3,636 related texts · Page 19 of 76
The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating and often poetic work of Midrash (Jewish Biblical exegesis), gives us a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the Israelites at that pivota...
One that even Moses, the great lawgiver, wrestled with. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, in chapter 44, tells a story that illuminates this very struggle. Rabbi Phineas shares a fascinating...
The Torah tells us that Moses, having fled Egypt after, well, that incident, was trying to settle into life in Midian. But trouble seemed to follow him. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a f...
The passage begins with a seemingly innocuous statement: "And Solomon became allied by marriage to Pharaoh king of Egypt..." (Melachim I 3:1). But this simple line opens a floodgat...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Hebrew Bible, offers a poignant reflection on this very idea, drawing a stark contrast between the Exodus from Egypt...
Jewish tradition certainly does. to a fascinating exploration from the Yalkut Shimoni on Torah, specifically section 169, where we uncover layers of meaning in the story of Moses a...
The sea splits, a nation escapes slavery... but according to some traditions, the heavenly hosts weren't exactly thrilled. to Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 238, a collection of rabbinic ...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a compilation of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic teachings, hints at just such an idea with a fascinating take on a seemingly ordinary object: a st...
We read in the Torah that God spoke to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, the Ohel Moed (אוהל מועד). But we also read that God spoke to him from above the kaporet (כפורת), the ark cov...
We're diving into Sifrei Bamidbar, a fascinating commentary on the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar in Hebrew). And right off the bat, verse 9:1 hits us with something intriguing: "And th...
It's all about Pesach (Passover) Sheni, the "Second Passover," and it raises some fascinating questions about intention, distance, and second chances. In the Book of Numbers (Bamid...
It can be surprisingly complicated! Today, we're diving deep into a seemingly simple question: Who exactly was Moses' father-in-law? Was it Chovav, or Reuel, or maybe someone else ...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating moment from the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), chapter 10, verse 29, where Moses makes a heartfelt plea to his father-in-law, Yitro (Jethro). Th...
That feeling, that intense pressure, isn't new. Moses, the great leader of the Israelites, felt it too. And the Torah, in its unflinching honesty, doesn't shy away from showing us ...
The Book of Numbers, or Bamidbar in Hebrew, gives us a fascinating glimpse into this very question, and the struggles between Moses and the Israelites during their desert wandering...
The passage opens with the verse from Devarim (Deuteronomy) 3:23: "And I supplicated (va'ethchanan) the L-rd." Va'ethchanan, the text tells us, is a term loaded with entreaty, a he...
It’s a question the Torah touches upon in subtle, yet profound ways. We find a beautiful example in the book of Bamidbar, Numbers, chapter 27, verse 15. "And Moses spoke to the L-r...
And in the book of Bamidbar – that's Numbers in English – we find a fascinating glimpse into this very mystery. The verse we're looking at, (Numbers 27:16), starts with a prayer: "...
Our tradition teaches us it's something far more profound, something deeply connected to the well-being of the people. We find a fascinating insight in Sifrei Bamidbar, a collectio...
That’s precisely what’s happening at the very beginning of Sefer Devarim, the Book of Deuteronomy. The text wastes no time diving right in. It says, "across the Jordan," and "in th...
We often think of them as a simple recap of the journey from Egypt, but the very first verse hints at something more. It begins by listing the places where Moses spoke to the Israe...
The text starts by pondering the phrase "who can do as Your deeds" (Deuteronomy 3:24). Sifrei Devarim finds echoes of God's power in two pivotal moments of our history: the Exodus ...
to a fascinating passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal commentaries on the Book of Deuteronomy, that wrestles with this very issue. The text begins by discussing "a dr...
It's all about intention, about truly engaging with what we do. The text opens with Moses, no less, urging the people: "Take care to study these things and to expound them." It sou...
Isn't it wild to think about peace even in the middle of war? We often think of them as opposites, but Jewish tradition sees a deep connection, a need for peace that permeates ever...
The Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea – the absence of an advocate, the void when mercy seems to have vanished. It's a scary thought, isn't it? Sifrei Devarim, a collec...
It's about planting the seeds of wisdom deep within their hearts. In Sifrei Devarim, when it says Moses "spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people," it’s not just ...
It’s a question that’s plagued humanity for millennia, and it’s a question that even Moses himself wrestled with. Imagine being Moses, the man who led the Israelites out of slavery...
We find a fascinating glimpse into their relationship in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations related to the Book of Deuteronomy. Here, it says, “Hear, O L-rd, the...
Let's unravel one such mystery together, found within the ancient text of Sifrei Devarim. We turn to the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), specifically chapter 33, verse 20. It speaks...
The Hebrew Bible says God told Moses, "Who gave man a mouth, or who makes a person dumb or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I—God?" (Exodus 4:11). Targum Onkelos translates this ve...
The Hebrew Bible says God "passed before" Moses and proclaimed the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (Exodus 34:6). Targum Onkelos renders this as God "made His Shechinah pass" before M...
The Israelites knew that feeling intimately. Our story begins in just such a place: "The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first of the...
And the king, instead of addressing the crowd, singles you out. He speaks directly to you. That, my friends, is the opening of Bamidbar Rabbah, the ancient midrash on the Book of N...
Their answer is both clever and chilling: The wilderness of Sinai was where they received their death sentence. How could that be? The key, it seems, lies in (Exodus 24:11): “Again...
The verse we're looking at is (Numbers 3:42): “Moses counted, as the Lord commanded him, all firstborn among the children of Israel.” Simple enough. But the Rabbis never let anythi...
It wasn't just packing up and hitting the road. Every aspect, down to who touched what and in what order, was meticulously planned and imbued with deep meaning. to just one small p...
It wasn't just a matter of tossing everything into a wagon. There was a precise order, a sacred choreography, and it all begs the question: Why this order? Bamidbar Rabbah, specifi...
It's almost like a cosmic nudge, inviting us to dig a little deeper. Take, for example, the juxtaposition of the laws concerning lepers right before the section detailing the dutie...
"A man or woman..." It begins like that, doesn't it? So simple, yet so profound. It reminds us of the verse: "For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who scorn Me will be di...
The passage starts with the seemingly straightforward case of a suspected adulteress in (Numbers 5:12): "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: If the wife of any man wi...
Today, we’re diving deep into the Priestly Blessing, also known as Nesi’at Kapayim, the Lifting of the Hands, found in the Book of Numbers (6:22-27) and explored in Bamidbar Rabbah...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, that explores exactly how that Name was used—and pro...
Our jumping-off point is Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a fascinating exploration of the verse "On the day that [Moses] concluded." Now, you might think this is just a throwaway line, but the...
And it turns out, it’s a feeling that resonates even within the stories of our most revered figures. Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, div...
It wasn't just a matter of unfolding some tents and calling it a day. The Torah tells us, in (Exodus 40:17), that it was "in the first month during the second year, on the first of...
And it seems even the leaders of ancient Israel weren't immune. We find a fascinating story in Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the great collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpreti...
The Torah gives us hints, scattered like precious gems, and the Rabbis, masters of interpretation, piece them together for us. Take (Numbers 7:89): "And when Moses came into the Te...
