Midrash Tehillim

709 texts in Midrash Aggadah

The Sea Parted and Every Drop Became a Miracle

Midrash Tehillim 136:5

We all know the story from Exodus – how Moses stretched out his hand, and the waters parted, allowing the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. But did you know just how...

CreationHeavenAngelsCreatures

Sihon and the Angels

Midrash Tehillim 136:6

Ever hear a story so wild, so larger-than-life, that you just have to lean in and ask, "Wait, really?" Well, buckle up, because we're diving into one of those tales today, straight...

AngelsPatriarchsMosesKing David

By the Rivers of Babylon We Sat and Wept

Midrash Tehillim 137:1

Our story today comes from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms. It's a look at Psalm 137, which starts with the heartbreaking words: "By the riv...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaAngels

What Happens When Even the Psalms Feel Angry

Midrash Tehillim 138:1

The book of Psalms, Tehillim in Hebrew, is often seen as a direct line to the divine, a collection of heartfelt expressions. But what happens when even those expressions are stifle...

Hell/GehennaProphecyHoly Land

Samuel — Moses and the Holy Sanctuary

Midrash Tehillim 138:2

The ancient rabbis certainly did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, we find a powerful example of just that. It's a passage drippin...

MosesTempleProphecySoul

Where Can I Go to Escape Your Presence O God

Midrash Tehillim 139:1

The ancient texts wrestle with this idea, particularly when it comes to our relationship with the Divine. Psalm 139, a heartfelt song of David, begins with the powerful declaration...

CreationHeavenMosesKing David

God Knew Every Thought Before David Could Think It

Midrash Tehillim 139:2

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, offers a profound and intimate look at this idea in its commentary on Psalm 139. This psalm, tradi...

CreationHeavenAdam & EvePatriarchs

David's Uneasy Meditation on God's Omnipresence

Midrash Tehillim 139:3

And he wasn’t necessarily comfortable with it. Psalm 139 is a powerful meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. And Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretati...

King DavidJobTorahProphecy

Back and Forth God Formed Adam From the Dust

Midrash Tehillim 139:4

Jewish tradition is rich with stories that delve into these mysteries, and one particular passage in Midrash Tehillim – a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psal...

CreationHell/GehennaAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Almighty at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Tehillim 139:5

Specifically, Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 139, a passage brimming with wonder at God's knowledge and presence. The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks us to consider some...

CreationAdam & EveKing DavidProphecy

David Begs Deliverance from Violent and Deceitful Men

Midrash Tehillim 140:1

to Midrash Tehillim, specifically Psalm 140, and unpack its layers of meaning. The Psalm begins with a plea: "A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man; preserve me f...

CreationPatriarchsKing DavidSolomon

David's Evening Prayer Rises Like Incense to Heaven

Midrash Tehillim 141:1

King David knew that feeling, and he gave voice to it in the Psalms. Psalm 141, to be exact. It begins, "I call upon you, O Lord; make haste to me; give ear to my voice when I call...

CreationHeavenAngelsKing David

David Hiding in a Cave and the Words of Psalm 142

Midrash Tehillim 142:1

This particular midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explores a moment in David's life, a moment of intense vulnerability. Picture this: David, the future king of Israel, is ...

King DavidSolomonTorahPrayer

David Remembered

Midrash Tehillim 142:2

Psalm 142 opens with just that kind of repetition: "I cry out to the Lord; I plead with the Lord for mercy." (Psalm 142:1). It's right there in the Hebrew, a doubling down: "my voi...

King DavidPsalmsHumorMusic & Song

David Awaits the Messiah

Midrash Tehillim 142:4

Well, you're not alone. The ancient rabbis pondered this very feeling, this need to unburden ourselves before the Divine. And they found echoes of it in the Psalms, specifically in...

King DavidMessiahSoulPrayer

Saul in David's Court

Midrash Tehillim 142:5

King David knew that feeling. Intimately. Psalm 142, a cry from the depths, gives us a glimpse into that loneliness. But it's more than just a lament; it’s a profound statement of ...

King DavidSoulHoly LandJudgment

Trapped in a Cave David Cries Out to God Alone

Midrash Tehillim 142:6

It plunges us into a moment of intense crisis in the life of David, the shepherd-king. The scene: a dark, claustrophobic cave. David is inside, cornered. Outside, waiting with ill ...

King DavidSoulPsalmsKings

No Living Being Is Righteous Before You O God

Midrash Tehillim 143:1

Psalm 143, a heartfelt plea from David, grapples with exactly that. "Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my plea..." But the questions bubble up: Who among us can truly claim innocence...

