the tenth plague, th...
The Book of Exodus tells us that the Israelites were instructed to mark their doorposts with blood so that God would "pass over" their homes during the tenth plague, sparing their ...
It's not just about freedom; it's about divine justice, redemption, and the messy, complicated choices people make when faced with monumental events. The ancient rabbis certainly d...
We often think of Moses, armed with divine authority, as the driving force behind the Israelites' liberation. But what about Pharaoh? Did he simply cave to the plagues, or was ther...
We all know about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea... but there's a smaller, more personal story woven into the grand narrative of the Exodus. It's a story of loyalty, promi...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a fascinating insight into this very question, focusing on...
That feeling, that's what we're diving into today, looking at a passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The passage opens with a...
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...
Can you picture them all crying out at the same moment? Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, tells us that God hears them all concurrently...
Shemot Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, points this out explicitly. "Come and see," it urges, "how excellent this portion is!" What's so ex...
It's not just about power, but about the very fabric of society and our relationship with the Divine. The book of Exodus, specifically 22:27, lays down a firm rule: "You shall not ...
It’s a question that's plagued philosophers and theologians for centuries, and it all starts, strangely enough, with a box. A very special box, mind you – the Ark of the Covenant. ...
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...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. This week, we're diving into a passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, specifically Shemot Rab...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought about this, especially when it came to how we talk about each other – and about the Jewish people as a whole. We find ourselves in Shir HaShiri...
That feeling, that sting of inner circle treachery, echoes through the ancient words of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the collection of Rabbinic teachings on the Song of Songs. Today, we'r...
It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs itself: “The fig tree has formed its unripe figs, and the vines in blossom have emitted fragrance. Rise, my love, my fair one, and...
It's more than just sand and scorching sun. It's a place of transformation, of revelation, of becoming. : "Who is this ascending from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed...
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. They poured over the verses, searching for clues. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, we find some fascinating answer...
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...
Specifically, (Song of Songs 4:14) paints a fragrant picture: “Nard and saffron, fragrant cane and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloe, with all the finest spi...
How is your beloved more than another beloved, that you administer an oath to us so?" (Song of Songs 5:9-10). Essentially, they're asking, "What makes God so special? What makes Hi...
The book of Leviticus, specifically chapter 2, opens with the laws of the minchah, the meal offering. "When a person presents a meal offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of ...
to a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, specifically section eight, that shines a light on this very idea. The passage begins with a seemingly simple phrase: "On the day he i...
It’s a question that's plagued humanity for centuries, and it’s something the ancient Rabbis grappled with too. Our jumping-off point is a seemingly odd verse from Leviticus (14:34...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. And they found ways to talk about it, to process it, and to find meaning even in those tough times. We find a fascinating example of this in Vayik...
