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It’s a deep-rooted tradition, one filled with both sorrow and, surprisingly, a glimmer of hope. But what’s the connection between grief and joy? Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collecti...
The book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, opens with the simple phrase, "These are the words…" And immediately, the ancient interpreters of our tradition, the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbin...
The verse we're looking at is from (Deuteronomy 1:11): "May the Lord, God of your fathers, add to you one thousand times as you are, and He will bless you, as He spoke to you." Sou...
The passage opens with the phrase, "At that time." But what time are we talking about? The Rabbis tell us it's the moment Joshua is appointed as Moses' successor. As (Deuteronomy 3...
Today, we’re diving into a passage from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, that explores exactly that. We'll be unpacking a single word:...
Jewish tradition has some powerful stories that speak to that very idea. Take this tale, recounted in Devarim Rabbah. It’s a quick one, but it packs a punch. Rabbi Tanhuma shares a...
It’s not just about breaking rules, but the intent behind the actions, the chilling calculation of wrongdoing. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deu...
Devarim Rabbah, in its unique way, uses a verse from Deuteronomy as a springboard to delve into just that. The verse in question is (Deuteronomy 4:39): "You shall know this day and...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating discussion from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, focusing on the Shema, Judaism's central...
We’re often told to be good listeners, to value the opinions of those around us. But what happens when those opinions lead us astray? Or, conversely, what if listening to someone –...
The ancient rabbis pondered this very idea, using a seemingly simple verse about eating meat to unlock profound insights about freedom, desire, and divine provision. It all starts ...
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai points out that there were actually three commandments the Israelites received upon entering the land: to wipe out the memory of Amalek, to appoint a ki...
Turns out, there was a surprising amount of "calling for peace" involved. (Deuteronomy 20:10) tells us, "When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for p...
We often think of it as the absence of conflict, but Jewish tradition elevates peace – shalom – to something far more profound and active. It’s not just a nice idea; it's a force t...
What does this seemingly simple commandment truly mean? What deeper lessons about mercy and compassion can we learn from a bird's nest? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpre...
It's more than just looking smart, that's for sure. The verse in Proverbs (1:9) says, "For they are a graceful adornment for your head [roshekha]." But our Sages, digging deeper in...
In Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a powerful exploration of this very feeling, wrapped in a story about snakes and the proph...
The Torah touches on this very human struggle. In (Deuteronomy 29:3), Moses says to the Israelites, "But the Lord has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to he...
We often think of praise as purely positive, a gift freely given. But what if even our most sincere compliments could carry a hidden cost? Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homiletic...
The verse in question comes from (Proverbs 31:29): "Many women have performed valiantly, but you have surpassed them all." But who is the "you" being referred to here? According to...
It starts with a bang: "Vanity of vanities, said Kohelet; vanity of vanities, everything is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). But what does that even mean? What is this "vanity," this he...
That question, that nagging feeling, is at the heart of the Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew. And it’s a question the Rabbis grappled with deeply. The opening verse of Ko...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, certainly did. “One generation passes, and one generation comes; and the earth abides forever. The sun rises and the s...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, wrestles with this too. "The wind goes to the south, and turns to the north; around and around the wind turns, and on its rounds the...
Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, delves into the verse "All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; t...
They found a surprisingly relevant metaphor in the Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet. The verse says, "all the rivers go to the sea." Kohelet Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpret...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, gets it. "All matters are wearying; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" (Ecclesiastes ...
Kohelet Rabbah, the commentary on Ecclesiastes, gets it. It starts with the line "all matters are wearying." But it doesn't stop there with the doom and gloom. It actually dives in...
The book of Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes, really digs into that feeling. And the rabbis of Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Kohelet, pick up on that theme in...
The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, grapples with this very feeling. It's a wisdom text, a philosophical exploration of life's meaning, or sometimes, its ...
Our tradition wrestles with this very feeling. The book of Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes, famously explores the futility of life, that "all is vanity." But within the rabbinic expansion...
Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, explores exactly this kind of sudden, heartbreaking reversal. This particular stor...
Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes, gives us a glimpse. In chapter 2, verse 7, it says, "I purchased myself slaves and maidservants and I had stewards. I also had great possession o...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very questions. And Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, dives even deeper. one ...
"I turned my heart to despair regarding all the toil that I toiled under the sun," it says (Ecclesiastes 2:20). It's a sentiment that resonates even today. But Kohelet Rabbah, a co...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with this very idea, and the rabbinic commentary on it, Kohelet Rabbah, digs even deeper. It all starts with that famous li...
The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, certainly thought so. And the Rabbis, plumbing its depths in Kohelet Rabbah, took that idea and ran with it. Consider ...
What does it really mean? Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, digs into this very question, using the verse from (Ecclesiastes 3:1...
Jewish tradition grapples with this question, especially when it comes to the timing of pivotal moments in our history. And sometimes, the answers are more surprising than you'd ex...
One particular passage in Kohelet (3:12-13) offers a surprising answer: "I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good during their lifetime. Also, ...
The sun rises, the seasons turn... it all seems so fixed, so unchangeable. But is it, really? Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Ecclesiastes, ...
The ancient Rabbis, in their commentary called Kohelet Rabbah, dive deep into a specific verse that really makes you think: "What has been, already is, and what will be has already...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, grapples with this very human experience. "I returned and saw all the oppressions that are performed under the sun; and behold the tears of th...
It’s a universal human experience. And it's something the ancient rabbis wrestled with too, as we see in Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes. The v...
It’s a topic explored further in the rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, Kohelet Rabbah, and it's a fascinating, and frankly, a little scary. The verse in question is (Ecclesiaste...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with these very questions. And Kohelet Rabbah, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that elaborate...
The ancient Rabbis certainly did. In Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, we find a series of stories, almost like little parables,...
"Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats a little or a lot; but the satiety of the wealthy does not allow him to sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:11). It's a powerful image, this ...
