11,062 related texts · 38 related myths · Page 228 of 231
"He said to his people: Behold, the nation of the children of Israel is more numerous and mighty than us" (Exodus 1:9). This is Pharaoh, setting the stage for oppression. But Shemo...
Their story, as told in Shemot Rabbah, is a powerful reminder of resilience, faith, and the strength of community. Pharaoh, wasn't just content with enslaving the Israelites. He wa...
Our story begins in ancient Egypt, where the Israelites are flourishing, a little too flourishing for the liking of the Pharaoh. He sees their growing numbers as a threat, and so, ...
The familiar version gives us about Moses, about the plagues, about the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the women who defied a king's cruel decree and saved countless Israel...
What exactly does that mean, "He made houses for them?" This teaching presents two perspectives, attributed to Rav and Levi. One suggests that God rewarded the midwives with priest...
"A man from the house of Levi went and he took a daughter of Levi" (Exodus 2:1). Simple enough. But the Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Shemot Rabbah, ...
It’s a story filled with palace intrigue, near-fatal tests, and a touch of divine intervention. The familiar version gives us the basics: baby Moses in a basket, found by Pharaoh's...
As is so often the case with Torah, the rabbis unpack layers upon layers of meaning. What did it really mean when it says "he saw that there was no man"? It wasn't just about the a...
It all centers around Moses, and a rather interesting agreement he makes with Jethro (also known as Yitro), his future father-in-law. Remember, Moses has just fled Egypt after, sha...
The ancient rabbis certainly understood that feeling. In the book of Exodus, we read, “It was during those many days that the king of Egypt died and the children of Israel sighed d...
“An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed” (Exodus 3:2). ...
In the story of Moses, that moment is captured in a single, powerful scene – the burning bush. The book of Exodus tells us (3:3) that Moses said, "I will turn now, and see this gre...
Our story begins in (Exodus 3:7): “The Lord said: I have seen My people’s affliction that is in Egypt, and I have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, as I know their p...
Shemot Rabbah turns to A Land Flowing With Milk and Honey Awaits Israel. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) interpretations on the Book of ...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Who Am I That I Should Go to Pharaoh. In (Exodus 3:11), Moses cries out to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should take the children o...
In the book of Exodus, specifically (Exodus 3:19), God tells Moses, "And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except by a mighty hand.” It's a pretty direct warning. ...
The ancient rabbis saw that struggle playing out in the life of Moses, as he stood on the cusp of his world-changing mission. The book of Exodus (4:18) tells us, "Moses went and re...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Covenant of Yitro. The Rabbis offer a compelling explanation: Moses first went on a mission for God, and then "returned" to Yitro. But that raises another qu...
A seemingly insignificant phrase can carry immense weight, altering the course of destiny. to a curious observation from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on ...
(Exodus 4:20) tells us, "Moses took his wife and his sons, and mounted them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand." Simple enou...
The Torah tells us, "The Lord said to Moses: When you go back to Egypt, see all the wonders that I have placed in your hand and perform them before Pharaoh; but I will harden his h...
The answer, they suggest, might lie in the seemingly simple phrase, "I will harden his heart." What does it mean to harden someone's heart? According to Shemot Rabbah, a collection...
The book of Exodus tells us that God spoke, but the how… that’s where the Jewish tradition gets truly wondrous. Our exploration starts with a seemingly simple verse: “The Lord said...
The ancient Jewish texts explore this very idea, and one particular passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a powerful insi...
The verse According to Shemot Rabbah, "Aaron spoke all the words" means he acted in accordance with God’s command: "He will speak for you to the people" (Exodus 4:16). And "perform...
The familiar story is this:, but Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary) – interpretations and expansions – on the Book of Exodus, offer...
That feeling is all over the story of the Exodus, and it really hits hard in the early chapters of the Book of Exodus. to a moment of crisis, as understood by the ancient Rabbis in...
Even Moses, the great lawgiver, felt that way. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers us a fascinating glimpse into a moment where Mo...
This very human experience echoes in the ancient texts, specifically in a powerful passage from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. " Go...
Rabbi Levi starts us off with a parable. Imagine a king who owns a beautiful orchard. Now, in this orchard, he plants not only fruit-bearing trees – the kind that give you deliciou...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses Set as God Before Pharaoh and Aaron as His Prophet. The story takes an unexpected turn. We're transported to the time of King Solomon and the construct...
His reaction to Moses and Aaron's miracles in Egypt, as described in Shemot Rabbah, is a masterclass in insecure overcompensation. The familiar story is this: Moses and Aaron come ...
The Torah tells us, "The magicians of Egypt did so with their spells; and Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 7:22). But what does "...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating, and frankly chilling, comparison ...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating take on the plague of frogs. We all remember the story: Egypt is overrun with ...
Take the story of the plagues in Egypt. It's not just about showing off God's power; it's a complex tapestry woven with themes of justice, redemption, and even a little bit of…well...
The Book of Exodus gives us a glimpse into just that, with the plague of the swarms descending upon Egypt. We pick up the story in (Exodus 8:20): "The Lord did so; and heavy swarms...
A reader can see them as just divine punishment, but the rabbis found layers of meaning, justice, and even hidden miracles within each one. the story turns to the plague of boils a...
The Torah tells us, "Behold, I will rain down tomorrow at this time very severe hail, that there has not been like it in Egypt since the day it was founded until now" (Exodus 9:18)...
In the book of Exodus, we read, "The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens, and there will be hail throughout the land of Egypt…" (Exodus 9:22). It seems straight...
The Book of Exodus tells us, "Moses extended his staff toward the heavens and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the ground, and the Lord rained hail upon the lan...
Him is often remembered as this monolithic, unyielding villain. But what if there were moments of genuine, albeit fleeting, remorse? The Book of Exodus tells us that after the deva...
It wasn't just about remembering the events, but about understanding the deeper meaning behind them. The Torah tells us, "And so that you will relate in the ears of your son, and o...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses in Battle of Pharaoh. Take the plague of locusts, for instance. In (Exodus 10:12), God tells Moses to stretch out his hand so that locusts would swarm ...
That agonizing tease of liberation is a feeling the Israelites knew all too well as they stood on the brink of freedom from Egypt. We find ourselves in the thick of it in (Exodus 1...
A reader can see them as simply divine punishments, but Jewish tradition often delves deeper, searching for layers of meaning and nuance. the story turns to the plague of darkness,...
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...
It all starts with the verse, "This month shall be for you the first of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you" (Exodus 12:2). But instead of a straightforward exp...
