Heaven

2,290 texts · Page 157 of 255

Explore 2,290 Jewish texts related to the theme of Heaven, drawn from Midrash, Kabbalah, Apocrypha, and classical Jewish literature.

First Days of Existence and Isaiah

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon starts us off with a powerful verse from Daniel (2:22): "He reveals the deep and the hidden [umsatrata]." Now, what exactly is being revealed? Rabbi Yehuda c...

Maker of Heaven and Earth of Kapara

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

Jewish tradition, in its wisdom, offers a gentle, yet firm, hand on our shoulder, guiding us back to the here and now. The very first verse of the Torah, Bereshit, "In the beginnin...

Light of the First Day

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

It might seem like a simple opening, but Jewish tradition finds layers of meaning even in the placement of God’s name in the very first verse. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent f...

Betzalel and Creation of Akiva

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

They believed every single letter, every seemingly insignificant word, held profound secrets. Take the very first verse of Genesis, Bereshit (בראשית): "In the beginning, God create...

Wonders of Genesis and Simon

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

Our sages grappled with these questions ages ago, and in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, they offer some pretty striking analogies. Imagine a ...

Wisdom of Rabbi Shimon and Shmuel

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

It’s a question that's captivated Jewish mystics and scholars for centuries. And, like many profound questions in Jewish tradition, the answer isn't simple, but layered with meanin...

Creation of the World and Tabernacle

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

The Bereshit Rabbah, a classic Midrashic collection that expands on the Book of Genesis, dives deep into the creation story. And in Bereshit Rabbah 3, Rabbi Shmuel bar Ami offers a...

When God Created

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

We look up and see blue, clouds drifting by, maybe the sun blazing down. But what's really up there? Genesis, the very first book of the Bible, begins to tackle this question. In t...

Rabbis: Mount Sinai at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

We often read the opening verses of Genesis, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water," and move on. But the Rabbis saw so much more in those words! What images did they...