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We find ourselves at a fascinating crossroads in the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, specifically in Bamidbar Rabbah 21. Moses, our leader, is aging. The question of succession looms la...
The verse in (Joshua 1:5) declares, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you." This promise seems to imply that Joshua would enjoy a life parallel to that of Moses, who lived to be...
When the Torah says, “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: For you are coming to the land of Canaan; this will be the land that will fall to you as an inheritance” (Num...
Rabbi Simon, quoting Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, shares something fascinating about the letters mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf. You know, those letters that have different forms depend...
We often think of creation as this grand, instantaneous act. But what if I told you that even in the very beginning, there was a sense of…guidance, even sorrow? That’s what I’ve be...
It’s right at the beginning, in Bereshit (Genesis), when God says, “Let us make Man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). "Us"? Who's the "us?" It sounds like God is talki...
According to Bereshit Rabbah 20, 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, bles...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. And they found evidence of it woven right into the fabric of the Torah itself. Take the story of Abraham, our forefather. He goes down to Egypt to...
This particular passage, from section 88, tells us about the downfall of two unfortunate souls: the butler and the baker of the Egyptian Pharaoh. What did they do? Were they plotti...
Our story comes from Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classical Rabbinic text that intricately interprets the Book of Genesis. We're in chapter 40, where Joseph, languishing in ...
The book of Genesis tells us, "It was at the conclusion of two years, and Pharaoh was dreaming: and, behold, he stood at the Nile" (Genesis 41:1). But Bereshit Rabbah, that incredi...
The ancient Rabbis certainly noticed it. They saw it woven into the very fabric of the Torah, these moments where authority seems to… loosen. Our story today comes from Bereshit Ra...
Specifically, we're looking at section 99, which explores a verse from Amos: "For the Lord God will not do anything, [unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets...
(Psalm 100:3) declares, "Know that the Lord is God." But it's the next part that really sparked their interest: "He made us, and we are His" (Psalm 100:3). Or is it? See, the Hebre...
Specifically, we're looking at Bereshit Rabbah 100, which delves into the mourning of Jacob. The verse in (Genesis 50:3) tells us, "Forty days were completed for him, as so are the...
It’s baked right into Jewish tradition. to a fascinating idea from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Book of Deuteronomy. The very first verse of Deu...
Maybe you'd messed up before, and the consequences stung. It's a very human feeling, that hesitation. And guess what? Even Moses, Moshe Rabbenu himself, felt it too. Our story come...
It all stems from the opening of Devarim, the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses stands before the Israelites, ready to deliver his final, powerful speeches. And the very first verse we en...
But our sages delve into the depths of these words, seeking to understand the true scope of Moses’s blessing. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov points out something fascinating: The text do...
Our ancestors certainly did. And in Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a beautiful explanation of why Moses chose the stars as a...
According to Devarim Rabbah, there's a whole world of meaning packed into those words. It wasn't just a one-time instruction to Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, was saying, "Not...
The passage opens with the phrase, "At that time." But what time are we talking about? The Rabbis tell us it's the moment Joshua is appointed as Moses' successor. As (Deuteronomy 3...
In the book of Deuteronomy (Devarim), we find Moses at a pivotal moment. God tells him, "Ascend to the top of the peak, and lift your eyes to the west, and to the north, and to the...
It’s a question that has echoed through generations, a yearning to understand the divine timing of the universe. And while there’s no simple formula, our Sages offer some fascinati...
Devarim Rabbah, in its unique way, uses a verse from Deuteronomy as a springboard to delve into just that. The verse in question is (Deuteronomy 4:39): "You shall know this day and...
The passage centers on the most core of Jewish declarations: “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad” – "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:...
Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, opens a window into just such a possibility. It begins with the verse, "When you approach a city…" bu...
They’re more than just tales; they're lenses through which we understand ourselves and the world. Today, let’s peer through one of those lenses, focusing on the biblical figure of ...
In Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a powerful exploration of this very feeling, wrapped in a story about snakes and the proph...
The Torah touches on this very human struggle. In (Deuteronomy 29:3), Moses says to the Israelites, "But the Lord has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to he...
In (Deuteronomy 31:14), God says to Moses, "Behold, your days are approaching to die; summon Joshua, and stand in the Tent of Meeting and I will command him." This verse, "Behold, ...
Even Moses, the great lawgiver, felt it. In Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a poignant moment where Moses pleads with God. He...
We often think of death as the great leveler, the fate that awaits us all. But Jewish tradition suggests that for some, like Moses, the end is… different. Special. : Moses, the man...
We often think of praise as purely positive, a gift freely given. But what if even our most sincere compliments could carry a hidden cost? Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homiletic...
But in Jewish tradition, we find a fascinating story in Devarim Rabbah that touches upon just such a concept when it comes to the death of Moses. The text starts by asking, "What i...
It's not just about being polite! It’s about life itself. (Deuteronomy 32:1) begins, “Listen, heavens, and I will speak, and the earth will hear the sayings of my mouth.” A simple ...
Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a glimpse into that incredible scene, a cosmic struggle between life and death, between Mose...
Moses had spent a lifetime leading the Israelites through the desert, of receiving the Torah at Sinai, of being the conduit between the Divine and humanity. The Holy One, blessed b...
That feeling of existential dread isn't new. In fact, it’s wrestled with in some of our most ancient texts. to a passage from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretatio...
But what does it really mean? Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, dives right in. It suggests that "the rebuke of a wise man" refers to those who deliver homilie...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They wrestled with the complexities of Jewish law and tradition, seeking not just to follow the rules, but to truly understand them. And in the pr...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it's known in Hebrew, grapples with this very feeling. "I saw all the work of God, as man is unable to discover the work that is performed ...
Even Moses, the great lawgiver himself, apparently had that problem! The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, a book known for its philosophical musings, contains the line, "The fool ...
It wasn't just about accumulating knowledge, but about understanding the very essence of reward, redemption, and the mysteries of the universe. The verse from Ecclesiastes (12:9-10...
We all know about Moses, about the plagues, about the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the women who defied a king's cruel decree and saved countless Israelite babies? The To...
Specifically, we're diving into Shemot Rabbah 1, which offers a fascinating take on (Exodus 1:21): "It was because the midwives feared God, He made houses for them.” But what exact...
It’s a question that's been asked for centuries, and Jewish tradition offers a pretty compelling answer: it's not about grand pronouncements or immediate displays of power. Instead...
to that, drawing from the ancient wisdom of Shemot Rabbah, a classic rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus. In (Exodus 3:20), God says, "I will extend My hand, and smite Egypt ...
