5,406 related texts · 40 related myths · Page 110 of 113
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...
Like a well, for instance. It's more than just a source of water; it’s often a meeting place, a place of destiny. Our sages point this out in Shemot Rabbah, noting how the well is ...
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...
In the book of Exodus, Moses has that very experience. But it's not quite what you might expect. The verse reads, "He said: I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God...
It all starts with that pivotal moment when Moses encounters God at the burning bush. Remember the verse? "God said to Moses, 'I will be what I will be,' and He said, 'So shall you...
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 ...
It's often because the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw connections we might miss. Take the story of Moses at the burning bush in Exodus, chapter 4. God gives him three signs ...
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 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 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...
Our sages explored this very human tendency in fascinating ways, especially when looking at the stories of Solomon and Moses. Our journey begins with a verse from Exodus (6:2-3): “...
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...
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 first appears it's all divinely ordained, etched in stone.. but the answer, according to some fascinating interpretations, is a little more nuanced, a little more… us. Shemot Ra...
The ancient Rabbis felt that way about the Exodus, the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. And they found echoes of that feeling in the most unexpected places, even in the Son...
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...
It is often remembered 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 Mid...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Exodus. Specifically, it focuses on the instruction to take a bunch of hyssop and dip i...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Egypt — Giving of the Torah. Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a glimpse into the night of the ...
” The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, asks a profound question about this v...
The Divine, it seems, knows the feeling. According to Shemot Rabbah, the great collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) interpretations on the Book of Exodus, God...
The story starts with a seemingly simple commandment: "This is the statute of the paschal offering." Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta paints a vivid picture: God, blessed be He, instructs ...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Why No Foreigner May Eat of the Passover Offering. The Midrash then dives into a comparison between the Exodus from Egypt and the future redemption. During t...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Did Pharaoh Simply Cave or Was There More. Our sages explore this question in Shemot Rabbah, a rich collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary...
The book of Exodus tells us, “God did not lead them via the land [derekh eretz]” (Exodus 13:17). But what exactly does that mean? Well, Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbi...
It sounds like something out of a movie, but the Rabbis grappled with this moment, and what it truly meant. The book of Exodus (14:16) tells us, "And you, raise your staff, and ext...
The Israelites certainly did at the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army was bearing down on them, and the sea was, well, a sea. So what were they supposed to do? Pray? Act? Just give up? The B...
Pharaoh's army bearing down, water as far as the eye could see. What do you do? The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, paints a vivid pi...
It all starts with the verse, "For He is exalted." The Rabbis ask, what does that truly mean? Rabbi Pappos offers a beautiful and subtle reading of the verse from (Song of Songs 1:...
Shemot Rabbah turns to The Horse and His Rider Cast Into the Sea. Shemot Rabbah, that rich collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glim...
The Israelites, fresh from their miraculous escape from Egypt, certainly did. The book of Exodus tells us, "Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went out to the wilderness of...
Those passages are easy to skim place names, assuming they're just… well, places. But sometimes, they're so much more. Consider the phrase "the wilderness of Shur," which pops up i...
Rabbi Simon, quoting Rabbi Eliezer, starts with a verse from Hosea (12:6): “The Lord is the God of hosts [tzevaot], the Lord is His designation.” The word tzevaot, "hosts," is key ...
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 ...
He appears in the narrative, offers Moses some crucial advice, and then… well, what do we really know about him? The Book of Exodus tells us, “Yitro heard…” (Exodus 18:1). But hear...
That sparks a whole chain of thought, linking it to the verse, "Heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob" (Jeremiah 2:4). So, what’s the connection? Well, Rabbi Nechemya, as quote...
The Shemot Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us some fascinating answers. "The Lord called to him from the mountain, saying.."...
A collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, the answer might surprise you. It all goes back to Mount Sinai. Rabbi Yitzḥak makes a bold claim: Everything the prophets w...
Shemot Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, points this out explicitly. "Come and see," it urges, "how excellent this portion is!" What's so ex...
The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, dives deep into this question, particularly in section 30. It all starts with a verse from Isaiah...
That feeling, that fear, is something the Jewish people have grappled with throughout our history. And it's right there in Shemot Rabbah 31, a midrash on the book of Exodus. The pa...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations for this monumental task. It a...
Take the story of atonement after the sin of the Golden Calf. It all starts with an offering. But what kind of offering? The verse in Exodus tells us to "Take one young bull." But ...
The verse from Hosea (14:3) says, "Take words with you and return to the Lord." The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks: What does that mean? Are we supposed to bring s...
It sounds strange, but Jewish tradition explores the idea that certain special figures in our history were known by multiple names, each reflecting a different facet of their chara...
God is often remembered as all-powerful, distant, maybe even a little intimidating. But what if I told you that Jewish tradition also emphasizes God's incredible humility? Shemot R...
The familiar story is this: Moses ascends Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and the Israelites, impatient and fearful, build a golden idol. But what happens behind the scenes, in t...
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 ...
