Egypt

3,053 texts · Page 57 of 64

The bondage in Egypt, the ten plagues, the Exodus, and the birth of Israel as a people.

Calf — Betzalel in the Days of Moses

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Jewish tradition offers some profound insights, and a fascinating one is tucked away in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It involves t...

The Ten Curtains of the Tabernacle and Their Meaning

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Our story begins with a seemingly simple verse from (Exodus 36:8): "All the wise hearted among those who performed the labor crafted the Tabernacle: ten tapestries of spun linen an...

Songs — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

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Good intentions, maybe, but with a track record that's... well, let's just say "mixed"? That's the feeling at the heart of a beautiful passage in Shemot Rabbah 49, a collection of ...

The Ark of Acacia Wood and the Light It Contains

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The passage starts by quoting (Exodus 37:1): “Betzalel crafted the Ark of acacia wood: its length was two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit an...

Covenant of Betzalel

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Jewish tradition teaches us that healing often comes from the very source of our pain. The Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, explores ...

Tabernacle — Divine Presence

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It wasn't just a tent; it was a portable sanctuary, a reflection of the Divine Presence, and the artisans poured their hearts and souls into every thread. Shemot Rabbah, a collecti...

Why Moses Was the Most Trustworthy Man Who Ever Lived

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Who do we trust? Why do we trust them? And what happens when that trust is broken? In Jewish tradition, the concept of trust, of being a ne'eman, a trustworthy person, is incredibl...

Kingdom of King Yoash

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The Book of 2 Kings (12:16) tells us, “They did not require a reckoning from the men [by whose hand] they gave the silver [to give to the workmen, as they acted with trustworthines...

Why the Word Tabernacle Appears Twice in One Verse

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It’s not always just for emphasis. Sometimes, there’s a deeper, almost heartbreaking reason. Take the word mishkan, "Tabernacle," in the Book of Exodus. We find it stated twice in ...

Moses and the Heavenly Realms of Mishkan

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In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating discussion about just that. The passage grapples with the meaning of "the Testi...

Trial of Moses of Tabernacle

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Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It centers on a seemingly simple verse: “The Tabernacle of the Testimony, as the...

Abraham and Creation of Gehenna

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It’s more than just a physical structure. According to Shemot Rabbah, it’s deeply connected to the very essence of Jewish survival and destiny. The name itself hints at its purpose...

How Receiving the Torah Made Israel Immortal Briefly

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Shemot Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, offers a fascinating glimpse. Specifically, Shemot Rabbah 51 dives into the idea that the Israelite...

Moses and the Dreamer of Tabernacle

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That feeling… it's actually deeply rooted in a story from the Torah, a story about the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. We're diving into Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpreta...

The Human Struggle Echoed in Building the Mishkan

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That feeling, that struggle, is something deeply human, and surprisingly, it echoes in the story of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...

The Reward That Awaits the Righteous in the World to Come

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Seeing the reward that awaits the righteous. What would you do? Rejoice? Question your worthiness? Our sages grappled with this very question, and their insights are captured in Sh...

Only Moses Could Assemble What Others Had Built

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Boards, bars, meticulously woven fabrics… everything perfect in its own right. But when it came to assembling it all? Nothing. They were stumped. Shemot Rabbah 52 vividly paints th...

The Tabernacle as a Mirror of Creation Itself

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Jewish tradition is full of that – layers upon layers of interpretation, waiting to be uncovered. Today, we're diving into Shemot Rabbah, specifically section 52, which takes a ver...

Joseph the Diligent Man Who Stood Before Kings

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The very first verse tells us: “The Song of Songs, that is Solomon’s” (Song of Songs 1:1). And the Rabbis, in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, begin by linking it to a verse from Proverbs: “H...

The Diligent Man Who Earned the Right to Stand Before Kings

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The verse "Have you seen a man diligent in his work? He will stand before kings" (Proverbs 22:29) sparked quite the debate. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpret...

Solomon and the Heavenly Realms

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In fact, the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs, dives deep into its meaning and context, revealing some pretty surprising ideas. L...

Solomon and the Patriarchs

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Today, we're diving into the heart of one of the most beloved, and sometimes debated, books in the Jewish tradition: Song of Songs, or as it's known in Hebrew, Shir HaShirim. We're...

God Himself and the Heavenly Realms

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Ever read Song of Songs and wondered, "Where on earth did this passionate love poem even come from?" It's a question that's occupied Jewish thought for centuries, and the Rabbis of...

