633 related texts · 4 related myths · Page 4 of 14
A seemingly simple phrase, “Et hamishkan” – "the Tabernacle.” But according to this Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), it's so much more than it seems. It proposes that th...
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...
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 Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive...
Consider the book of Numbers, or Bamidbar in Hebrew, specifically chapter 7, verse 3. It describes the offerings brought by the princes of Israel for the Tabernacle: "They brought ...
The very first offering? It's from Naḥshon, son of Aminadav, from the tribe of Judah. We read, "The one who presented his offering on the first day was Naḥshon..." (Numbers 7:12). ...
It’s a story rich with symbolism, divine presence, and, In Bamidbar Rabbah, 13, it all began on the 23rd of Adar, and culminated on the first of Nisan. Rabbi Yosei tells us that fo...
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...
Like after all the hard work, the dedication, the striving. shouldn't there be a bonus round of celebration? Well, Jewish tradition understands that feeling perfectly. to a fascina...
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...
It all comes down to the seemingly simple phrase, "You shall craft the boards for the Tabernacle." This comes from Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations o...
The ancient rabbis certainly understood that feeling. a fascinating Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that speaks directly to that sense of inadequacy, and how we can over...
Take Betzalel, for example, the master craftsman of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. We read in (Exodus 31:2), "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur…” But ...
Our story begins with a seemingly simple verse from (Exodus 36:8): "All the wise hearted among those who performed the labor crafted the Tabernacle: ten tapestries of spun linen an...
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...
It’s not always just for emphasis. Sometimes, there’s a deeper, almost heartbreaking reason. Take the word mishkan, "Tabernacle," in the Book of Exodus. We find it stated twice in ...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It centers on a seemingly simple verse: “The Tabernacle of the Testimony, as the...
That feeling… it's actually deeply rooted in a story from the Torah, a story about the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. It opens with a seemingly simple verse: "They brought the Tabernacle...
Shemot Rabbah sees the Tabernacle not only as a sanctuary, but as a mirror of creation itself. The passage starts with a seemingly simple statement: "They brought the Tabernacle." ...
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...
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, citing Rabbi Natan, makes a rather astonishing claim. He says that the 18 commands mentioned in the portion of the Tabernacle actually correspond to the 18...
Jewish ritual is rarely about only the action, it's about the choreography of meaning. Take (Leviticus 23:11), which instructs us about waving the omer "before the Lord, for accept...
A Question.9Sections 2 and 3 of “In the Beginning” and the fourth section of “Noah” were taken from the She’iltot of R. Ahai, a distinguished Babylonian scholar who left Palestine ...
May it please our master to teach us: If one of two sons is born to a man on Friday and the other on the Sabbath,8Either half-brother born of two different wives or twins born of o...
In the third month (Exod. 19:11). May it please our master to instruct us: May one cure a pain in his mouth on the Sabbath? Thus do our masters teach us: One who has a pain in his ...
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: “See, I have called by name Bezalel” (Exod. 31:1). Solomon said: Whatsoever cometh into being, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is...
A new vessel filled with old wine. Another explanation of The Tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: There is no testimony other than the Torah...
These are the accounts of the tabernacle, even the tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). The Tabernacle bears testimony to the entire world that He forgave them for the episod...
And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses (Exod. 39:32). May it please our masters to teach us: What things were instituted for the sake of peace? Thus do our masters teach us: Th...
(Numb. 3:40:) “And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Enroll every [first-born] male….’” Let our master instruct us: When an infant is born at six months, does one profane the Sabbath for ...
[(Numb. 7:1), “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” This text is related (to (Numb. 24:5), “How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your Tabernacles O Israel.” If...
"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...
The appointment of Bezalel and the commandment of Sabbath in (Exodus 31:1-18) culminate in one of the most extraordinary images in all of Targum Jonathan: the physical description ...
A person trapped on a low spiritual level might assume that deep Torah understanding is beyond their reach. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov says the opposite is true: the pathway from the...
Where do dreams come from? The Talmud in Berakhot 55a offers a surprisingly psychological answer: from the dreamer's own mind. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani taught in the name of Rabbi ...
When the people demanded a golden idol from Aaron, they had to find gold. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan preserves a startling detail not in the plain Hebrew: their wives denied themselves...
In fact, the Sabbath isn't just a terrestrial observance; it's a celestial one, too. Right after creating the Sabbath, God gathers all the angels – the angels of the presence and t...
The Book of Jubilees, a text that gives us a unique retelling of the Torah, certainly seems to think so. It’s a book overflowing with warnings and rebukes, a call to remember the c...
The Book of Jubilees, a text that dances on the edge of the biblical canon, gives us a breathtakingly detailed account. It’s a story of creation, but also so much more. It’s a stor...
A passage from Jubilees that focuses on the Sabbath, that sacred day of rest. The text claims that God said He would teach humankind about the Sabbath, "that they may keep Sabbath ...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the stories we find in Genesis and Exodus, really emphasizes this point. It paints a picture of creation itself as a mo...
Book of Jubilees turns to Strict Sabbath Laws Forbid Drawing Water. A day where you can't even draw water, or carry anything through your gates that you didn't already prepare the ...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text, speaks to this feeling with a stark warning. It paints a picture of a future where people have drifted far from their spiritual and et...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating ancient text, grapples with this very idea. It explores what it means for the Jewish people to be distinct, and the responsibilities that come...
That’s how I feel whenever I explore Megillat Antiochus (Scroll of Antiochus). It's not part of the biblical canon, but it's a powerful, albeit brief, account of a dark chapter in ...
The story in the First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 2, throws us right into the heart of that question, and it's a tough one. A group of Jews, devout and determined, have fled into t...
Before the world even existed, there was a need for beings to praise God. So, He created the angels, the holy Hayyot (holy living creatures), the heavens, and ultimately, Adam. The...
The Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbinic lore by Louis Ginzberg, gives us a glimpse into a celestial celebration, a party hosted by none other than the Almi...
Remember, Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, has finally revealed himself to his brothers, the same brothers who sold him into slavery years ago. It's a dramatic reunion fille...
