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(Exodus 23:3) commands: "Do not honor a poor man in his quarrel." The Mekhilta asks why this verse is needed when (Leviticus 19:15) already says: "You shall not favor a poor man an...
(Exodus 23:4) commands: "If you encounter the ox of your foe, or his donkey, straying, return shall you return it to him." The Mekhilta asks: does "encounter" mean literal physical...
(Exodus 23:5) addresses the obligation to help an enemy's animal that is struggling under its burden: "If you see the donkey of your enemy lying under its burden." The Mekhilta par...
(Exodus 23:6) commands: "You shall not incline the judgment of your needy one in his quarrel." The Mekhilta asks why this verse is necessary when (Exodus 23:3) already says: "You s...
(Exodus 23:7) says: "And a clean one and a righteous one you shall not kill." The Mekhilta applies this to a specific judicial scenario involving imprecise testimony. Suppose one w...
(Exodus 23:10) commands: "Six years shall you sow your land." Rabbi Eliezer taught that this verse reveals two different agricultural realities, depending on Israel's spiritual sta...
(Exodus 23:13) says: "And everything that I have spoken of to you, you shall observe." The Mekhilta asks what this general command adds to the specific Sabbath prohibition of (Exod...
(Exodus 23:14) commands: "Three festivals shall you celebrate for Me in the year." The Mekhilta asks why this verse is needed when (Exodus 23:17) already says "Three times shall ev...
The Jewish calendar is not purely lunar. It is lunisolar — adjusted periodically so that the festivals fall in their proper seasons. The Mekhilta traces this practice of calendar a...
(Exodus 23:16) refers to Shavuoth (the Festival of Weeks) as "the festival of the harvest, the first-fruits of your labor." The Mekhilta notes that this description appears within ...
(Exodus 23:18) "You shall not slaughter in the presence of chametz the blood of My sacrifice": You shall not slaughter the Pesach (Passover) offering while chametz is still present...
(Exodus 23:19) commands: "The first of the first-fruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God." The Mekhilta asks what this verse adds to (Deuteronomy 26:2...
(Exodus 23:19) prohibits: "You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk." Rabbi Shimon asked why this prohibition is stated three times in the Torah — here, in (Exodus 34:26), and...
The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael records a sharp legal debate about the prohibition against cooking meat and milk together. The rabbis use a technique called kal va-chomer — reasoning...
Rabbi Akiva offered his own proof that eating meat cooked in milk is forbidden, using a different a fortiori argument. His starting point was not the Passover offering but the thig...
Issi ben Guria demonstrated that eating meat cooked in milk is forbidden through a verbal comparison between two passages. The word "holiness" appears in (Deuteronomy 14:21), where...
The opening of Mekhilta Tractate Shabbata draws attention to the singular way God communicated with Moses. The verse states (Exodus 30:11): "And the Lord spoke to Moses." The Mekhi...
(Exodus 31:13) commands: "But My Sabbaths shall you keep." The Mekhilta asks what this verse adds to (Exodus 20:10): "You shall not perform any labor." If labor is already prohibit...
The Torah declares about the Sabbath: "for it is holy to you" (Exodus 31:14). The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael draws from this phrase a remarkable teaching about how Sabbath observanc...
(Exodus 31:15) says: "Six days will work be done." But another verse (Exodus 20:9) says: "Six days shall you work, and you shall do all of your work." One verse is passive — "work ...
What is the intent of (Exodus, Ibid. 150 "And the seventh day, a Sabbath of resting, holy to the L–rd"? From (Leviticus 23:4) "These are the festivals of the L–rd, callings of holi...
(Exodus 35:3) commands: "You shall not light a fire in all of your dwellings" on the Sabbath. The Mekhilta connects this verse to a completely different discussion about the shemit...
Rabbi Yonathan asked: what is the purpose of specifying "You shall not light a fire" when the Torah already prohibits all labor on the Sabbath? If all thirty-nine categories of lab...
The ancient texts grapple with this very idea, and there's perhaps no better example than the story of Joseph and his brothers. Midrash Mishlei, a collection of rabbinic teachings ...
They left us some pretty powerful guidance, hidden in plain sight within the Book of Proverbs. Let’s take a look at a fascinating passage from Midrash Mishlei, a collection of rabb...
The passage from (Proverbs 1:22-33) kicks things off: "'How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?'... 'and fools hate knowledge.'" The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive com...
(Proverbs 23:5) speaks to this feeling, saying, "When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings." But what does this really mean? One fascinating...
The story of King Solomon and the Daughter of Pharaoh, as told in Midrash Mishlei, is a potent reminder. It's a tale of celebration, misdirection, and a temple almost lost. Rabbi I...
It's more than just a nice sentiment; it's a springboard for some incredible midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) interpretations. The Midrash Mishlei, a collection of inte...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into that question. And it might surprise you. One interpretation points directly to Ki...
To Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, and see what it has to say about the path we walk. The very first verse of Psalms – "Who did no...
The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating glimpse into this very question. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord," s...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating perspective. It points to the tribe of Levi, specifically those who resisted ...
It's an age-old question: how can we possibly dedicate ourselves fully to learning when life keeps pulling us in a million different directions? Well, Midrash Tehillim offers some ...
It draws a powerful parallel between water and Torah, showing how both are essential for life, growth, and well-being. The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) begins by refe...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, opens up a fascinating window into this very question. It uses a beautiful image – the "rose of Sh...
It’s a question that’s haunted humanity for millennia. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, wrestles with this very idea, pulling in ve...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Psalms, offers a pretty powerful image to explain it. It starts with the question: "Why did the nations rage?" Th...
The ancient sages did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, they grapple with this very question, particularly in relation to th...
In fact, it's a theme that echoes through Jewish tradition, especially when we talk about the relationship between God, Moshiach (the Messiah), and the enemies of Israel. The Midra...
Like one minute it's love and compassion, and the next... well, fire and brimstone? That tension, that push-and-pull between divine mercy and divine judgment, is something Jewish t...
It's like a vast, intricate conversation spanning centuries. Midrash, the art of interpreting and elaborating on scripture, helps us hear those connections. And Midrash Tehillim, s...
Our exploration begins with a verse from the Song of Songs (7:3): "Your navel is like a round goblet... Your belly is a heap of wheat." The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentar...
King David knew that feeling well. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into the context and meaning behind David's songs. A...
The passage opens with a powerful statement: “Many say to my soul…” It speaks to the feeling of being surrounded by voices telling you you’re beyond saving. One interpretation, att...
Midrash, the art of interpreting scripture by filling in the gaps, expanding on hints, and drawing out deeper meanings, wrestles with this very idea. Midrash Tehillim, a collection...
It turns out, that instinct might be deeply woven into the fabric of our tradition. Because according to Midrash Tehillim, that feeling is intrinsically linked to music. Specifical...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. And they found echoes of this idea even in the seemingly simple words of the Psalms. Specifically, in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rab...
