3,277 related texts · 11 related myths · Page 3 of 69
That tension is at the heart of our story today, drawn from Midrash Tehillim 58, a beautiful exploration of Psalm 58. It grapples with a difficult question: "Do not destroy the con...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) kicks off by referencing (1 Samuel 7:3), where Samuel urges the Israelites to return to God with all their hearts. He tells them to d...
This midrash, a kind of interpretive commentary, opens by linking David's words in Psalm 145 – "I will exalt you, my God the King" – to the prophet Isaiah's similar declaration in ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw patterns, connections, and hidden meanings woven into the very fabric of time. Take, for instance, this passage from Pesikta DeRav Kahana...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a remarkable work of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretive storytelling, dives deep into this concept. In chapter 15, Rabbi Eliezer re...
The sages teach that sometimes, that very position – being between two good choices – is a blessing in disguise. Think about Samuel the Prophet. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer places King David in a drought and makes the land itself testify to Israel's moral condition. Year after year, the people of Israel make their pilgrimage, go...
Our story takes us back to the time of Saul, the son of Kish, the first king of Israel. He was a complex figure, to say the least. The text, from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 33, paints ...
Seder Olam Zutta turns to Ataliah and the King. The story picks up with high drama. Ataliah, the mother of Ahaziah, rises up and brutally destroys the royal seed. Imagine the devas...
He says something truly remarkable: every acacia tree that the nations of the world uprooted from Jerusalem, the Holy One will return in the future. Acacia trees? Why acacia trees?...
A fascinating little puzzle found in Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Numbers. The verse But what "thing" are we talking about? According to Si...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Levanon as a Code Name for the Temple and the King. Our sages in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deutero...
Our tradition has words for that feeling, and they're not always easy to hear. This teaching paints a stark picture, beginning with the land itself turning against us. It says, "an...
Maybe they gave you bad advice, or maybe they completely changed their tune on something important. How do you know who to trust, especially when it comes to matters of faith? The ...
Sifrei Devarim turns to What Deuteronomy's Prophetic Test Teaches About True Prophecy. Okay, What does it really mean? The text isn't suggesting vigilante justice. Not at all. Inst...
When a Prophet Commands You to Break a Commandment is the question behind this passage from Sifrei Devarim. It gives the example of Eliyahu (Elijah) on Mount Carmel. for a second. ...
The ancient texts are full of surprising takes.It tackles the complex and often painful topic of divorce and remarriage. The verse reads, "for she (a returned divorcée) is an abomi...
The ancient texts, like Sifrei Devarim 318, explore this very idea, but from a divine perspective, looking at the consequences of forsaking God. The phrase Stark, isn't it? It’s a ...
In Jewish tradition, this isn't just a feeling; it's sometimes a calling. Sifrei Devarim, in its unique way, shines a light on the incredible self-sacrifice of Israel’s great leade...
The Hebrew Bible says God opened the mouth of Balaam's donkey, and it spoke (Numbers 22:28). Targum Onkelos translates this miracle without flinching. The donkey talks. No metaphor...
The prophet Elijah, who never died but was taken alive to heaven (2 Kings 2:11), appears throughout rabbinic literature as a mysterious figure who walks the earth in disguise, test...
FalseProphets in Babylon. Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court), f. 93 a. J. Sanhedrin, XI, 5. Pesikta, f. 164b, 165a. Pirke de R. Eliezer, ch. 33. Tanh. Levit. Vayyikra, § 6 and ...
When the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem and stormed the Temple, they found something in the courtyard that stopped them cold. A pool of blood. Bubbling. Boiling. Churn...
Rabbi Yudan opened his teaching on Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 2:6 with a verse from Proverbs: "Choice silver is the tongue of the righteous; the heart of evildoers is worth little" (Pro...
A philosopher once came to Rabbi Eliezer with what he thought was an airtight argument against Jewish prophecy. He cited (Malachi 1:4), where God says of Edom, "They shall build, b...
As the sun dipped low over the divided animals, a tardemah fell on Abraham, a deep, prophetic sleep. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Genesis 15:12) uses that sleep to show him the whole...
Jacob blesses his sons with a breaking voice. "God the Almighty give you mercies before the man," he prays, "that he may release to you your other brother, and Benjamin" (Genesis 4...
These little anomalies, these extra strokes of ink, are rarely accidents. They're often seen as whispers, hints of deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface of the text. Take the w...
A quote from (Numbers 22:2): "Balak son of Tzipor saw all that Israel had done to the Emorites." This sets the stage for a larger discussion about divine justice and fairness. "Bal...
Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Genesis, offers us a fascinating glimpse into their perspective. Specifically, in section 12, we ...
It wasn't just about seeing the future; it was about holding life and death in their hands. to a fascinating little story from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
It turns out, even Moses, the greatest prophet of them all, knew what that was like. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, explores this ve...
It kicks off by asking about the opening line: “The words of Kohelet, son of David.” The passage points out that three prophets – Kohelet, Amos, and Jeremiah – have their prophecie...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with this very question. And in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, we find some fasc...
"What was is what will be," it says, "and what was done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Is that really true? Are we just doomed to...
Kohelet Rabbah, a midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) compilation on the Book of Ecclesiastes, uses a powerful allegory to describe this very struggle. It speaks of a "sma...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses Set as God Before Pharaoh and Aaron as His Prophet. The story takes an unexpected turn. We're transported to the time of King Solomon and the construct...
It starts with the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), which marks the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the month of Passover, the month of our freedom. But ...
A collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, there's a whole world of meaning packed into that single verse. It wasn't just a pronouncement; it was an entrance. ...
In Shemot Rabbah, it's a promise. A promise of unwavering commitment, far beyond what any earthly ruler could offer. When a human king builds a palace, can he just uproot it and mo...
Rabbi Meir shares a profound insight: "These are the ordinances,” says the verse, and the Holy One, blessed be He, entrusted justice to the elders of Israel. But why these elders? ...
Jewish tradition teaches us that our actions, especially those involving money and compassion, carry immense weight. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of ra...
Take the line, "Your eyes are like doves." What could that possibly mean? Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classical midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of S...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to Yehoyakhin and the King. Rabbi Berekhya suggests a beautiful interpretation: the "seal upon your heart" is the recitation of the Shema, that central J...
A debate between Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai and other, unnamed Rabbis, focusing on the clarity of prophetic vision. Rabbi Yehuda uses the prophet Ezekiel as his example. In (Ezeki...
Sometimes, the most unexpected things can lead us to hidden riches. Take leprosy, for example. Yes, leprosy. I know what you're thinking. Leprosy? Good tidings? Seems impossible. B...
It all starts with the verse in (Leviticus 22:29): “When you slaughter a thanks offering to the Lord, you shall slaughter it to garner favor for yourselves.” Rabbis Pinḥas, Levi, a...
The verse from Proverbs sets the stage: “One hand to another will not be absolved from evil, [but the descendant of the righteous will escape]” (Proverbs 11:21). This raises the qu...
