4,543 related texts · 51 related myths · Page 92 of 95
Our story comes from Bamidbar Rabbah, a Midrash on the Book of Numbers. It focuses on a seemingly simple verse: "But do this for them, and they will live, and will not die upon the...
We stumble upon one such instance in Bamidbar Rabbah, specifically in chapter 6. It concerns the census of the Kehatites, a clan within the Leviim (Levites). The text points out so...
It's one thing to nod along, but quite another to act with genuine willingness. This idea is at the very heart of a fascinating passage in Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), a colle...
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 all starts with the verse: “Moses took the carts and the bulls, and gave them to the Levites” (Numbers 7:6). Simple enough. But the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) ne...
The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, is full of details about the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. And in chapter 7, we find a fascinating account of the dedication ...
It’s why the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 13, dwells on his name, his lineage, and his pivotal role. The passage begins by asking a simp...
The story of the spies sent to scout the Land of Canaan in the Book of Numbers is a powerful example of how fear and negative speech can derail even the most promising journeys. Th...
It all begins with the tzitzit (fringes) on a garment. The Torah tells us, "They shall make for themselves a fringe [tzitzit]" (Numbers 15:38). Now, Korah, ever the instigator, see...
That feeling, that potent brew of envy and ambition, is at the heart of the story of Korah. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah, doesn't ju...
The Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives into this very idea. It's almost like the Torah is trying to protect us, to e...
The verse from (Ecclesiastes 8:1), "Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of a matter?" serves as our starting point. Who is like the wise man? According to this Midr...
Why Striking the Rock Deserved a Harsher Punishment is the question behind this passage from Bamidbar Rabbah. The Midrash (rabbinic commentary) grapples with this. Why wasn’t Moses...
The Book of Numbers, in the Torah, gives us a powerful story, one unpacked beautifully in Bamidbar Rabbah, a classical midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection (a mi...
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 ...
The Torah, in the book of Numbers (30:2), grapples with this very idea: "Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying: This is the matter that the Lord ...
The first reading, it seems straightforward. But as we delve deeper, guided by the wisdom of our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah, we uncover fascinating interpretations. The very repetiti...
In the ancient world, and even described in the Torah, there was a system in place to offer refuge. The book of Numbers instructs us, "You shall designate cities for you" (Numbers ...
A collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, this wasn't just a symbolic statement. The text paints a dramatic picture: When God, blessed be He, declared this curse, m...
At least, that's what we learn from Bereshit Rabbah 21, a fascinating passage in the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis. Rav tells us that "in every place, the eastern directio...
Our story begins with the verse, "This is the book of the descendants of Adam" (Genesis 5:1). But what does that really mean? Bereshit Rabbah 24 digs into this, offering some truly...
The verse in Genesis (6:14) states: "Craft for you an ark of cypress wood; you shall craft the ark with compartments, and you shall coat it within and without with pitch." Now, Rab...
The Torah portion Lekh Lekha is full of such hidden power, especially when we look at the transformation of Sarai into Sarah, and how that reflects her changing role. "God said to ...
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a towering figure in Jewish mysticism, points to three individuals who experienced this incredible immediacy. He says there are three people who were answer...
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 ...
It tackles a seemingly simple verse: "Esau was forty years old, and he took as a wife Yehudit, daughter of Be'eri the Hitite, and Basmat, daughter of Elon the Hitite" (Genesis 26:3...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Cosmic Origins of Rabbis. What does it mean to be "as the dust of the earth"? That’s where the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, step in to unpack this wei...
The ancient rabbis certainly did.It illuminates the complex relationship between Leah, Jacob, and the birth of the tribes of Israel. In this, Midrash, a rabbinic interpretation, Le...
"They sat to eat bread…" Rabbi Aḥva bar Ze’eira points out something profound here. He says, "The transgression of the tribes is remembered forever; it gave hope to the world." Isn...
You're reading one story, and suddenly – BAM! – It can feel a little jarring. Well, the ancient Rabbis noticed this too, and they dove deep into those textual "interruptions" to fi...
The story, as we know, revolves around Joseph and Potiphar's wife. (Genesis 39:11) tells us, "It was on a certain day, he came into the house to perform his labor, and there was no...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Joseph and Creation of Tiberias. The verse in (Genesis 41:47) tells us, "The earth produced, during the seven years of plenty, in abundance." But what kind...
The ones that make you think, "Wait, how did that happen?" to a fascinating little corner of the Joseph story, found in Bereshit Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations o...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Trial of Benjamin. Remember the setup? Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt seeking food during a famine. They don't recognize Joseph, who they sold into slaver...
I was reading in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, and I stumbled across just such a moment. It revolves around a rather pointed exc...
The Torah gives us stories of such people again and again, and one of the most striking is Samson. Our text from Bereshit Rabbah (98) explores the strength – and the thirst! – of t...
The story begins with the tribes of Reuben and Gad. As Israel was in the process of conquering and dividing the land, these tribes, as the midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary...
The verse in question is (Genesis 49:28): "This is what their father Jacob spoke to them." But the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah notice something subtle. It doesn't say, "This is what ...
In the very first section, the rabbis confront the verse, "You have circled this mountain enough" (Deuteronomy 2:3). What does it mean to circle a mountain "enough?" They see in th...
It’s a feeling that even Moses, our great leader, experienced. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, explores this very idea through the ve...
A passage from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, that explores exactly that. We'll be unpacking a single word: "lemor." The verse in qu...
Our story comes from Devarim Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronomy. It begins with the verse from (Psalm 20:2), "May the Lord answer you on a day o...
Deuteronomy, the last book of the Torah, isn't just a farewell speech from Moses. It's also a prophecy. A roadmap, if you will, of the Jewish people's journey through exile and red...
Devarim Rabbah, in section 2, uses the verse from (Ecclesiastes 5:9), "One who loves silver will never be satisfied with silver," as a springboard for exploring this very human des...
It might seem like a niche legal issue, but within it lies a profound understanding of justice, forgiveness, and even the nature of hope itself. In Deuteronomy, we read, "Then, Mos...
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 if we...
In (Deuteronomy 30:12-14), we find the verse, "It is not in the heavens… It is not beyond the sea… Rather, the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you...
Maybe you stumble over your words during a presentation, or completely blank on someone's name. Imagine the pressure, then, of leading a congregation in prayer and making a mistake...
