Parshat Lech Lecha

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God calls Abraham to leave his homeland for Canaan. Covers Abraham and Sarah in Egypt, the separation from Lot, the war of the kings, and the covenant between the pieces. Genesis 12:1-17:27.

Hear and Listen and Do Not Be Haughty Before God

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 4:2

to a fascinating passage from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, that unpacks the importance of listening, humility, and the consequence...

HeavenSolomonTorahProphecy

Sometimes Listening to Others Leads You Astray

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 4:5

We’re often told to be good listeners, to value the opinions of those around us. But what happens when those opinions lead us astray? Or, conversely, what if listening to someone –...

CreationHeavenAdam & EvePatriarchs

The Law of Covering Blood When Slaughtering on a Festival

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 4:6

But the Rabbis saw so much more. This verse in Devarim, Deuteronomy, becomes a springboard for exploring some fascinating corners of Jewish law, or halakha. Specifically, the quest...

TemplePrayerHoly LandShabbat

Will the Land of Israel Expand Like an Unrolled Scroll

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 4:11

The Book of Deuteronomy promises, "when the Lord your God will expand your border" (Deuteronomy 19:8). But what does that expansion really mean? Is it just about more territory? Th...

CreationNoah & FloodElijahTorah

Why Justice Matters More to God Than Grand Rituals

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 5:3

We often think of grand gestures, elaborate rituals, and monumental structures. But what if the most precious thing in God's eyes is something far simpler, something we can practic...

HeavenKing DavidSolomonTemple

Justice as an Intimate Bond Between Israel and God

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 5:7

It goes way beyond just being "fair." It's actually about a profound and intimate relationship between us and the Divine. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the ...

MessiahProphecyHoly LandShabbat

Saul and David of Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 5:11

Jewish tradition explores this feeling on a national scale, focusing on the ancient Israelites' request for a human king. Imagine this: God, the ultimate King, has been leading the...

King DavidElijahTempleProphecy

What Really Happened Before the Golden Calf

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 5:13

Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, opens a window into just such a possibility. It begins with the verse, "When you approach a city…" bu...

MosesKing DavidJobHoly Land

Sending Away the Mother Bird and Long Life

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 6:5

Specifically, (Deuteronomy 22:6-7), which deals with finding a bird's nest. It says, "If you come across a bird’s nest along the road, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings...

PatriarchsTorahRepentance

Torah Compared to Water, Wine, Honey, and Milk

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 7:3

Water, wine, honey… it's a veritable feast of metaphors! But what's the meaning behind it all? Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronomy, explor...

CreationSolomonJobTorah

The World Prospers Because of Israel's Merit

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 7:7

Jewish tradition teaches us that we have far more influence than we might realize. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Deuteronomy, sheds light ...

CreationKing DavidHoly LandEgypt

Why God Did Not Give Israel a Heart to Know Until Now

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 7:10

The Torah touches on this very human struggle. In (Deuteronomy 29:3), Moses says to the Israelites, "But the Lord has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to he...

Adam & EveNoah & FloodMosesKing David

The Origin of Blessing Food After Eating

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 8:2

It seems so natural, so ingrained in Jewish practice, that we might not even stop to ask why. But the Rabbis of old, they were always asking. They wanted to know the source, the re...

AngelsMosesKing DavidSolomon

Without Torah the World Reverts to Emptiness

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 8:5

And in Jewish tradition, the answer might surprise you: it's the Torah. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homilies on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a powerful idea: God says that i...

MosesTorahHoly Land

The Torah Is Nearer Than You Think According to Moses

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 8:7

That’s the feeling Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Naḥman evokes in his teaching on the verse, "Rather the matter is very near to you" (Deuteronomy 30:14). It's a beautiful passage about the ...

King DavidJobTorahMysticism

Elisha Among the Mothers

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 10:3

It’s a question that’s echoed throughout Jewish tradition, and Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a pretty amazing perspective. I...

MatriarchsElijahHoly LandSacrifice

Moses Wrestles the Angel

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 11:5

Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a glimpse into that incredible scene, a cosmic struggle between life and death, between Mose...

CreationHell/GehennaAngelsMoses

Why We Bless Before and After Reading Torah

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 11:6

Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronomy, opens up this very question for us. It begins with the verse, "This is the blessing," and then delves...

CreationMosesKing DavidJob

Moses Earned His Legacy by Carrying Joseph's Bones

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 11:7

The answer, according to Devarim Rabbah, isn't what you might immediately think. It's not just about Moses being a great prophet; it's about a specific act of kindness and dedicati...

CreationJosephMosesMessiah

The Sages Almost Suppressed the Book of Ecclesiastes

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 3:1

That question, that nagging feeling, is at the heart of the Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew. And it’s a question the Rabbis grappled with deeply. The opening verse of Ko...

CreationAdam & EveMosesKing David

Teachings of Rabbi Akiva

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 4:4

We look back with nostalgia, imagining that the giants of the past held all the answers. But Jewish tradition challenges that very notion. The idea that each generation has its own...

MosesKing DavidSolomonTemple

The Earth Abides Forever But Kingdoms Fall

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 4:5

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with this very question. And in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, we find some fasc...

CreationMosesSolomonTorah

Joseph's Tears and the Longing That Never Ends

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 7:8

That feeling resonates deeply within Jewish tradition. We see it reflected in the ancient text of Kohelet Rabbah, specifically in its interpretation of the verse "all the rivers go...

