560 related texts · 2 related myths · Page 11 of 12
In the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar, we read about how the Kehatites, a family within the tribe of Levi, had the unique and profoundly important task of carrying the Ark of the Covena...
The Torah tells us in (Numbers 4:29), “The sons of Merari, by their families, by their patrilineal house, you shall count them.” Now, it first appears all Levites were treated equa...
It's in those little quirks that readers often find hidden depths. Take the census of the Levites in the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar, for example. Specifically, Bamidbar Rabbah 6 shi...
The Torah (Numbers 5:17) instructs the priest to take "sacred water in an earthenware vessel, and from the dirt that is on the floor of the Tabernacle.place it into the water." But...
Take the curious case of the Sotah – the suspected adulteress – described in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar). The verse Seems pretty specific. A particular situation, a particular s...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Each Suspected Woman Stood Alone Before God. Specifically, "The priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the Lord." What does that really mean...
The Book of Numbers (6:6) states: “All the days of his abstinence to the Lord, he shall not approach a dead person.” Bamidbar Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive com...
Protected, in ancient times. The passage begins with a verse from (Numbers 6:27): “And they shall place My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” So, what does i...
The tradition turns to Bamidbar Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Numbers. In Bamidbar Rabbah 12, we find a powerful idea presented by Rab...
It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (3:11): "Go out and gaze, daughters of Zion, at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wed...
Our jumping-off point is Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a fascinating exploration of the verse "On the day that [Moses] concluded." Now, it first appears this is just a throwaway line, but th...
Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, wrestles with this very question, using the construction of the Tabernacle – the mis...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Angels Attend to Metatron. The verse in question is from (Exodus 15:13): "You guided with Your kindness this people that You redeemed; You directed them wi...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Tribal Princes Bring Wagons to Serve the Tent of Meeting. " The context is the dedication of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and the princes of the tribes are...
It wrestles with a seemingly simple question about the dedication of the altar in the Tabernacle. The passage focuses on the phrase "the first, and his offering." It’s from the Boo...
Sometimes, those little things hold the key to unlocking profound insights. to one such instance from Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), specifically chapter 13, and see what we can...
Sometimes it feels like wading through ancient accounting ledgers. But hidden within those seemingly dry details are profound connections – whispers of cosmic harmony and echoes of...
We flip a switch and flood a room with light without a second thought. But millennia ago, kindling a flame was a precious act. So why did God command it in the Mishkan, the Taberna...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 15, tells us that crafting the menorah was uniquely challenging for Moses. More so than any other objec...
Our ancestors felt that way, too. The ancient rabbis understood this, and that's why we find so much human drama, even in the most sacred texts. Take this story from Bamidbar Rabba...
The story of the menorah, the candelabrum in the Tabernacle, as told in Bamidbar Rabbah 15, is a wild ride about just that. It's a reminder that even Moses, the ultimate receiver o...
Consider the verse in (Genesis 2:21), "He took one of his sides [mitzalotav].." Now, mitzalotav can mean either "one of his ribs" or "one of his sides." So, which was it? Rabbi Shm...
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...
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai points out that there were actually three commandments the Israelites received upon entering the land: to wipe out the memory of Amalek, to appoint a ki...
Her story, found in Kohelet Rabbah, the commentary on Ecclesiastes, is a stark reminder that joy and sorrow can be two sides of the same coin. The verse But what does that really m...
Spoiler alert: it doesn't end well. Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Midrash (interpretive stories) on the Book of Exodus, dives deep into this very idea. It identifies four ...
Sometimes, it's not about luck at all, but about seizing the moment. And in Jewish tradition, the story of Moses and Pharaoh offers a powerful lesson in just that. In (Exodus 8:16)...
There's a fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah that uses the moon as a metaphor to explain just that. It's a brilliant, poetic, and surprisingly practical way to look at history. "...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Exodus, recounts a fascinating episode. It begins with the verse, "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), referri...
The congregation of Israel itself has felt that way! Our passage opens with a fascinating connection between the verse "They shall take Me a gift" (Exodus 25:2), which refers to th...
The answer, according to our Sages, might surprise you. In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating discussion about the Ark, ...
It wasn't just about aesthetics or availability. According to Shemot Rabbah, it was a symbolic statement about history, power, and ultimately, redemption. We read in (Exodus 25:3),...
It centers around Betzalel, the incredibly skilled artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that accompanied the Israelites in the desert. The To...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating passage that hints at just that. It starts with the verse, "See, I have call...
It sounds strange, but Jewish tradition explores the idea that certain special figures in our history were known by multiple names, each reflecting a different facet of their chara...
The book of Exodus and the sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explore this very idea. In (Exodus 32:7), we read, "The Lord spoke to Moses: Go descend; for your...
The Torah portion of Terumah introduces us to Betzalel, the artisan chosen to construct the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. But where did he get all that skill? Shemot Rabbah, a classical...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Betzalel and the Lawgiver of Behold. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, offers a fascinating perspective on this que...
It involves the story of Betzalel, the artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The verse says, "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel" (Exodus 35:30). But Shemot R...
The Torah tells us, "Betzalel crafted..." regarding every single item in the Tabernacle. But, wait a minute! Did he really do it all himself? That's the question posed in Shemot Ra...
The Book of 2 Kings (12:16) tells us, “They did not require a reckoning from the men [by whose hand] they gave the silver [to give to the workmen, as they acted with trustworthines...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating discussion about just that. The passage grapples with the meaning of "the Testi...
That feeling, that struggle, is something deeply human, and surprisingly, it echoes in the story of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
The verse "Have you seen a man diligent in his work? He will stand before kings" (Proverbs 22:29) sparked quite the debate. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpret...
That feeling, that intense desire, is at the heart of today's story. We find ourselves in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, an ancient commentary on the Song of Songs, that most beautiful and ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classical Rabbinic commentary on Song of Songs, offers a fascinating perspective. It suggests that we can "recount your love through wine [miyayin]." But ...
Here, the verse "that the sun has tanned me" is used as a springboard to discuss the sins of the Jewish people. It's a fascinating, and frankly, a little unsettling interpretation....
What was God's response? According to Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, it was like a king with priceless gems being asked for a treasure by his son. The king doesn't...
