3,636 related texts · Page 47 of 76
That’s the feeling Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Naḥman evokes in his teaching on the verse, "Rather the matter is very near to you" (Deuteronomy 30:14). It's a beautiful passage about the ...
(Ecclesiastes 10:1) puts it bluntly: "Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer’s oil; a little folly is weightier than wisdom, than honor." It's a powerful image, isn’t it? How someth...
Ancient Jewish wisdom grappled with these questions too. Take this passage from Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes. It starts with...
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 ...
The Rabbis certainly did. one fascinating interpretation from Vayikra Rabbah, specifically Vayikra Rabbah 4, that unlocks layers of meaning in King David's timeless words. Rabbi Yo...
to a passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, that does just that. It all starts with a rather clinical verse: "A man, if he ...
Vayikra Rabbah 26, a section of the Midrash Rabbah on Leviticus, invites us to do just that. It starts with the familiar verse, "The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, sons ...
Specifically, Vayikra Rabbah 26. It all starts with a simple phrase: "Speak to the priests." But as is so often the case in Jewish tradition, there's a whole universe packed into t...
It’s not just filler! According to the sages, these repetitions are clues, little breadcrumbs that lead us to deeper meanings. Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash on the book of Leviticus, d...
Yes, you read that right. A cattle prod. Believe it or not, the ancient rabbis found deep spiritual meaning even in the mundane tools of everyday life. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collect...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Leviticus, gives us a glimpse into that idyllic vision. Specifically, it discusses the verse “I ...
“They heard that I sigh; there is no comforter for me; all my enemies heard of my misfortune, were glad because You acted. May You bring the day that You proclaimed, and they will ...
Rabbi Pinhas said in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: There were four hundred and eighty synagogues in Jerusalem before the destruction. The number came from a single verse — "filled wit...
“Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion; He will not continue to exile you. He will reckon your iniquity, daughter of Edom, He will expose your sins” (Lamentations 4:22).“You...
Rabbi Levi said: Accursed are the wicked who are engaged in evil counsel against Israel, and each one of them counsels in his way and says: ‘My counsel is better than your counsel....
From the very first moment of creation, God assigned every major figure in history a specific role. Esther Rabbah preserves a remarkable list, attributed to Rabbi Berekhya, that re...
That feeling, that sense of unease, might be more than just good manners telling you to speak up. According to Jewish tradition, it's practically a commandment. The Torah tells us,...
It's easy to see him as just a sneaky snake, but Jewish tradition, especially in the writings we call midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), often sees things on a deeper, sym...
Did you ever stop to wonder… did that serpent in the Garden of Eden actually talk? I mean, really talk? It's a question that’s been wrestled with for millennia. (Genesis 3:2) simpl...
The story in Genesis, as we all know, tells of a serpent who tempts the woman, leading to the eating of the forbidden fruit and the expulsion from paradise. But the ancient sages w...
Why on earth did the serpent twist God's words to Eve, claiming, "God has said, 'You shall not eat of every tree in the Garden'" (Genesis 3:1)? God actually said, "You may freely e...
The kind of things that make you pause and think, "Wait, did that really happen that way?" Let's zoom in on the story of the Garden of Eden, specifically that fateful moment when t...
But did you ever notice something strange about how they pointed those fingers? The man, Adam, he's quick to say, "The woman gave me of the tree, and I did eat." He throws Eve righ...
What does it symbolize? The Torah is full of these deceptively simple questions that open up to reveal universes of meaning. Take the story of Cain and Abel. A primal scene. Siblin...
Don't eat meat with blood still in it. But, as is often the case with Jewish tradition, there's so much more to unpack here. This verse, part of the covenant God makes with Noah an...
Ever stumble across a verse in the Torah that just... sticks in your craw? A line that seems simple at first glance, but the more you chew on it, the more questions it raises? That...
The ancient sages certainly thought so. And they weren't afraid to use vivid language to make the point. Take this passage from the Midrash of Philo. It's a bit intense, but stick ...
You might recall Nimrod from (Genesis 10:8). It's a brief mention, almost a genealogical footnote: "Chus was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a giant and a hunter before the L...
And the Lord said to Aaron: “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses” (Exod. 4:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: God thundereth marvelously with His voice; gr...
Go into the wilderness to meet Moses (Exod. 4:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each ...
And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord (Exod. 4:29). Moses began to reveal to him everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, had told him, and that he was to go perform t...
Another comment on Who is the King of Glory? (Ps. 24:10). He is the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who apportions honor to those who fear Him. Therefore it is written:...
And the Lord said unto Moses: “Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven that there may be hail” (Exod. 9:22). Scripture says (elsewhere in allusion to this verse): Whatsoever the Lord ...
And Moses said unto Joshua: “Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek” (Exod. 17:9). From this verse it is apparent that Moses treated his disciple Joshua as his equal. Thi...
And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun (Exod. 17:12). Since time was calculated by means of the stars, what did Moses do? He stopped the revolution of the sun, t...
In the third month (Exod. 19:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Have I not written unto thee excellent things (shilshom) of counsels and knowledge (Prov. 22:20...
And thou shalt overlay it with brass (Exod. 27:2). R. Judah the son of Shalum stated: Moses had said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, You told me to make an ...
And the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Depart, go up hence” (Exod. 33:1). This is what Scripture says in allusion to this verse: For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee ...
These are the accounts of the tabernacle … and the bronze of the offering (Exod. 38:21, 29). The bronze of the offering (tenufah) refers to the bronze vessels given to a bride, for...
(Lev. 8:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses]…, ‘Take Aaron and his sons along with him, the vestments […].’” This text is related (to Ps. 65:5), “Fortunate is the one You choose...
(Lev. 8:2:) “Take Aaron and his sons.” This text is related (to Prov. 20:7), “The one who walks in his integrity is righteous; blessed are his children after him.” This refers to A...
(Lev. 8:3:) “And assemble the whole congregation.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Pay him honor in front of all Israel, in order that they may see him today when he e...
(Lev. 9:1) “And it came to pass on the eighth day….” This text is related to [the verse] (in Eccl. 8:5), “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” Who is this?...
(Lev. 11:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying […], ‘Speak unto the Children of Israel, saying, “These are the creatures that you may eat….”’” It is stated (...
(Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” It was taught in a baraita (a teaching from outside the Mishnah) in the name of R. Eliezer:37In y‘Eruv. 6:1 (31c); yGit. 1:2 (39...
(Lev. 17:1, 3:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, ‘Speak to Aaron saying, “…. If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters.”’” The holy spirit proclaims (in Mal. 1:11), ...
(Numb. 1:1:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert, in the tent of meeting.” Before the tent of meeting was set up, He spoke with him in the bush, as stated (in Exod....
(Numb. 2:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘[The Children of Israel shall camp,] each with his standard, under the banners….’” Let our master instruct u...
