2,285 related texts · Page 41 of 48
Others say: "Refidim" is acronymic for "rifyon yadayim" ("weakness of hands"). Because the hands of Israel had weakened in Torah study, the foe came upon them, this transpiring onl...
Three things were given conditionally: Eretz Yisrael, the Temple, and the kingdom of the house of David, but not the Torah scroll and the covenant of Aaron, which were not given co...
(Exodus 19:10) "And the L–rd said to Moses: Go to the people and make them ready today"—the fourth day—"and tomorrow"—the fifth day. (Ibid. 11) "And have them be ready for the thir...
(Ibid.) "And Moses entered into the mist": This (his closeness to the L–rd) was a function of his humility, viz. (Numbers 12:3) "And the man Moses was extremely humble, etc." Scrip...
R. Akiva says: "You shall not do (i.e., deport yourselves) with Me" as others do with their gods. When good befalls them, they honor their gods, viz. (Habakkuk 1:16) "Therefore, he...
The Torah states, "Wherever I shall mention My name, I will come to you and bless you" (Exodus 20:21). The Mekhilta interprets this verse with a startling specificity: "where I am ...
(Exodus 20:22) instructs: "Do not build them gazith." The Mekhilta explains that "gazith" means "gezuzoth" — hewn stones, specifically stones upon which iron tools have been used. ...
"Do that your nakedness not be revealed upon it": Upon it (the altar) you may not take broad strides, but you may in the sanctuary and in the holy of holies. For it would follow (o...
Where exactly on the ear is the bondsman pierced? The Mekhilta records a dispute between two authorities. Rabbi Yehudah said the piercing goes through the lobe — the soft, fleshy p...
Scripture hereby teaching us that murder (i.e., one's having murdered) overrides the sacrificial service. For it would follow (otherwise), viz.: If the Sabbath, which is overridden...
"only to the L–rd alone": Because others say: If the Israelites had not joined the name of the Holy One Blessed be He, with that of idolatry (i.e., the golden calf), they would hav...
"It is a sign forever" — the Mekhilta derives from this phrase that the Sabbath will never be lost from Israel. No matter what happens — exile, persecution, assimilation pressures ...
And it would follow (that labors for the sanctuary would override the Sabbath, viz.:) If the sacrificial service, which comes only from the enablers, (i.e., the vessels, etc.) over...
The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem – twice – is one of the most profound traumas in Jewish history. It’s not just about losing a building; it’s about losing a connection, a...
Jewish tradition offers a powerful, heart-wrenching image: Mother Zion. The image of Mother Zion comes from a deep well of sorrow and longing, born from the exiles and devastations...
Jewish tradition offers a beautiful, mystical answer: the Guf, the Treasury of Souls. Also known as the Chamber of Creation, it’s the ultimate waiting room. Imagine a place brimmin...
We all know the story: Abraham, tested by God, is commanded to sacrifice his beloved son. But what happened to Isaac in those heart-stopping moments? The familiar Genesis account l...
It's wild, and it's connected to none other than King Solomon and the building of the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The story goes that the demons were, shall we sa...
We all know the story from (Genesis 32:24-30). Jacob, preparing to meet his estranged brother Esau, sends his family and possessions across the Yabbok River (a stream whose name me...
That, in essence, is the heart of this powerful story about Jacob and the destruction of the Temple. Tradition tells us that in the lead-up to the destruction of the Temple in Jeru...
Did you know that some traditions claim Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel, never actually died? It sounds impossible, doesn't it? He was embalmed, buried… but the story ...
Jewish tradition certainly hints at it, especially when we talk about the Temple. We all know about the Temple in Jerusalem. But did you know there’s a celestial version, a Beit Ha...
Sacrifices are offered, prayers ascend, and the Divine Presence is palpable. Then, out of nowhere, leopards break in. Not once, but repeatedly. They rampage through the sacred spac...
The Temple, the very center of Jewish life, engulfed in flames. What happens when the unthinkable becomes reality? The Talmud (B. Ta'anit 29a) recounts a powerful image: the High P...
The stones are still hot, the air thick with ash and despair. Who would you expect to find there? According to a powerful story preserved in the Talmud (B. Menahot 53b), it was non...
And some of their answers… well, they're One fascinating myth, collected orally and preserved in Howard Schwartz’s Tree of Souls, tells us that the Messiah was actually created at ...
What does it truly mean for the Messiah to come? What would be required? We often hear about the miraculous, the earth-shattering changes that the arrival of Mashiach – the Messiah...
(Proverbs 23:5) speaks to this feeling, saying, "When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings." But what does this really mean? One fascinating...
We all do. But what if the key to a blessed life was simpler than we think? (Psalm 1:1-2) opens with a powerful image: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the w...
King David knew that feeling well. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into the context and meaning behind David's songs. A...
The ancient sages pondered these very feelings, especially when thinking about the fate of the Jewish people. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalm...
It’s a question that’s plagued humanity for ages, and Midrash Tehillim 10 grapples with it in a way that’s both challenging and ultimately hopeful. The midrash (rabbinic interpreti...
Who shall sojourn in Your holy mountain?" It’s a question that’s echoed through the ages, prompting deep reflection on what it means to be worthy of divine intimacy. The Talmud in ...
But what if that spark was always there, hidden, waiting for the right moment to ignite? That's the essence of what we find in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpreta...
That’s the question at the heart of Midrash Tehillim 19, a beautiful exploration of how all of creation sings God's praises, even in silence. The text begins by offering an alterna...
That feeling’s deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. Midrash Tehillim, our window into the book of Psalms, connects this idea of purity with the very act of approaching God. It says, ...
There’s this beautiful passage in Midrash Tehillim (Commentary on Psalms), specifically on Psalm 27, that offers a powerful image of refuge. It says, "For He will hide me in His ta...
to one particularly beautiful and comforting perspective from Midrash Tehillim, specifically Midrash Tehillim 30, connected to Psalm 30. The verse we're looking at is (Psalm 149:5)...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of Rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this idea, exploring how the voices of the righteous resonate with the Divine. "The r...
Specifically, we're looking at Midrash Tehillim 42. It's a plea, a challenge, almost a demand, directed at God. The speaker in this Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) begin...
That’s the feeling I get when I read Midrash Tehillim 57, a beautiful and poignant interpretation of Psalm 57, usually attributed to King David. It's a plea for mercy, not once, bu...
Our ancestors felt it too, and they wrestled with it in their stories and prayers. Today, we're diving into Midrash Tehillim 64, a fascinating passage that uses the story of Daniel...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this too. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this very question. Specifically, it wrestles wi...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, grapples with just that idea. In Psalm 74, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explores how the ...
The prophet Jeremiah, in the name of God, tells us no. "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom...but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am t...
That feeling, that connection, is something Jewish tradition has explored for centuries. And one beautiful place where we find this idea expressed is in Midrash Tehillim, a collect...
It's not always what you might expect. to a passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, and see. The text begins with a stark sta...
Think of it as a secret decoder ring for understanding the deeper layers of King David's timeless songs. Today, we're diving into a fascinating little nugget from Midrash Tehillim,...
