328 texts in Midrash Rabbah
And, wouldn't you know it, the Rabbis of old had some pretty interesting ideas! In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating, and frankly, pretty intense passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus. This particular section...
We all do it. But have you ever wondered what it truly means to avert your gaze, to consciously choose kedushah (holiness), holiness? Rabbi Menashya, grandson of Rabbi Yehoshua ben...
Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, puts it so powerfully. He says that King David proclaimed, "You, Lord, are forever exalted" (Psalms 92:9). What does it mean to say God is alway...
Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic commentary) on the Book of Leviticus, explores this very idea in a fascinating way. It starts with the seemingly simple phrase, "You shall be ho...
That’s the kind of feeling we're going to explore today, but with a very specific location in mind: Zion. We find a fascinating passage in Vayikra Rabbah, a midrash (rabbinic inter...
Rabbi Ḥiyya taught that this specific portion, Kedoshim, was delivered in a grand assembly – "Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel..." (Leviticus 19:2). Why? ...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this very question. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, they explore a fascinating connection between ho...
It's not just about cleanliness, friends. It’s about something far deeper: our relationship with the Divine. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on...
It’s a question that Rabbi Avin tackles in Vayikra Rabbah, and his answer is both insightful and, frankly, a little bit comforting. Rabbi Avin uses a parable. Imagine a king with a...
Surprisingly, the ancient Rabbis found clues in the most unexpected places – even in the words of the wicked Pharaoh himself! It's a fascinating idea, isn't it? That even through t...
The passage begins with a seemingly simple verse from Leviticus (19:24) about planting fruit trees: “When you will come into the land and plant any food tree, then you shall regard...
Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya, citing Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, paint this incredible picture: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to craft shelters and canopies in the Garden of E...
He begins with a verse from Deuteronomy (13:5): “You shall follow the Lord your God.” But then he asks, how can mere mortals like us truly follow the Divine? After all, as the Psal...
The ancient sages grappled with this too, particularly when thinking about the relationship between God, the patriarchs, and the land of Israel.Here, Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quo...
The book of Job asks, "Who set wisdom batuḥot?" (Job 38:36). The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Vayikra Rabbah, explores this, asking, what even is batuḥo...
It's more than just a ritual. It touches on themes of covenant, perfection, and even the very nature of blessing. to a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic ...
Sometimes, the answer lies in the most unexpected places, like, say, a close reading of the book of Ezekiel and a bit of ancient commentary. In Vayikra Rabbah 25, we find a fascina...
It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (5:15): “His calves [shokav] are pillars of marble [amudei shesh].” But what do calves and marble pillars have to do with… well, a...
Our sages explore this very idea in Vayikra Rabbah 26, drawing out fascinating contrasts between human promises and divine pronouncements. The passage opens with a verse from Levit...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah 26 that explores the devastating power of lashon hara (לשון הרע), or "evil tongue" – slander. Rabbi Yosei of Milḥ...
A code about purity, impurity, and the almost mystical ways we interact with the sacred. Well, today, let's unlock a tiny piece of that code, guided by the wisdom of our sages. Rab...
Vayikra Rabbah 26, a section of the Midrash Rabbah on Leviticus, invites us to do just that. It starts with the familiar verse, "The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, sons ...
to a fascinating little story from Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah), a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, tells a...
Specifically, Vayikra Rabbah 26. It all starts with a simple phrase: "Speak to the priests." But as is so often the case in Jewish tradition, there's a whole universe packed into t...
It's a tale of desperation, disobedience, and the dark consequences that follow when we turn away from the divine. The story begins with a pointed question: what comes before this ...
It’s not just filler! According to the sages, these repetitions are clues, little breadcrumbs that lead us to deeper meanings. Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash on the book of Leviticus, d...
We often think of greatness in terms of power or fame, but the ancient rabbis had a more nuanced view, especially when it came to the leaders of the Jewish people. In Vayikra Rabba...
This week, we're diving into Vayikra Rabbah 27, a fascinating exploration of these very questions, sparked by a seemingly simple verse from Leviticus: "A bull, or a sheep, or a goa...
Rabbi Tanhuma kicks things off with a quote from Job: "Who has given Me anything beforehand, that I shall pay? Everything beneath the heavens is Mine" (Job 41:3). It sounds a bit… ...
A song, a smell, a place... and suddenly you're right back there, feeling the weight of it all over again. Jewish tradition is keenly aware of this power of association, and how ea...
The ancient rabbis wrestled with these very questions. In Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, we find a fascinating discussion anchored to t...
If so, you're in good company. Jewish tradition teaches us that God has a special connection to the persecuted, the downtrodden, the ones who are constantly being pursued. It's a t...
Turns out, according to the ancient rabbis, even the Israelites felt that way sometimes. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Levitic...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, opens our eyes to this truth in a rather startlin...
It might seem random, but Jewish tradition offers a fascinating explanation, one rooted in rumor, reputation, and divine forgiveness. Our story begins with the prophet Hosea, who s...
It's not just about the animals themselves; it's about the patriarchs, about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the profound legacy they left behind. Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of ra...
It’s more than just a random rule. to Vayikra Rabbah 27 and see what wisdom we can uncover. "A bull, a sheep, or a goat, when it is born, shall be seven days under its mother." Why...
We're diving into a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah 27, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection that expands upon the Book of Leviticus. The central verse...
It all starts with the verse in (Leviticus 22:29): “When you slaughter a thanks offering to the Lord, you shall slaughter it to garner favor for yourselves.” Now, Rabbis Pinḥas, Le...
These questions, believe it or not, were being debated intensely by the ancient Rabbis, particularly in relation to the book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it's known in Hebrew. L...
He points out a simple truth: When we wash our clothes on a rainy day, we have to work so hard to dry them. But while we're sleeping soundly, the Holy One, blessed be He, sends a l...
The book of Vayikra Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Leviticus, dives deep into this very idea. It all starts with a quote from the prophet Jerem...
It's like a cosmic echo, a recurring theme of the powerful and the hungry, of oppression and redemption. Vayikra Rabbah 28, a section of the ancient Midrash Rabbah, explores just t...
Specifically, we're looking at (Leviticus 23:11), which instructs us about waving the omer "before the Lord, for acceptance on your behalf; on the day after the sabbath the priest ...
We often overlook the seemingly insignificant, but Jewish tradition teaches us that profound blessings can reside even there. Take, for instance, the omer offering. What exactly is...
The verse from (Leviticus 23:24) sets the stage: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, shall be a rest for you, a remembrance b...
The ancient rabbis pondered such a moment, centered on our patriarch, Jacob, and a vision of a ladder reaching to the heavens. The scene is set in Genesis, where Jacob dreams of a ...
