3,492 related texts · Page 25 of 73
In the Torah, names often carry a powerful weight, hinting at a person's destiny or reflecting a significant moment. Take Noah, for example. (Genesis 5:29) tells us, "He called his...
This week, we're diving into a passage from Bereshit Rabbah 26, a rich collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, that wrestles with this very question. The ver...
It’s a powerful, devastating verse that sets the stage for the Flood. But the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Bereshit Rabbah, weren't content with a s...
The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 6:5), that God saw the wickedness of humankind was "great" – raba in Hebrew – before the Flood. But what kind of "great" was it? Rabbi Ḥanina sugges...
The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 6:6), "The Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was saddened in His heart.” Whoa. Heavy stuff. But what does it really mean? The...
But the animals? Did they really deserve to be wiped out along with everyone else? Well, the rabbis of old had some thoughts on that. Rabbi Azarya, quoting Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon, ...
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...
It’s a question that's been wrestled with for centuries, and it pops up in the most unexpected places in Jewish tradition. : Do we receive blessings because of our ancestors' good ...
It’s easy to focus on the sheer scale of the destruction, but the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those ancient interpreters of scripture, dug deeper. The...
Why do bad things happen to good people? It’s a question that’s haunted humanity for millennia. Our tradition grapples with this head-on, not offering easy answers, but rather invi...
The rabbis of old grappled with this very question. How high did the water actually get? The Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, dives int...
But the rabbis of old, in Bereshit Rabbah, one of the most important collections of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, saw layers of meaning in these few words. Specifically, the...
It wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction of gratitude. According to Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic (interpretive) text on Genesis, there was s...
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." We all know the famous line from Ecclesiastes (3:1). But have you ever stopped to consider just how m...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explored this very human feeling when grappling with God's command to Abraham to be circumcised. In (Genesis 17:1), God ...
Specifically, we're looking at section 47, which tackles the tricky subject of God's promises to both Ishmael and Isaac. The passage centers around (Genesis 17:20), where God says,...
It opens with the seemingly simple phrase: "At the entrance [petaḥ] of the tent [ohel]." This refers to Abraham sitting at the entrance of his tent, welcoming guests. But, as is so...
The verse in question is (Genesis 18:15): "Sarah denied, saying: I did not laugh, for she was afraid. He said: No, but you did laugh.” It's a simple exchange. But Rabbi Yehuda ben ...
What does it mean to approach God? That's precisely what the Rabbis grapple with in Bereshit Rabbah 49. The text opens with that powerful line from Genesis, "Abraham approached, an...
We all know the story: God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. But Abraham, ever the righteous advocate, steps in. He challenges God, asking, "Far b...
The story of Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah is more than just a negotiation; it’s a glimpse into the very nature of divine justice and collective responsibil...
We all know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. Abraham, with unwavering faith, prepares to fulfill this divine decree. "They came to the place tha...
The Torah is full of incredible journeys, and sometimes, the distance covered seems almost impossible. to a fascinating passage from Bereshit Rabbah (59) about Eliezer, Abraham's s...
He shows us that even in old age, we can still blossom and bear fruit. It all starts with a beautiful verse from Psalms (92:14-15): "Planted in the House of the Lord, they blossom ...
Our story begins with the verse: "It was after the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son, and Isaac lived beside Be’er Laḥai Ro’i" (Genesis 25:11). Be’er Laḥai Ro’i, meaning ...
They saw more than just stories; they saw patterns, echoes, and hidden depths. to one of those fascinating explorations, found in Bereshit Rabbah, the great collection of rabbinic ...
Take the story of Isaac, son of Abraham, diligently re-digging wells in Beersheba. It's a quick mention in (Genesis 26:18): "Isaac again dug the wells of water that they had dug in...
It centers around the verse: "He slaughtered feast-offerings to the God of his father Isaac" (Genesis 46:1). Why Isaac? Why not Abraham, the patriarch of them all? Rabbi Yehoshua b...
There’s a fascinating passage in Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, that sheds light on this very concept. It all starts with a verse we...
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...
The passage starts by quoting (Exodus 37:1): “Betzalel crafted the Ark of acacia wood: its length was two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit an...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic commentary on the Song of Songs, dives deep into the verse where God tells Abraham, “Go you from your land, fro...
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...
The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs, dives deep into this idea. Rabbi Ḥanan of Tzippori offers a powerful image connected to thi...
And, as with many ancient mysteries, there's not just one answer, but a tapestry of explanations woven together. One fascinating perspective comes to us from Rabbi Yehuda, quoting ...
to Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations, and unpack just one verse: "Your eyes are doves." Now, on the surface, it's a beautiful compliment. Poetic, even....
Today, we're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, and unpacking just such a verse. Get ready for a journey through noble lineage, the power of bri...
It’s a question that has puzzled scholars and storytellers for centuries. The Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic text focusing on the Book of Leviticus,...
It’s a question that’s occupied Jewish thought for centuries. And the Rabbis in Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection on the Book of Leviticus, ...
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...
Our tradition certainly thinks so. There’s a powerful message tucked away in Vayikra Rabbah, specifically in section 33, about the weight of our words and the damage they can infli...
(Genesis 7:4) tells us that the rain fell for this specific duration, but why this particular number? Philo, in his Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), delves into this ver...
The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 7:19), about the flood: “And the water overflowed fifteen cubits above all the highest mountains.” Simple enough on the surface. But if we dig a lit...
We're talking about the exact day, the precise number...it's all there for a reason. Take, for instance, the end of the Great Flood. (Genesis 8:14) pointedly tells us, "the earth w...
To think that the Creator of the Universe might look back and say, "Oops, maybe I went a little too far there..." That's precisely the question that bubbles up when we read (Genesi...
The text grapples with a seeming contradiction. God, knowing humanity’s propensity for wickedness from the start, initially intended to destroy the world with a flood. Yet, afterwa...
Chapter 44, a small but potent passage, is all about remembering those figures, those powerful personalities, who shaped the world we know. "Much honored portion of the Highest, an...
The Book of Jubilees, a text not included in the Hebrew Bible but cherished by some, especially in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, offers a fascinating glimpse. It expands on the fam...
