12,014 related texts · Page 197 of 251
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers. We often focus on the grand reconciliation, the forgiveness, the happy ending in Egypt. But what about the really prickly parts? Bereshit ...
The Torah tells us, "Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and it displeased him; he supported his father’s hand, to remove it from the he...
The verse we're talking about is (Genesis 49:12), part of Jacob's blessings to his sons: "His eyes shall be red from wine, and his teeth white from milk.” Now, on the surface, it s...
It’s a universal feeling, and it echoes even within the ancient texts of our tradition. The verse in question is (Genesis 49:23), part of Jacob's blessing to his sons: "They embitt...
We start with Asher. Jacob's blessing, "From Asher, his bread is rich, and he will provide royal delicacies," (Genesis 49:20) seems straightforward enough. But the rabbis in Beresh...
The passage opens with the phrase, "At that time." But what time are we talking about? The Rabbis tell us it's the moment Joshua is appointed as Moses' successor. As (Deuteronomy 3...
We all have. But have you ever stopped to consider the consequences, not just for those around you, but for yourself? The Book of Deuteronomy, or Devarim in Hebrew, is full of wisd...
Our tradition is filled with stories that suggest it might. Today, we're diving into a few tales from Devarim Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy...
In Devarim Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a fascinating connection between looking after the Levites – members of the tribe of Levi...
It's more than just looking smart, that's for sure. The verse in Proverbs (1:9) says, "For they are a graceful adornment for your head [roshekha]." But our Sages, digging deeper in...
They’re more than just tales; they're lenses through which we understand ourselves and the world. Today, let’s peer through one of those lenses, focusing on the biblical figure of ...
The story revolves around Miriam's affliction with tzara'at, often translated as leprosy, after she and Aaron speak critically of Moses. When Moses witnesses his sister's suffering...
The ancient sages grappled with these questions, and their insights, preserved in texts like Devarim Rabbah, offer a powerful guide. to a passage that unpacks the verse from (Prove...
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 ancient rabbis did, and their answer, found within the pages of Devarim Rabbah, is both surprising and deeply comforting. The verse from Deuteronomy (28:12) sets the stage: “Th...
We often think of death as the great leveler, the fate that awaits us all. But Jewish tradition suggests that for some, like Moses, the end is… different. Special. : Moses, the man...
Well, Jewish tradition offers a powerful, and frankly heartbreaking, story about just such a predicament involving Moses himself. The text we're diving into today comes from Devari...
The book of Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes, really digs into that feeling. And the rabbis of Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Kohelet, pick up on that theme in...
Kohelet Rabbah, in its wonderfully enigmatic way, wrestles with this very question, using the verse, "The eye is not satisfied..." as its jumping-off point. It’s a verse that speak...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with this very idea. "Of laughter, I said it is confounded; and of joy, what does it accomplish?" (Ecclesiast...
The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with this tension beautifully. And the Rabbis in Kohelet Rabbah, a classic midrash (rabbinic interpretive com...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with these very questions. And the ancient Rabbis, in their commentary on Kohelet, called Kohelet Rabbah, really dig into t...
Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, dives into this very idea, using the verse "The wise man, his eyes are in his head, but the fo...
The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it’s known in Hebrew, tackles this head-on. There's this passage that really hits home: "I hated all my toil that I toiled under the sun, as...
Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, dives into this very idea, particularly when it comes to life, death, and the mome...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very questions. And one particular verse, (Ecclesiastes 3:5), has sparked some fascinating interpr...
And one particular passage in Kohelet (3:12-13) offers a surprising answer: "I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good during their lifetime. Al...
And the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, unpack it even further in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes. Specifically, we’re looking at Kohelet...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, grapples with this very human experience. "I returned and saw all the oppressions that are performed under the sun; and behold the tears of th...
The ancient sages grappled with that feeling too, and they left us some pretty intense imagery to describe it. Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, is a book all about...
Like there's a little angel on one shoulder and... well, something else on the other? Jewish tradition recognizes this internal struggle, personifying it in a fascinating way. to a...
We all have. But in Jewish tradition, the words we speak – and the intentions behind them – carry immense weight. Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Bo...
Could I do more?" The sages certainly wrestled with that feeling, and they had some pretty strong opinions about what happens when we ignore it. The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohele...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, certainly does. And the rabbis, in their insightful commentary Kohelet Rabbah, really dig into this sense of transience. Take this verse from ...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, wrestles with this feeling constantly. And the rabbinic commentary on it, Kohelet Rabbah, dives even deeper into the fleeting nature of, well,...
But 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 homilie...
Specifically, how being preoccupied can cloud even the sharpest minds. We find this idea explored in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesi...
The passage centers on a verse describing a certain kind of woman – a figure that becomes a symbol for temptation itself: "Whose [heart] is snares and nets." (Ecclesiastes 7:26). W...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it’s known in Hebrew, wrestles with this very question. It’s a book about searching, about meaning, and often, about the frustrating lack of...
That's what we find in a fascinating interpretation of Ecclesiastes in Kohelet Rabbah. The verse we're looking at is (Ecclesiastes 8:5): “One who follows a command will not know an...
We all do. And sometimes, that impulse leads us down a path we later regret. It's that tension between desire and consequence, between the immediate gratification and the long-term...
You're not alone. King Solomon, the wisest of men, grappled with this too. In (Ecclesiastes 8:15), he declares, "I praised joy, as there is nothing better for man under the sun tha...
Turns out, the book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, might just have the answer. Kohelet 9:9 says, "Enjoy life with a woman whom you love all the days of your life of vanity which He h...
In fact, it's echoed in ancient texts that speak to the timeless struggle between humanity and… well, something much bigger than ourselves. Let’s turn to Kohelet Rabbah, a collecti...
Jewish tradition is full of such stories, and one of my favorites comes from a surprising source: Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes. The passage sta...
It seems Kohelet Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, thought so too. It uses that very image – "Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer's oil" ...
It's like they're walking around with a spotlight shining on everyone else but themselves. Well, Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, has some thoughts on that,...
Even Moses, the great lawgiver himself, apparently had that problem! The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, a book known for its philosophical musings, contains the line, "The fool ...
