633 related texts · 4 related myths · Page 12 of 14
It's called Shabbat, the Sabbath. It’s powerful. The mystics teach us that keeping Shabbat is more than just refraining from work. It's about entering a different dimension of time...
In the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, we find a census being taken. But there's a twist. "However, the tribe of Levi you shall not count" (Numbers 1:49). Why this exclusion? Bamidbar R...
It seems like such a simple detail, but the Torah dedicates a lot of space to describing the precise arrangement of the tribes around the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. And the Rabbis, n...
Midrash Rabbah, specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 2, reveals a fascinating layer of meaning beneath the surface. "The children of Israel did in accordance with everything that the Lord ...
The verse He says that wherever eleh appears, it acts like a reset button, essentially rejecting what came before. On the other hand, ve'eleh – "and these" – adds to what was previ...
It all goes back to a fascinating swap, a divine exchange, that re-shaped the spiritual landscape of ancient Israel. We find the seeds of this story in Bamidbar Rabbah, specificall...
We can see this theme beautifully illustrated in Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah) 4, which draws a powerful lesson from the seemingly straightforward verse, “The charge of Elazar, ...
That feeling isn't new. In fact, the ancient Israelites grappled with it too, as we learn from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers. Our story...
It’s a midrash, a rabbinic interpretation, on a verse from the Book of Numbers – Bamidbar in Hebrew, which gives the whole book its name. The verse in question mentions "the tribe ...
In the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar, we read about how the Kehatites, a family within the tribe of Levi, had the unique and profoundly important task of carrying the Ark of the Covena...
The Torah tells us in (Numbers 4:29), “The sons of Merari, by their families, by their patrilineal house, you shall count them.” Now, it first appears all Levites were treated equa...
It's in those little quirks that readers often find hidden depths. Take the census of the Levites in the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar, for example. Specifically, Bamidbar Rabbah 6 shi...
It turns out, even ancient texts confront these questions, offering surprising insights into universal ethics. to Bamidbar Rabbah, specifically section 8. This isn't your typical d...
The sages of the Talmud grappled with this very emotion, particularly in the context of marriage and fidelity. And surprisingly, the Torah has a lot to say about it. to an intrigui...
The Torah (Numbers 5:17) instructs the priest to take "sacred water in an earthenware vessel, and from the dirt that is on the floor of the Tabernacle.place it into the water." But...
Take the curious case of the Sotah – the suspected adulteress – described in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar). The verse Seems pretty specific. A particular situation, a particular s...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Jacob Blessed Pharaoh and Outshone God's Own Generosity. Rabbi Berekhya HaKohen (a priest) offers an example. He recalls the story of Jacob’s encounter wit...
The tradition turns to Bamidbar Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Numbers. In Bamidbar Rabbah 12, we find a powerful idea presented by Rab...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to The Hidden Deal God Made with Israel Back in Egypt. One interpretation suggests that "vayhi" hints at a previous agreement. Rabbi Yehoshua says that God ma...
It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (3:11): "Go out and gaze, daughters of Zion, at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wed...
Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, wrestles with this very question, using the construction of the Tabernacle – the mis...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Angels Attend to Metatron. The verse in question is from (Exodus 15:13): "You guided with Your kindness this people that You redeemed; You directed them wi...
We begin with a beautiful verse from Numbers (24:5): "How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your dwellings [mishkenotekha], Israel!" The first reading, it's a simple expression of admi...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Tribal Princes Bring Wagons to Serve the Tent of Meeting. " The context is the dedication of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and the princes of the tribes are...
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...
Sometimes, those little things hold the key to unlocking profound insights. to one such instance from Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), specifically chapter 13, and see what we can...
” Intriguing. What does it all mean? The text then tells a story about Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka and Rabbi Elazar Ḥisma visiting Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Yehoshua, ever the curious min...
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...
We flip a switch and flood a room with light without a second thought. But millennia ago, kindling a flame was a precious act. So why did God command it in the Mishkan, the Taberna...
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...
Our ancestors felt that way, too. The ancient rabbis understood this, and that's why we find so much human drama, even in the most sacred texts. Take this story from Bamidbar Rabba...
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...
Our stories are woven into our lineage, and sometimes, those threads get tangled. to a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of N...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to God's Power Is Restrained Yet Infinitely Greater Than Ours. How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory ideas? Bamidbar Rabbah offers a beautiful exp...
Rabbi Yoḥanan starts us off with a verse from Psalms (139:5): "Back and front [ahor vakedem], You shaped me…" Ahor vakedem, it's a phrase that hints at so much. Rabbi Yoḥanan sugge...
Consider the verse in (Genesis 2:21), "He took one of his sides [mitzalotav].." Now, mitzalotav can mean either "one of his ribs" or "one of his sides." So, which was it? Rabbi Shm...
The Torah tells us in (Genesis 17:5), "Your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." Seems But...
Names hold power, history, and sometimes, the very essence of a place. Take Jerusalem, for example. Its story, according to the ancient Rabbis, is far more intricate than you might...
One fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, dives right into this thorny issue. Specifically, it tackles Jacob's bl...
The story starts with a quote from (Genesis 49:5): "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of villainy are their heritage." But what does it really mean? Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient...
The Rabbis saw so much more. This verse in Devarim, Deuteronomy, becomes a springboard for exploring some fascinating corners of Jewish law, or halakha. Specifically, the question ...
Our tradition is filled with stories that suggest it might. a few tales from Devarim Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, that explore just that....
Her story, found in Kohelet Rabbah, the commentary on Ecclesiastes, is a stark reminder that joy and sorrow can be two sides of the same coin. The verse But what does that really m...
The verse from Ecclesiastes (3:16) sets the stage: “Moreover, I have seen, under the sun, in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of justice there is wickedn...
It all starts with a verse from Ecclesiastes (12:11): "The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails well fastened are the collectors of wisdom; they are given from one shep...
Sometimes, it's not about luck at all, but about seizing the moment. And in Jewish tradition, the story of Moses and Pharaoh offers a powerful lesson in just that. In (Exodus 8:16)...
The congregation of Israel itself has felt that way! Our passage opens with a fascinating connection between the verse "They shall take Me a gift" (Exodus 25:2), which refers to th...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Yours O Lord Is the Greatness and the Might. It's a mirror, of sorts. Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created above, He also created below. the ...
