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That’s the sense I get reading Bereshit Rabbah 98, a beautiful passage from the ancient midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection, which interprets a verse from (Psal...
A quote from Deuteronomy, saying God is "near it." But who is "it"? The verse itself speaks of a nation that has God near to it. Devarim Rabbah, in its characteristic fashion, find...
The passage centers on the most core of Jewish declarations: “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad” – "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:...
The story begins with Moses, our great leader, ascending to the heavens. Imagine the scene: clouds parting, a divine ladder stretching upwards, and Moses, step by step, approaching...
The Rabbis saw so much more. This verse in Devarim, Deuteronomy, becomes a springboard for exploring some fascinating corners of Jewish law, or halakha. Specifically, the question ...
Jewish tradition teaches us that we have far more influence than we might realize. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Deuteronomy, sheds light ...
That feeling resonates deeply within Jewish tradition. We see it reflected in the ancient text of Kohelet Rabbah, specifically in its interpretation of the verse "all the rivers go...
It's a reminder that divinity can work through anything. Kohelet Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, puts it this way: "The ad...
They found wisdom in the most unexpected of places: a farmer's field. The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it's known in Hebrew, offers some surprisingly practical advice tucke...
It's one of those burning questions that lingers after you read the Book of Exodus. We celebrate Passover every year, retelling the story of the Exodus, and Moses is the central fi...
The verse we're looking at is (Exodus 12:21): “Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said to them: Draw, and take for yourselves lambs for your families, and slaughter the pas...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Exodus. We’re looking at chapter 17, which delves into the symbolism of the Passover of...
We read in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, a fascinating idea tied to the verse "No foreigner shall eat of it" (Exodus 12:43) – refer...
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 ...
Our tradition understands that duality intimately. Take the verse from the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim, "I am black, but lovely." It seems paradoxical. But Shir HaShirim Rabbah, t...
It’s a surprisingly ancient feeling. And it's at the heart of a fascinating passage in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs. The pass...
It’s a humbling, and frankly, a little thought. And it's exactly what we find explored in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings and interpretations on the Song o...
Maybe, just maybe, that scorecard isn't as harsh as you think. Let's turn to the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the great rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, also known as the Song of...
Jewish tradition is full of such considerations, especially when it comes to our sacred texts. Take, for example, the apple tree. Seems simple. But in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a compi...
Take the verse from the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim, "How fair are your feet in sandals [bane’alim]," with its slightly unusual plural form, "sandals" [ne’alim]. What could that p...
Song of Songs, that beautiful, sensual, often enigmatic book of the Bible, gives us a clue. Chapter 8, verse 8, poses a curious question: “We have a little sister, and she has no b...
We all know the story from Exodus 32 – the Israelites, impatient for Moses to return from the mountain, pressure Aaron to create a god for them. He obliges, a golden calf is made, ...
Seven, for instance, pops up everywhere – the seven days of creation, the seven days of mourning (shiva), the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot (the Festival of Weeks). But ...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this question, and their insights, preserved in texts like Vayikra Rabbah, offer some truly fascinating answers. Rabbi Abba bar Avina, a sage of ol...
Take the sacrifices described in the Torah. Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Leviticus, sees them not just as offerings, but as embodiments of our ...
See, (Leviticus 16:23) tells us that Aaron, the High Priest, would enter the Tent of Meeting – the Ohel Mo'ed – and remove the linen vestments he wore when he entered the Sanctum –...
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? ...
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… ...
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...
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 the idea that God, while ultimately one, expresses different attributes. And one of the most profound shifts happens when we, humanity, turn towards Him in sincere prayer. Rab...
We find a surprisingly intimate answer tucked away in Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus. Rabbi Yoshiya starts us off with a verse from (Psa...
It's more than just tradition; it's a cosmic reset button! to a fascinating interpretation from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, that she...
The ancient rabbis grappled with these questions too, and their insights, preserved in texts like Vayikra Rabbah, offer some startling perspectives. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, quoting R...
It's more than just a last-minute animal substitution. Our tradition sees it as a symbol, a prophecy even, about the future of the Jewish people. The Torah tells us, "Abraham lifte...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that treasure trove of Jewish stories and interpretations, finds echoes of this universal joy in the verses about the holiday of Suk...
The lulav, the palm branch we wave during Sukkot, the Festival of Booths, seems simple enough. But what if that seemingly innocent branch had a dark secret? Vayikra Rabbah, a fasci...
It offers us not just one, but three opportunities for a fresh start each year during the High Holy Days season. But how does it all work? Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash on the book of ...
Take Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles), for example, the Feast of Tabernacles, a joyous holiday where we dwell in temporary shelters, remembering our ancestors' journey through ...
The arba minim—the "four species" used during the Jewish festival of Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles)—carry a meaning far deeper than ritual. These four species – the etrog, th...
We know the etrog (citron), the lulav (palm branch), the hadassim (myrtle), and the aravot (willow) are central to the holiday. But beyond their literal forms, Jewish tradition oft...
It uses the four species taken on Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles, as a metaphor for the Jewish people. It comes from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive comment...
The story, as recounted in Vayikra Rabbah 34, is It all started on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, a time for reflection and new beginnings. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, a prominent...
Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, tackles this very question. And it does so with a story – a really compelling one. It starts with...
One of the students of Rabbi Yoḥanan was sitting before him. [Rabbi Yoḥanan] explained [the lesson] to him but he did not understand it. [Rabbi Yoḥanan] said to him: ‘Why do you no...
The Torah tells us (Genesis 8:10) that Noah waited seven more days and then released the dove again. But why? The Midrash of Philo tackles this head-on, asking a simple but profoun...
A response to an inquiry from the Academy.13Probably a reference to the Academy at Pumbeditha. R. Ahai, who wrote this in his She’iltot, expected to be appointed head of the Academ...
And the Lord remembered Sarah (Gen. 21:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Then the nations that are left round about shall know that I, the Lord, have builded ...
