839 related texts · Page 17 of 18
(Exodus 4:20) tells us, "Moses took his wife and his sons, and mounted them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand." Simple enou...
The Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a breathtakingly intimate perspective on that pivotal moment. Specifically, Shemot...
The story starts with a seemingly simple commandment: "This is the statute of the paschal offering." Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta paints a vivid picture: God, blessed be He, instructs ...
The passage begins by linking the manna, that miraculous bread from heaven, to a verse in Proverbs (9:5): "Come, partake of my bread, and drink of the wine I have mixed." What's th...
It’s not just about receiving, but about the giving, the engagement, the doing. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of...
In Jewish tradition, names aren't just labels. They're packed with meaning, hinting at a person's essence, their journey, their very destiny. Take Yitro, Moses' father-in-law. He's...
According to Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, the answer might surprise you. It all goes back to Mount Sinai. Rabbi Yitzḥak makes a bold clai...
The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, offers some fascinating insights. Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ḥanina kicks things off with a quote from (Psalms ...
Our story begins after the devastating sin of the Golden Calf. Can you imagine the scene? Moses is up on Mount Sinai, receiving the very word of God, while down below, the Israelit...
It’s a question that takes us to the heart of Jewish thought, and to a fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The pas...
We often think of gifts in a transactional way, something given and then possessed. But what if the greatest gift is actually a deeper connection? Shemot Rabbah, a treasury of Midr...
We find one of those moments in the story of the Golden Calf, and how Aaron, brother of Moses, reacted to it. The scene: Moses is descending from Mount Sinai, clutching the tablets...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exchange. God tells Moses, "And you, draw near to you." Now, Moses isn't exa...
We often picture him descending triumphantly, tablets in hand. But what if the timing was more delicate than we imagine? Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on ...
Our tradition wrestles with that very feeling in the story of the Golden Calf. Imagine the scene: Moses is up on Mount Sinai, receiving the Torah, the very blueprint for a just and...
Today, let’s dive into a powerful story from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, where Moses does just that after the sin of the Golden C...
The answer, according to the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), is a fascinating blend of divine foresight and, well, a little bit of divine concern! Our story begins, as ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw the world – our world, and all the worlds beyond – as hanging in the balance, dependent on something surprisingly simple: our commitment ...
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, ...
It goes all the way back to Mount Sinai, according to the ancient Rabbis. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, dives into a fascinating interpretation of the ...
Rabbi Yanai had a similar thought. He pointed out that the Torah truly needed to begin only with the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), marking the start of the Jew...
That’s the feeling at the heart of a beautiful passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs. It starts with the line, "I am a rose of Sharon, a l...
Like, you look around and wonder, "How did we get here?" Well, ancient Jewish wisdom has some thoughts on that – and a surprising solution involving a rose. to Shir HaShirim Rabbah...
In Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7, the Rabbis unpack a seemingly simple verse – (Song of Songs 2:7): “I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds...
The ancient rabbis did, and they found clues in the most unexpected places, even in the love poetry of the Song of Songs! We're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a rabbinic comment...
Today, we’re diving into a fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic commentary on the Song of Songs, to explore this very idea....
Today, we’re diving into a passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, that explores just that feeling. Specifically, we're lo...
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...
We start with a verse from (Song of Songs 5:16): "His palate is sweet and all of him is delightful. This is my beloved, and this is my companion, daughters of Jerusalem." The Rabbi...
We all know the story from Exodus 32 – the Israelites, impatient for Moses to return from the mountain, pressure Aaron to create a god for them. He obliges, a golden calf is made, ...
But the ancient Rabbis wrestled with this idea, and their insights are surprisingly relevant even today. The passage begins by quoting (Psalms 50:16): "But to the wicked one, God s...
It's all about the purification process for someone healed of tzara'at, often translated as leprosy, though it likely encompassed a range of skin diseases. The verse in question co...
And they used stories – beautiful, powerful stories – to make sense of it all. One of my favorites comes from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Levi...
It's more than just a ritual. It touches on themes of covenant, perfection, and even the very nature of blessing. to a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic ...
We often overlook the seemingly insignificant, but Jewish tradition teaches us that profound blessings can reside even there. Take, for instance, the omer offering. What exactly is...
The Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection on the Book of Leviticus, explores this very idea. It opens with the verse "If you follow ...
We often take these things for granted, but Jewish tradition suggests there's a deeper, more profound answer than just physics. It's all about ḥukim (חקים), statutes. But not just ...
It's more than just about wine, you see. It's a metaphor, a living, breathing symbol of the Jewish people themselves. We find this beautiful idea elaborated on in Vayikra Rabbah 36...
The ancient rabbis grappled with these very questions, and their answers, preserved in texts like Vayikra Rabbah, are both surprising and deeply inspiring. to one fascinating passa...
“I remember my song in the night; I meditate with my heart, and my spirit searches” (Psalms 77:7). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Aivu.58The text of the midrash (rabbinic i...
Rabbi Ayevu said: It is written: “For dominion belongs to the Lord; He rules over nations” (Psalms 22:29), yet you say, “when King Aḥashverosh was sitting on his royal throne”?18Is...
Yes, kissing! We often think of kissing as a sign of affection, love, or respect. But in ancient times, it could also be a form of worship. Strange. The Bible itself gives us a gli...
The story goes that when the seventy-two elders presented it to him, he didn't just nod politely. He rose from his throne, and prostrated himself before it not once, but seven time...
We've all been there. And sometimes, the debate gets heated! Imagine a conversation, or rather, a spirited disagreement, where someone feels like their carefully considered questio...
We call Him by names like YHWH and Adonai, and our sages, may their memory be a blessing, refer to Him as HaKadosh Baruch Hu, "The Holy One, Blessed be He." But what does it all me...
This is a tricky concept, one that's tripped up even seasoned students of Kabbalah. We're diving deep into the nature of the Divine, grappling with ideas about creation, generation...
It’s easy to just chalk it up to ancient myths, but what if there's more to it? What if those numbers are telling us something deeper? That’s exactly what I was pondering when I st...
Day and night, up and down... Does it ever feel like there's a deeper meaning to it all?Stick with me, it’s more profound than it sounds. The passage starts by pointing out the obv...
