998 related texts · 2 related myths · Page 4 of 21
The Torah is blunt: An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord, even to the tenth generation (Deuteronomy 23:4). The verse has stood for a thousand years. ...
During a season of Roman persecution, two disciples of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananyah disguised themselves in Gentile dress and tried to pass unnoticed through dangerous territory. T...
A famous debate arose in the academy between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua over the ritual status of a particular oven, called the oven of Akhnai. The technical question has bec...
Heretics once cornered R. Simlai, a third-century sage of the land of Israel, and tried to trap him on a grammatical point. Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bereshit 7:1 records the exchang...
Bamidbar Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Book of Numbers, dives right into this question with a surprisingly poetic starting point. The verse But instead of jumping straight...
In the desert, the Israelites found that strength, not just in their faith, but also in their organization, in their very banners. "Each at his banner, with the insignias," says th...
"Craft for you." (Numbers 10:2) It's all about the personal nature of leadership and the instruments that come with it. "Craft for you," the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commenta...
The Torah tells us, "Moses called Hoshea son of Nun, Joshua [Yehoshua]" (Numbers 13:16). But here's the question: why did Moses change Hoshea's name to Joshua? What prompted this a...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Joshua in Joseph's Time. Remember that? Moses sends out twelve spies to scout the Promised Land. Ten of them come back terrified, painting a picture of ins...
Sometimes, it really was – especially when it came to dividing the land of Israel among the tribes. But this wasn't just some random drawing. Oh no, this involved divine interventi...
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...
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...
In the ancient world, and even described in the Torah, there was a system in place to offer refuge. The book of Numbers instructs us, "You shall designate cities for you" (Numbers ...
The familiar reading treats the Creation story in Genesis and think we understand it. But what if there's a deeper layer, a secret code waiting to be unlocked? Seems straightforwar...
It's not always as simple as a direct hand from above. Sometimes, there's a cosmic chess game happening behind the scenes. Devarim Rabbah, in its very first section, opens with a p...
" But what time are we talking about? The Rabbis tell us it's the moment Joshua is appointed as Moses' successor. As (Deuteronomy 3:21) states: "I commanded Joshua [at that time]."...
Devarim Rabbah turns to Joshua's Surprising Call for Peace Before Battle. (Deuteronomy 20:10) tells us, "When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for p...
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...
The verse in question: "Moses emerged from the city, from Pharaoh, and spread his hands to the Lord; the thundering and hail ceased, and the rain did not pour upon the earth" (Exod...
The Israelites certainly did in Egypt. But even in the darkest of times, hope can blossom. And it often arrives in unexpected ways. Our story begins, as so many do, with a word fro...
The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) thought Pharaoh knew exactly how that felt when he finally let the Israelites leave Egypt. Shemot Rabbah, a compilation...
The Torah tells us, "God did not lead them [naḥam]" that way. (Exodus 13:17). So, what gives? There's more to this story than meets the eye. The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic int...
Pay close attention to that little word, "Then" – in Hebrew, az. "Az Moses sang.." That tiny word holds a universe of meaning, according to Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic ...
The ancient Israelites, fresh out of Egypt, knew that feeling all too well. We find a fascinating glimpse into this in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on th...
Take the story of the war against Amalek in (Exodus 17:9). Moses tells Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out and wage war with Amalek; tomorrow I will be standing on top of the hil...
A single event, a powerful moment, that resonates far beyond its origin. The Book of Exodus, or Shemot in Hebrew, tells us that "Yitro heard.." (Exodus 18:1). But what exactly did ...
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...
The verse that kicks things off is from (Exodus 27:20): “And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall bring you pure olive oil, pressed for illumination, to kindle ...
Good intentions, maybe, but with a track record that's... well, let's just say "mixed"? That's the feeling at the heart of a beautiful passage in Shemot Rabbah 49, a collection of ...
The rabbis of old knew that struggle all too well. And they had some pretty creative ways to wake people up! There’s a story told in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Son...
Ever read a love poem and thought, "This is beautiful, but what does it mean?" Well, the Jewish tradition has been doing that for centuries with the Song of Songs, also known as Sh...
The verse The rabbis ask, who is speaking, and what are they saying? They suggest that God answers us "by means of Elijah and..the messianic king." What does He say? “Rise up, my l...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to Elisheva's Song. The verse "Who is this ascending…," from (Song of Songs 3:6), is interpreted as referring to Elisheva, daughter of Aminadav. But who ...
Take this one, from (Song of Songs 4:3): “Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your speech is lovely; your temple is like a pomegranate slice behind your braid.” What does it e...
Sometimes, the answer lies not in the present, but in the deep echoes of the past, in the merit of our ancestors. to a fascinating exploration of this idea, as seen through the len...
The first reading, it’s a beautiful invitation. But as Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on Song of Songs, reveals, there’s so much more going on. The verse repeats, "W...
The rabbis of old saw something truly profound in this verse. Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥelbo, quoting Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, point out that the word "bride" appears no less than ...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), Shir HaShirim Rabbah, unpacks this verse, revealing layers of meaning. The text begins by clarifying some of the terms. "Nerd and ka...
The verse we’re unpacking is (Song of Songs 5:11): "His head is the finest gold; his locks are curls, black as a raven." Seems straightforward. But in the world of Jewish interpret...
They understood that a community, just like a person, needs eyes to see, to discern, to navigate the complexities of life. Where do we find these "eyes"? The answer, surprisingly, ...
The Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim in Hebrew, is filled with that kind of raw, powerful emotion. It’s a love poem, yes, but according to Jewish tradition, it’s also a profound all...
It is written: “And set it in the ears of Joshua” (Exodus 17:14), this is one of four righteous people to whom a portent was given; two sensed it and two did not sense it. A porten...
Are we, heaven forbid, idolaters, bowing down to wood and parchment? Rabbi Menasheh ben Yisrael, of blessed memory, addressed this very concern in his book, Teshuat Yisrael. He fel...
And Joseph was brought down into Egypt (Gen. 39:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Come and see the works of God; he acts circuitously in His doings toward ...
And he said: “Moses, Moses.” and he said: “Here am I” (Exod. 3:4). What is the meaning of Here am I? R. Joshua the son of Karha held: Here am I implies: “I am ready for priesthood ...
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...
R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi, “There are four things that the evil drive would refute [as irrational], and for each of them is written [the word,] huqqah (i.e.,...
(Numb. 21:17:) “Then Israel sang this song.” This song (of the well) was uttered at the end of forty [years], while the well was given to them at the beginning of the forty [years]...