JosephMessiahProphecyPrayer

A Woman Seeks Conversion From Rabbi Eliezer

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:4

Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Ecclesiastes, wrestles with this very question, offering us some pretty intense stories. One tale recounts a...

HeavenSolomonTorahPrayer

Solomon's Relentless Search for Wisdom's Meaning

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 13:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, grapples with this very feeling. It's a wisdom text, a philosophical exploration of life's meaning, or sometimes, its ...

CreationAdam & EveSolomonJob

Everything Under the Sun Is Vanity and Herding Wind

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 14:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, grapples with this very feeling. "I have seen all the actions that were performed under the sun; and, behold, everythi...

CreationSolomonRepentanceWisdom

The Sin of Adam and Eve and Its Lasting Effects

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 15:2

Our tradition wrestles with this very feeling. The book of Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes, famously explores the futility of life, that "all is vanity." But within the rabbinic expansion...

CreationAdam & EveNoah & FloodKing David

Much Wisdom Brings Much Vexation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 18:1

Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's called in Hebrew, is full of his reflections, and one line in particular always gets me: "For with much wisdom is much vexation; and one who increa...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaCreatures

Solomon and the Queen of Jerusalem

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 5:1

The verse in question: "I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted in them trees of every fruit" (Ecclesiastes 2:5). The rabbis weren't content with a simple reading. They w...

SolomonWisdomHoly Land

Pools of Water That Irrigate a Growing Forest

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 6:1

The verse in question is (Ecclesiastes 2:6): “I made myself pools of water to irrigate from them a forest which grows trees.” Sounds straightforward enough. But what does it really...

SolomonHoly LandBibleWisdom

Divine Spirit and the Lawgiver

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:1

Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes traditionally attributed to Solomon, wrestles with just that. And Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, digs even deeper. Let's...

MosesKing DavidSolomonTorah

The Wisdom of the Patriarchs According to Ecclesiastes

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 14:1

Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, grapples with this very question, using the verse, "The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonWisdom

The Matters God Has Given Humanity to Engage

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

But what does it really mean? Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, digs into this very question, using the verse from (Ecclesiastes...

CreationAdam & EveSolomonJob

Abbahu — Solomon at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

The ancient rabbis, in Kohelet Rabbah, that treasure trove of commentary on Ecclesiastes, dive deep into this verse. Rabbi Tanhuma suggests a simple, elegant idea: the world came i...

CreationNoah & FloodMosesKing David

Zekharya in Heaven

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 16:1

The verse from Ecclesiastes (3:16) sets the stage: “Moreover, I have seen, under the sun, in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of justice there is wickedn...

HeavenHell/GehennaMosesKing David

Fear God Instead of Chasing Vain Dreams and Empty Words

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 6:1

It all starts with the verse from (Ecclesiastes 5:6): "So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words; rather, fear God.” The verse seems to be saying that too muc...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMatriarchs

Esau and Creation of Yosei

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 7:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes – or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew – grapples with this very feeling. It asks us: what do we do when we see injustice seemingly rewarded? Specifically, K...

CreationPatriarchsSolomonEsther

Who Is the King and Who Is the Field in Ecclesiastes

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:3

Like that perfect cup of coffee, or maybe... mitzvot (commandments)? That’s the question bubbling up from Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating exploration of the book of Ecclesiastes. In ...

MosesTempleHoly Land

How a Fetus Is Formed as a Three-Way Partnership

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:2

Jewish tradition has some fascinating, layered answers. to one, found in Kohelet Rabbah, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic (interpretive) commentary on the Book of Ecc...

CreationAngelsKing DavidSolomon

The Eulogy That Honored a Life of Torah Study

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:4

That’s a feeling woven deep into the tapestry of Jewish tradition, a feeling the rabbis grappled with intensely. how they expressed it. The story begins with the passing of Ḥiyya b...

CreationPatriarchsJosephSolomon

The Parable of the King's Worker Who Outshone Them All

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:5

The story begins with a loss. When Rabbi Bon ben Rabbi Ḥiyya passed away, Rabbi Zeira rose to eulogize him, choosing the verse: “Sweet is the sleep of the laborer.” (Ecclesiastes 5...

PatriarchsMosesTorahMessiah

Eli Before the King

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 19:1

The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, certainly grapples with this very human feeling. And within Kohelet Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, w...

SolomonHoly LandWomen of the Bible

Cain and Creation of Abel

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 3:1

And the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Kohelet Rabbah, take this even further, using stories and interpretations to unpack the weight of those feeling...

CreationNoah & FloodSolomonElijah

What Was Already Named and Known Before Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very feelings. One verse in particular, (Ecclesiastes 6:10), really gets to the heart of it: "What...

CreationAngelsAdam & EveJoseph

Why God Chose Aaron as the High Priest Over Moses

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 1:2

to a fascinating discussion from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Ecclesiastes, about the appointment of Aaron as the High Priest. The Rabbis...

JosephMosesKing DavidTorah

Wisdom Is Good With Inheritance Says Ecclesiastes

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, tackles this very question, and it does it in such a wonderfully human way. It all starts with...

HeavenNoah & FloodMosesKing David

There Is One Fate for the Righteous and the Wicked

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 1:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, certainly does. And the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Kohelet Rabbah, wrestled with it too. Specifica...

CreationNoah & FloodMosesKing David

Bar Kappara and the Heavenly Realms

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 10:3

The grief is so intense that the townspeople declare a ban: anyone who dares announce the Rabbi's death will face dire consequences. Can you imagine the tension? The air thick with...

HeavenMosesSolomonTemple