The Sensual Experience of Receiving God's Word at Sinai

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We often imagine the scene: thunder, lightning, a mountain shrouded in smoke. But the ancient rabbis took it a step further, diving into the intimate, almost sensual, experience of...

Let Him Kiss Me With the Kisses of His Mouth

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It goes all the way back to Mount Sinai, according to the ancient Rabbis. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, dives into a fascinating interpretation of the ...

Moses and the Torah of Yehuda

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It’s a deeply human experience, and it’s one that our ancestors grappled with too, especially at Sinai. The ancient collection of rabbinic teachings known as Shir HaShirim Rabbah, ...

Elazar — Adam at the Dawn of Creation

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It’s a question that bubbles up from the depths of Jewish tradition, and Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, offers some fascinatin...

Why the Rabbis Debated Cheese and the Song of Songs

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The passage opens with the famous verse, "…for your love is better than wine" (Song of Songs 1:2). But almost immediately, we're whisked away to a completely different topic: chees...

Isaiah — Abraham and the Patriarchs

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In Shir HaShirim Rabbah – that’s the collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs – we find a beautiful exploration of just that. It's all about unpacking the verse ...

Abraham's Fragrance Released When God Said Go

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Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of Songs, dives deep into the verse where God tells Abraham, “Go you from your land, fro...

Draw Me Toward You and We Will Run After You Together

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That feeling, that intense desire, is at the heart of today's story. We find ourselves in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, an ancient commentary on the Song of Songs, that most beautiful and ...

Finding the Divine Even in the Forces of Amalek

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They found ways to see even those challenging forces as a path towards the Divine. to a fascinating interpretation of a verse from Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs, explored in Shi...

Why the Torah Starts With Creation Not Commandments

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Rabbi Yanai had a similar thought. He pointed out that the Torah truly needed to begin only with the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), marking the start of the Jew...

Recount Your Love Through Wine on Passover Night

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Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classical Rabbinic commentary on Song of Songs, offers a fascinating perspective. It suggests that we can "recount your love through wine [miyayin]." But ...

I Am Dark but Lovely Says the Community of Israel

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Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, captures this beautifully in its interpretation of the verse: "I am black but lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, li...

What the Daughters of Jerusalem Really Represent

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It's like peeling back an onion, only instead of tears, you find profound insights. Let's take a dive into a fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic...

Kedar in Battle

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Jewish tradition teaches us this is a dangerous habit, a lesson beautifully illustrated in the interpretation of the verse, "Like the tents of Kedar" (Song of Songs 1:5) found in S...

My Own Mother's Sons Were Angry With Me Says Israel

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That feeling, that sting of inner circle treachery, echoes through the ancient words of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the collection of Rabbinic teachings on the Song of Songs. Today, we'r...

Moses Asks God Where He Should Lead the Flock

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I can't possibly do that!" Well, Moses felt that way too. to a fascinating interpretation of the Song of Songs that reveals Moses's very human anxieties. The verse we're looking at...

Go Out in the Footsteps of the Flock Says the Beloved

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It's a feeling, according to our sages, that even Moses himself grappled with. to a fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) co...

The Heavenly Court Where Truth and Mercy Argue

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The book of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs, delves into this very question. It uses vivid imagery and insightful debates to pai...

Seeing the Exodus Through a Deeply Human and Moral Lens

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The ancient rabbis certainly did. And they found ways to see even the most epic struggles, like the Exodus from Egypt, through a deeply human lens. They weren't just interested in ...

Joseph's Brothers Compared to a King's Beloved

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Let’s turn to Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classic rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs (also known as Song of Solomon). The rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, find layers of meani...

God Likens Israel to His Love at the Red Sea

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Today, we’re diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah 9, a section of the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, and trust me, it’s not always what you’d expect. The verse under discuss...

Moses and Joseph of Aaron

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It's not just a love poem; it’s a treasure trove of wisdom, and the Rabbis of old found layers of meaning within its verses. Take the verse, “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,...

The Mystical Joy and Intensity of Deep Torah Study

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That, my friends, is a glimpse into the mystical world of Torah study as described in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a beautiful, poetic exploration of the Song of Songs. We’re diving into ...

The Gifts of Gold That Adorned Israel Like a Bride

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It's not just a love poem, but a lens through which to view the most precious gifts given to the Jewish people. to one fascinating interpretation from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a colle...

Songs — Mikhael at the Dawn of Creation

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Today, we’re diving into a fascinating interpretation of a verse from the Song of Songs – Shir HaShirim – that explores just this idea: the contrast between foul odor and sweet fra...