2,614 related texts · 5 related myths · Page 53 of 55
Kohelet Rabbah turns to The Fool's Toil Exhausts Him Because He Cannot Find the Way. The first interpretation presented is They don’t seek help, they don’t try to understand. And “...
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...
It might seem like just a simple Hebrew word meaning "was," but in the world of Jewish thought, it can unlock hidden meanings, destinies, and connections. Shemot Rabbah, a collecti...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Moses Gathers the Elders With a Secret Sign. Why the elders? Shemot Rabbah emphasizes the vital role elders play in upholding Israel. It draws a parallel to ...
The familiar story is this: God commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites. But Moses hesitates. He protests, famously declaring, "I am not a man of w...
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...
That feeling isn't new. It goes all the way back to Moses and Aaron facing down Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. They’re walking into the lion's den, asking the most powerful ruler o...
It wasn't pretty. And it certainly wasn't subtle. Our story picks up right after Moses and Aaron deliver their fateful message: "Let my people go!" (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh, predictab...
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...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Pharaoh — Moses and the Holy Sanctuary. Pharaoh's advisors, sensing the impending doom, had pleaded with him to release the Israelites after yet another deva...
One such story, found in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, uses the analogy of a king and his son. A king, immensely proud of his son, ...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Israel's Extraordinary Power to Sanctify Time Itself. The verse from (Exodus 12:2), "This month shall be for you," is more than just a calendar marker. Accor...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Exodus, recounts a fascinating episode. It begins with the verse, "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), referri...
Take, for instance, the humble hyssop. Hyssop – that little plant we read about in the story of the Exodus. It doesn't seem like much, but according to Shemot Rabbah, it's a key to...
It's a feeling that Judaism, in its wisdom, addresses head-on. We find a fascinating exploration of this theme in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Boo...
The ancient rabbis felt that way too, and they found profound hope in the story of the Exodus. In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we ...
This week, It uses the story of Yitro, Moses' father-in-law, to explore the nature of true friendship and kinship. Then, it immediately connects this to a verse from Proverbs: “Do ...
Can you picture them all crying out at the same moment? Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, tells us that God hears them all concurrently...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Aaron and His Sons Chosen to Lead Israel in Service. The text cleverly connects this verse in Exodus to one in Zechariah (10:4): “From it will come a corners...
Shemot Rabbah turns to How Aaron Reacted When Moses Smashed the Tablets. The scene: Moses is descending from Mount Sinai, clutching the tablets of the law. He sees the Israelites r...
The verse It But the Rabbis saw so much more in those words. They connected it to a verse from Psalms (65:5): "Happy is the one You choose to bring near You to dwell in Your courty...
What allowed him, a human, to step into the most sacred space? Shemot Rabbah, a treasure trove of biblical interpretations, explores this very question. "This is the matter," it sa...
It centers around Betzalel, the incredibly skilled artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that accompanied the Israelites in the desert. The To...
In fact, they found an answer – a surprising one – in the power of remembering the righteous dead. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, ex...
Take, for instance, this powerful moment described in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. We find Moses, pleading with God. The Israelite...
The Torah portion of Terumah introduces us to Betzalel, the artisan chosen to construct the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. But where did he get all that skill? Shemot Rabbah, a classical...
It involves the story of Betzalel, the artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The verse says, "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel" (Exodus 35:30). But Shemot R...
Who do we trust? Why do we trust them? And what happens when that trust is broken? In Jewish tradition, the concept of trust, of being a ne'eman, a trustworthy person, is incredibl...
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...
The verse "Have you seen a man diligent in his work? He will stand before kings" (Proverbs 22:29) sparked quite the debate. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpret...
The heart of one of the most beloved, and sometimes debated, books in the Jewish tradition: Song of Songs, or as it's known in Hebrew, Shir HaShirim. One of the first things that s...
Ever catch a whiff of something amazing and wonder, "What is that?" Our senses are powerful doorways to memory and meaning. And in ancient Jewish tradition, few things were as powe...
Take the line, "Your eyes are like doves." What could that possibly mean? Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classical midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of S...
In the beautiful, multi-layered world of Jewish interpretation, this verse opens up into a world of meaning far beyond the literal. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbi...
The verse Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina equates this to the offspring of a hind. But where is this fawn, this fragile new life? "Behold, he is standing behind our wall," the text says, "b...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah connects Solomon's judgment to the places where Israel learned to seek God's presence. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Song of Son...
In Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, we find a fascinating discussion about these pesky creatures and what they represent. Rabbi ...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to My Beloved Is Mine and the Bond Between God and Israel. "My beloved is mine, and I am his," the commentary states. He is God for me, and I am a nation...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah turns to The Secret Incense Recipe of the House of Avtinas. Specifically, the incense prepared by the House of Avtinas. In Shir HaShirim Rabbah, this priestly ...
Not just any bread, but the showbread, the lechem haPanim, a special offering placed on the golden table in the Temple. This bread wasn't your average loaf. Its unique size and sha...
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 ...
Jewish tradition often interprets it allegorically, finding layers of meaning beneath the surface. And sometimes, those layers lead us to some truly fascinating places. Take this v...
Jewish tradition sees it as an allegory, a story of the love between God and Israel. And within its verses, we find echoes of the Temple, its destruction, and the hope for redempti...
Song of Songs is already pretty heady stuff – love, longing, metaphor piled upon metaphor. But the Rabbah, the commentary, takes it to a whole new level, interpreting the poem as a...
It turns out, the ancient rabbis thought about this a lot, especially when it came to the relationship between humanity and God.” In Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6, a midrashic (rabbinic i...
It's a story about perspective, gratitude, and maybe even a missed opportunity to usher in... the Messiah! The passage begins with a verse from Song of Songs, "Look from the peak o...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this feeling, turning to the beautiful, enigmatic verses of the Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim) for answers. to one such interpretation from Shir HaS...
A passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, that explores just that feeling. Specifically, What does it all mean? The Rabbis...
