2,682 related texts · 19 related myths · Page 55 of 56
Take the famous Priestly Blessing from (Numbers 6:26): "May the Lord show favor to you, and grant you peace." Sounds straightforward. But what does it really mean? And how does it ...
Why the darkness? " This links back to (Exodus 12:42), which describes the night of the Exodus from Egypt as "a night of vigilance of the Lord…it is this night…for all the children...
The story of Pinḥas (Phineas) in the book of Numbers is a wild ride, a tale of zealotry, divine intervention, and a whole lot of questions about what's right and wrong. The scene i...
The daughters of Tzelofḥad. Their story, found within Bamidbar Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Numbers, is far more than just a legal footnote – it’s a ...
Like after all the hard work, the dedication, the striving. shouldn't there be a bonus round of celebration? Well, Jewish tradition understands that feeling perfectly. to a fascina...
An apple? Maybe… but our tradition offers a whole orchard of possibilities! The rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Bereshit Rabbah 15, really sink their t...
It's usually translated as "also," "indeed," or even "moreover." Seems harmless enough. But according to Rabbi Ḥanina ben Sansan, that seemingly innocent word, when uttered with a ...
In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, we find a fascinating discussion about the depth of that relationship. Rabbi Yoḥanan, R...
In fact, according to Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of Rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, the rainbow holds profound meaning, a glimpse, perhaps, into the ver...
Consider the sons of Ḥam (חָם), Noah's son: "Kush, and Mitzrayim, and Put, and Canaan" (Genesis 10:6). We see the names that echo through history – Mitzrayim, which is Egypt, and C...
The familiar version gives us the basic story: humanity, unified and speaking a single language, decides to build a tower reaching the heavens. God, not thrilled with this display ...
Sometimes, a single letter can unlock a whole new world of understanding. Take the verse from (Genesis 15:14), promising that the Israelites would leave Egypt with "great property....
The Torah tells us Sarah saw Ishmael "playing" (Genesis 21:9), and it was enough for her to demand, in no uncertain terms, that Hagar and Ishmael be banished. But what exactly did ...
Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, offers a fascinating perspective. It's found in Bereshit Rabbah 55 and it all starts...
The Torah tells us that Abraham was old, zaken (Genesis 24:1). But the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah 59 ask, what does that really signify? The rabbis dig deep, finding layers of meani...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Were Rebecca's Gifts Fruit or Exotic Treasures. The tradition turns to (Genesis 24:53), the story of Abraham's servant securing a wife for Isaac. It says, ...
Take the tale of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. The familiar version gives us the basics: Jacob deceives his father, Isaac, and steals Esau's blessing. But what happens after? What was Is...
Dreams have always held a special fascination, and Jewish tradition is no exception. Take the famous dream of Jacob in (Genesis 28:12): "He dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set on...
The verse But what exactly is this "disgrace" she's referring to? Rabbi Levi bar Zechariah offers a powerful insight. He suggests that before a woman has a child, societal blame te...
A discussion about "messengers" (malakhim). Were they ordinary people, or something more? Some Rabbis suggest they were actual angels! It blurs the lines between the mundane and th...
Take the reunion of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 33. We read how Jacob arranged his family as he approached his brother, placing the maidservants and their children first, Leah and he...
Our ancestors felt it too. And the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, addressed it head-on. We find a fascinating discussion in Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 79, sparked by ...
Sometimes, the answer lies hidden in plain sight, tucked away in ancient commentaries on the Torah. Consider the seemingly simple act of bathing a baby after circumcision. It turns...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to The Dotted Word That Foreshadowed Shechem's Fate. It all starts with the line: "His brothers went to herd their father’s flock in Shekhem" (Genesis 37:12)....
The familiar story centers on Joseph and his coat of many colors, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. But what about Reuben? What role did he play in this dramatic saga? (Ge...
The familiar story is this: Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph, he resists, and then, scorned, she falsely accuses him, leading to his imprisonment. But the ancient rabbis, nev...
Here, the rabbis are exploring the verse in (Genesis 44:8), where Joseph's brothers, completely innocent of any wrongdoing, exclaim, "Behold, silver that we found in the opening of...
They found hints of it in the most unexpected places – like the story of Jacob sending Judah ahead to Joseph in Goshen (Genesis 46:28). The verse says, "He sent Judah before him to...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to David — Judah at the Dawn of Creation. The Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah unpack this verse, line by line, revealing layers of meaning. "Judah, you shall your b...
The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) take this idea and run with it, suggesting that Jacob and Moses, in their own ways, foreshadowed the battles between th...
(Psalm 100:3) declares, "Know that the Lord is God." But it's the next part that really sparked their interest: "He made us, and we are His" (Psalm 100:3). Or is it? See, the Hebre...
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...
In fact, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Kohelet Rabbah, connects them to something much deeper: the consequences of our actions and, specifically, our...
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...
It's part of the human condition. But have you ever considered that this struggle might be… a cosmic drama playing out on a miniature scale, right inside of you? That’s the kind of...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses and Creation of Israelites. The story begins, as we know, with God commanding Moses to go to the Israelites in Egypt. But Moses, ever the reluctant lea...
The familiar story is this: God commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites. But Moses hesitates. He protests, famously declaring, "I am not a man of w...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses's Transgression of Jethro. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) suggests a powerful principle: when you embrace a mitzvah, a good deed, it le...
So, Moses is on his way to Egypt. He’s got his family with him. (Exodus 4:24) tells us, "It was on the way at the lodging, the Lord met him, and sought to kill him." Yikes! What’s ...
It's one of those burning questions that lingers after you read the Book of Exodus. We celebrate Passover every year, retelling the story of the Exodus, and Moses is the central fi...
This particular passage, Shemot Rabbah 6, uses a parable to illuminate a fascinating aspect of Moses' relationship with God. Rabbi Meir offers a vivid analogy. Imagine a king marry...
The Book of Job, that epic poem of suffering and faith, contains a verse that hints at this: "Behold, all these God will do, twice, three times to a man" (Job 33:29). The Midrash (...
The verse in question: "Moses emerged from the city, from Pharaoh, and spread his hands to the Lord; the thundering and hail ceased, and the rain did not pour upon the earth" (Exod...
The Torah is full of stories that confront these very questions, and one passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, really dives into...
The ancient Rabbis felt that way about the Exodus, the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. And they found echoes of that feeling in the most unexpected places, even in the Son...
The Israelites are trapped. The sea is before them, Pharaoh's army is closing in from behind. Panic is in the air. They cry out to God, as we read in (Exodus 14:10): "The children ...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses Sings and the Bond Between God and Israel Endures. ” Rabbi Levi offers a powerful image: Usually, a bride is adorned and perfumed before being led to t...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Horse and His Rider Cast Into the Sea. Shemot Rabbah, that rich collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glim...
