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The passage begins with Jacob, poised to meet his brother Esau after years of separation. “Jacob sent messengers” (Genesis 32:4). But it's not just a simple act of diplomacy. The R...
Take the reunion of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 33. We read how Jacob arranged his family as he approached his brother, placing the maidservants and their children first, Leah and he...
We find him at a crucial point in his life, facing a Divine encounter that echoes a previous one. The text in Bereshit Rabbah 82: “God appeared…again.” That little word "again" is ...
The verse in question is from (Genesis 38:15): “Judah saw her and thought her to be a harlot, because she covered her face.” What's so significant about this seemingly simple obser...
But Jewish tradition, with its beautiful layers of interpretation, sees something far deeper. The rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient and profound commentary on the Book of Genes...
Our Sages, delving deep into the Torah, grapple with this very idea in Bereshit Rabbah 97, a section of the ancient Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary). They begin with a ve...
In Jewish tradition, there are stories about those who tried, and what happened when they did. Our story today comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpre...
The verse in question is (Genesis 49:28): "This is what their father Jacob spoke to them." But the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah notice something subtle. It doesn't say, "This is what ...
(Deuteronomy 1:10) states, "The Lord your God has multiplied you, and, behold, you are today as the stars [of the heavens in abundance larov]." Seems straightforward. God has made ...
The text opens with a quote from Deuteronomy, saying God is "near it." But who is "it"? The verse itself speaks of a nation that has God near to it. Devarim Rabbah, in its characte...
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:...
The story begins with Moses, our great leader, ascending to the heavens. Imagine the scene: clouds parting, a divine ladder stretching upwards, and Moses, step by step, approaching...
But what does this seemingly simple commandment truly mean? What deeper lessons about mercy and compassion can we learn from a bird's nest? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic inte...
We often focus on the manna, the miraculous food from heaven. But what about something as basic as clothing? I mean, forty years is a long time. Did their clothes just… last? That'...
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...
The verse in question comes from (Proverbs 31:29): "Many women have performed valiantly, but you have surpassed them all." But who is the "you" being referred to here? According to...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very feelings. And Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Ecclesiastes, dives...
"For to the man who is good before Him, He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass, to give to one who is good before God. This, ...
Jewish tradition grapples with this question, especially when it comes to the timing of pivotal moments in our history. And sometimes, the answers are more surprising than you'd ex...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it’s known in Hebrew, dives right into that feeling. One particular verse, (Ecclesiastes 4:8), really hits home: "There is one and not anoth...
Something that makes you think, "Surely, there's someone better suited for this!" Well, you're not alone. Even Moses, the great lawgiver himself, had a moment of reluctance. to a f...
The ancient rabbis wrestled with this very question, using stories to illuminate the heart of our relationship with God. One such story, found in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rab...
It was about a whole new way of counting time itself. Think of it this way. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Exodus, offers a beautiful analogy to e...
The story of the Exodus, as told in Shemot Rabbah, the compilation of rabbinic sermons on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glimpse into this idea, focusing on the final p...
We often think of it as being solely for the sake of the Israelites, to free them from slavery. But what if there was another, deeper reason? Shemot Rabbah, the collection of Midra...
And in Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus, they offer a powerful, if somewhat unsettling, answer. The verse in question is God's instruction ...
It all starts with the verse, "Then Moses…sang" (Exodus 15:1). The Rabbis connect this to (Proverbs 31:26), "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exploration of this very idea. The verse "This is the matter [hadavar]" (Exo...
It's more than just handing something over. It's like tossing a pebble into a pond, the ripples go far beyond what you can see. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretati...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a fascinating perspective on this, likening the people of Israel to a vine. Rabbi Tanhuma bar ...
And in our tradition, we often turn to stories to explore these complex emotions and find a path forward. Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a colle...
Today, let’s dive into a powerful story from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, where Moses does just that after the sin of the Golden C...
The prophet Isaiah cries out, "But now, Lord, You are our Father" (Isaiah 64:7). But God, it seems, isn't so quick to embrace this sudden familial affection. He essentially asks, "...
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 ...
But in Shir HaShirim Rabbah – that’s the collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs – we find a beautiful exploration of just that. It's all about unpacking the ve...
It's a book filled with passionate love poetry, and this verse, 2:5, is especially intriguing: "Support me with raisin cakes, cushion me with apples, for I am lovesick." Simple eno...
It’s a question that's plagued humanity for centuries. And while there aren't easy answers, Jewish tradition grapples with this in profound and moving ways. to a story from Shir Ha...
We’re going to delve into a fascinating interpretation found in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Song of Songs. Here, a single verse – "The sentri...
But in Jewish tradition, it's often interpreted as an allegory – a story with a deeper, hidden meaning. And that's where Shir HaShirim Rabbah comes in. This is a collection of rabb...
Ever read the Song of Songs and thought, "Wow, that's...intense?" It's a book of love poetry, after all, and some of the imagery can feel pretty direct. Take the verse, "How fair a...
Today, we're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, and unpacking just such a verse. Get ready for a journey through noble lineage, the power of bri...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on Song of Songs, offers a fascinating take on Abraham's early days, drawing on the verse "We have a little sister [aḥot]" (Song of Songs 8:8)....
The verse we're focusing on is (Song of Songs 8:9-10): "If she is a wall, we will build upon her a silver turret; and if she is a door, we will affix upon her a cedar panel. I am a...
to a passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, that touches on this very idea. It centers around the verse, "the one who dwe...
The Torah starts the book of Leviticus—Vayikra in Hebrew—with just that kind of a call. "He called to Moses, and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying…" (Leviticus...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Leviticus, offers a profound and surprisingly intimate perspective. The text tells us that "adam" isn'...
It’s a question that has puzzled scholars and storytellers for centuries. The Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic text focusing on the Book of Leviticus,...
Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic interpretations on the book of Leviticus, dives deep into this very topic, using the verse "when a woma...
