2,006 related texts · 10 related myths · Page 4 of 42
The Torah portion Naso, particularly in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, explores this very concept, using the offerings of the princes as a springboard. It's a fascinating exploration of Israe...
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...
It might seem like a minor detail in the Book of Numbers, but Jewish tradition finds profound meaning in every nuance of the Torah. "On the twelfth day, prince of the children of N...
The core of the discussion revolves around the verse, “This was the dedication of the altar” (Numbers 7:88). The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks, is this a one-time...
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...
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...
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...
It’s a tale of ambition, delusion, and a very dangerous offering. The scene is set: Moses, leading the Israelites. And then comes Koraḥ, a Levite, challenging Moses’s leadership, s...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations for this monumental task. It a...
Take the story of atonement after the sin of the Golden Calf. It all starts with an offering. But what kind of offering? The verse in Exodus tells us to "Take one young bull." But ...
It wasn't just a tent; it was a portable sanctuary, a reflection of the Divine Presence, and the artisans poured their hearts and souls into every thread. Shemot Rabbah, a collecti...
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...
It’s a story of intimacy, growth, and the need for appropriate boundaries. to a fascinating interpretation of a verse from the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim, that illuminates this v...
It's one that the ancient rabbis understood deeply. They wrestled with these feelings in their interpretations of scripture, offering us a timeless roadmap for finding strength eve...
"And it was on the day that Moses had finished to erect the tabernacle" (Numbers 7:1). Rabbi Simon said, "At the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, told Israel to make the tabe...
After all the materials were gathered, ready for this incredible, portable sanctuary to be built, Bezalel didn't just get to work; he dove in, soul first. And that's what the Torah...
A Roman emperor once told Rabban Gamliel: "Your God is a thief. He put Adam to sleep and stole one of his ribs." Before Rabban Gamliel could answer, his daughter interrupted. Accor...
Second Maccabees gives us a tantalizing glimpse into just such a mystery, a legend swirling around the prophet Jeremiah. Now, The familiar version gives us Jeremiah. The weeping pr...
Take the story of the offerings brought by the tribes of Israel in the desert. Each tribe, a unique thread in the tradition of the nation, brought their own special gifts to the Mi...
The verse is a hinge the Hebrew Bible almost hides. After the humiliation of Egypt, after Pharaoh hands Sarah back and sends the family away, (Genesis 13:3) tells us that Abram ret...
The book of Ben Sira, also known as Sirach or the Wisdom of Yeshua ben Sira, belongs to the Apocrypha, writings associated with the Hebrew Bible but not formally canonized in the J...
Take Aaron, for instance, Moses' brother. We know Moses as the lawgiver, the one who spoke to God face-to-face. But Aaron... well, the people loved Aaron. And that’s saying somethi...
This passage, specifically from Tikkunei (spiritual repair) Zohar 62, plays with the concept of terumah (תרומה), the offering given to the priests. It suggests that the portion of ...
After every other plea had been rejected, Moses turned to his nephew Elazar, the son of his brother Aaron. And threw himself at his feet. "Elazar, my brother's son," Moses said, "i...
The familiar story is this: from Exodus 32 – Moses is up on Mount Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments, and the Israelites, feeling abandoned, demand that Aaron make them a god. B...
After the consent comes the unpacking. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Genesis 24:53) describes Eliezer bringing out vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and vestments, which he gave to ...
Before the final plague falls, the Lord gives Israel an instruction that would change the entire theology of the Exodus. "Speak now in the hearing of the people, That every man sha...
Between the altar of sacrifice and the Tent of Meeting stood a basin, not of gold, not of silver, but of bronze. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan names its purpose simply: the kiyor was for ...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as we know it, uses some pretty powerful imagery to describe the fragility of life and the descent into mortality. And the Rabbis, in their inf...
“Couches of gold and silver” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya: Rabbi Yehuda said: For one [for whom] silver was fitting, silver, and for one [for whom] gold was fitting, gold. Rabb...
Rabbi Pinḥas said: Two wealthy men arose in the [history of the] world, one from Israel and one from the idolaters, and their property was only to their harm. Koraḥ in Israel, who ...
Take the gifts of the twelve princes, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, as described in the Torah (Numbers 7). A reader can skim over those lists of offerings – chargers of...
I've been pondering the story of the Levites, and how they came to be chosen in place of the firstborn sons. It's a fascinating tale, but it raises a question: What happens when th...
The Tabernacle of Moses is counted like heaven is counted. In Zohar, Pekudei 1, Rabbi Hiya reads "these are the accounts of the Tabernacle" through the verse, "All the rivers run i...
When God commanded that a jar of manna be preserved for future generations (Exodus 16:32), Moses relayed the instruction to his brother Aaron. But when exactly did Aaron carry it o...
Rabbi Eliezer offered a mordantly funny interpretation of the phrase "elohim acherim" (other gods) in the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael. He connected "acherim" not to "otherness" but t...
Rabbi Yishmael read the commandment against idolatry with a scope that went far beyond golden calves and carved statues. When the Torah says "You shall not make unto Me gods of sil...
Talmud Bavli, Shabbat turns to The Israelites Build a Golden Idol While Moses Is Gone. "He's taking too long," they murmur, their voices rising in a chorus of doubt and dread. "We ...
Midrash Tehillim turns to Did Moses Serve as a Priest Before Aaron. It’s a fascinating idea, isn’t it? To picture Moses, not just as the lawgiver and prophet, but also performing t...
Sifrei Bamidbar turns to David Discovers Torah Scholars Are More Precious Than Gold. Sifrei Bamidbar, one of the ancient collections of Jewish legal interpretations, explores this ...
Bezalel built the Ark, the Table, the Candelabrum, and the Incense Altar in (Exodus 37:1-29). The Hebrew text describes each object's dimensions. The Targum Jonathan explains how a...
The one who offered his sacrifice on the first day was Nachshon ben Aminadab of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 7:12). Our Rabbi, the one who offered the sacrifice to the altar, taught...
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...
Bamidbar Rabbah refuses to skim the tribal offerings. Reuben's silver dish, basin, and incense ladle all become signals. The Torah tells us about Elitzur's offering: "His offering ...
Bamidbar Rabbah, that incredible collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives deep into this very question. It’s not just a ma...
Rabbi Yitzḥak begins with a powerful quote from Jeremiah (15:16): “Your words were revealed, and I consumed them; Your words were gladness for me and the joy of my heart because Yo...
Take, for instance, the story in Vayikra Rabbah 31, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. It focuses on Aaron, the High Priest, and his rol...
And Moses said unto Aaron: “Take a jar and put an omerful of manna therein” (Exod. 16:33). I would not know of what substance the jar was fashioned, whether of silver or of gold or...