Hell/GehennaPatriarchsKing DavidSolomon

The Enemy Pursues My Soul and Refines It

Midrash Tehillim 143:2

The Psalmist certainly did. "For the enemy pursues my soul..." That's the opening line we're diving into today, from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of t...

SoulHoly LandPsalmsKing David

Goliath and the Angels

Midrash Tehillim 144:1

That’s the feeling this midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), this interpretive story, from Midrash Tehillim (a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms) rea...

AngelsCreaturesKing DavidSolomon

Kingdom of David of Isaiah

Midrash Tehillim 145:1

This midrash, a kind of interpretive commentary, opens by linking David's words in Psalm 145 – "I will exalt you, my God the King" – to the prophet Isaiah's similar declaration in ...

HeavenAngelsMosesKing David

Do Not Put Your Trust in Princes or Mortals

Midrash Tehillim 146:1

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, grapples with this very question in its exploration of Psalm 146. The verse "Hallelujah, my soul, ...

Hell/GehennaPatriarchsKing DavidSolomon

Sennacherib at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Tehillim 146:2

Midrash, the ancient Jewish art of interpreting scripture, is full of stories that reveal deeper truths about life, death, and everything in between. And Midrash Tehillim, a collec...

CreationPatriarchsMosesEsther

Elijah at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Tehillim 146:3

And they found solace and hope in unexpected places, like Psalm 146. Midrash Tehillim, the classical commentary on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into its verses, unearthing profou...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaAdam & Eve

Life of Moses of Isaiah

Midrash Tehillim 146:4

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, uses Psalm 146 to explore this very idea. It begins with the powerful statement: "The Lord opens t...

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Why God Loves the Stranger Like a King Loves a Gazelle

Midrash Tehillim 146:5

It all comes down to this idea: God loves the stranger. But why? What's so special about the stranger? Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, o...

HeavenHell/GehennaAdam & EveMoses

God Rebuilds Jerusalem and Gathers the Scattered

Midrash Tehillim 147:1

It’s a question that's echoed through generations, and today we're diving into a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of ...

ProphecyPrayerHoly Land

Prophet and King of Zion

Midrash Tehillim 147:2

It turns out, that feeling is deeply intertwined with our understanding of God's reign and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. how praise, singing, and the very act of rebuilding are inte...

TempleProphecyPrayerHoly Land

Korah and Moses of Achor

Midrash Tehillim 147:3

Jewish tradition, in its beautiful complexity, actually has something to say about that feeling – about being an outcast, and even more surprisingly, about the possibility of retur...

MosesHoly LandRebellionAdam & Eve

Isaiah — True and False Prophets

Midrash Tehillim 147:4

Jewish tradition recognizes this feeling – the ache of exile, the pain of loss – and offers a powerful promise of healing and return. One particularly beautiful passage in Midrash ...

ProphecyHoly LandExile

Every Creature in Heaven and Earth Praises God

Midrash Tehillim 148:1

And as we find in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, the answer is a dazzling, multi-layered chorus. Psalm 148 begins with a resounding call: ...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveMoses

Isaiah's Song

Midrash Tehillim 148:2

According to the prophet Isaiah, we are all called by God's name, created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). It’s a powerful thought. The Midrash Tehillim, in its exploration of Psalm 14...

CreationMosesKing DavidSolomon

God Desires a New Song Just as He Makes All Things New

Midrash Tehillim 149:1

It’s an idea that pulses with life throughout Jewish tradition, a concept that goes far beyond just melody. to Midrash Tehillim, specifically Midrash Tehillim 149, and see what it ...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodPatriarchs

Miriam and the Dreamer of Egypt

Midrash Tehillim 149:2

The mystics did, and they connected it directly to the Divine. : how do we respond to new beginnings? With joy, with song, with dance! And according to the Midrash Tehillim, a coll...

JosephMosesKing DavidProphecy

The Primordial Light God Reserved for the Righteous

Midrash Tehillim 149:3

We find clues in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms. Psalm 149 opens with the line, "For the Lord desires His people." But what does t...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveKing David

Zedekiah Speaks for God

Midrash Tehillim 149:4

one fascinating interpretation found in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, specifically Psalm 149. The verse in question speaks of "taki...

ProphecyHoly LandJudgment

Praise God with Everything That Has Breath

Midrash Tehillim 150:1

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, grapples with this very question in its discussion of Psalm 150. It’s a powerful, almost apocalyptic ...

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