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It’s a very human feeling, and it’s one that resonates powerfully in a story told in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms. Psalm 122, "A...
Psalm 124, a song from the collection known as Shir Hama'alot, the Songs of Ascent, dives deep into that feeling. It's raw, visceral, and speaks directly to the heart of anyone who...
That feeling is at the heart of Psalm 124, a song of ascent traditionally sung by pilgrims on their way to the Temple in Jerusalem. But there's so much more to it than just a simpl...
The passage opens with the powerful image of Mount Zion, unshakeable and eternal: "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever" (Psal...
That feeling, that sense of disorientation and wonder, is at the heart of a powerful story about Rabbi Yochanan and Honi the Circle Drawer. The story begins with a verse from Psalm...
Midrash Tehillim, in its exploration of Psalm 128 – "Praiseworthy is the one who fears the Lord" – throws us a curveball. Rabbi Chayya bar Abba, quoting Ulla, makes a startling cla...
Psalm 129 gets it. "Many times from my youth they have oppressed me," it cries out. But then, a glimmer of hope: "Yet they have not prevailed against me." It's a powerful image, th...
Our tradition grapples with this very question, especially when considering the immense gifts God has bestowed upon us. Midrash Tehillim, specifically in its exploration of Psalm 1...
Psalm 133 captures that perfectly, and the Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, beautifully unpacks its meaning. The psalm itself begins, ...
Our tradition teaches that even then, sacred work continues. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, sheds light on Psalm 134, "A Song of Ascents: ...
The ancient Rabbis grappled with these very questions, and their answers, found within the Midrash Tehillim (a collection of homiletical interpretations on the Book of Psalms), are...
We all know the story from Exodus – how Moses stretched out his hand, and the waters parted, allowing the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. But did you know just how...
Ever hear a story so wild, so larger-than-life, that you just have to lean in and ask, "Wait, really?" Well, buckle up, because we're diving into one of those tales today, straight...
Our story today comes from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms. It's a look at Psalm 137, which starts with the heartbreaking words: "By the riv...
The book of Psalms, Tehillim in Hebrew, is often seen as a direct line to the divine, a collection of heartfelt expressions. But what happens when even those expressions are stifle...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, we find a powerful example of just that. It's a passage drippin...
To Midrash Tehillim, specifically Psalm 140, and unpack its layers of meaning. The Psalm begins with a plea: "A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man; preserve me f...
King David knew that feeling. Intimately. Psalm 142, a cry from the depths, gives us a glimpse into that loneliness. But it's more than just a lament; it’s a profound statement of ...
Psalm 143, a heartfelt plea from David, grapples with exactly that. "Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my plea..." But the questions bubble up: Who among us can truly claim innocence...
The Psalmist certainly did. "For the enemy pursues my soul..." That's the opening line we're diving into today, from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of t...
That’s the feeling this midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), this interpretive story, from Midrash Tehillim (a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms) rea...
This midrash, a kind of interpretive commentary, opens by linking David's words in Psalm 145 – "I will exalt you, my God the King" – to the prophet Isaiah's similar declaration in ...
They found solace and hope in unexpected places, like Psalm 146. Midrash Tehillim, the classical commentary on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into its verses, unearthing profound t...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, uses Psalm 146 to explore this very idea. It begins with the powerful statement: "The Lord opens t...
It all comes down to this idea: God loves the stranger. But why? What's so special about the stranger? Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, o...
It’s a question that's echoed through generations, and today we're diving into a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of ...
It turns out, that feeling is deeply intertwined with our understanding of God's reign and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. how praise, singing, and the very act of rebuilding are inte...
Jewish tradition, in its beautiful complexity, actually has something to say about that feeling – about being an outcast, and even more surprisingly, about the possibility of retur...
Jewish tradition recognizes this feeling – the ache of exile, the pain of loss – and offers a powerful promise of healing and return. One particularly beautiful passage in Midrash ...
It’s an idea that pulses with life throughout Jewish tradition, a concept that goes far beyond just melody. to Midrash Tehillim, specifically Midrash Tehillim 149, and see what it ...
The mystics did, and they connected it directly to the Divine. : how do we respond to new beginnings? With joy, with song, with dance! And according to the Midrash Tehillim, a coll...
We find clues in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms. Psalm 149 opens with the line, "For the Lord desires His people." But what does t...
One fascinating interpretation found in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, specifically Psalm 149. The verse in question speaks of "taki...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, grapples with this very question in its discussion of Psalm 150. It’s a powerful, almost apocalyptic ...
Sometimes, the connection isn’t immediately obvious. Take, for instance, the verses about atonement and taking a census in the book of Exodus. What’s the link? The Pesikta DeRav Ka...
They found fascinating ways to resolve those tensions within the sacred texts. Take, for instance, the perplexing case of Amalek. Who was Amalek? A biblical nation known for its un...
This tension, this very human struggle, lies at the heart of a beautiful passage in the Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings...
A verse from Isaiah (44:26): "[God] confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers; that saith of Jerusalem: 'She shall be inhabited'; and of the ...
We often picture opulent feasts, lavish parties, maybe strategizing with advisors late into the night. But what about King David, the sweet singer of Israel? What filled his nights...
The Torah tells us about the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn in Egypt, and the Exodus that followed. But the details… they’re fascinating. Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, a toweri...
The Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, gives us a glimpse, almost a first-hand account. Rabbi Yochanan, a prominent sage,...
The Pesikta deRav Kahana, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, offers a fascinating glimpse into that moment. In Pesikta deRav Kahana 12, we find...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw patterns, connections, and hidden meanings woven into the very fabric of time. Take, for instance, this passage from Pesikta DeRav Kahana...
The rabbis of old explored this very idea, asking profound questions about comfort, compassion, and who is truly capable of offering it. In Pesikta deRav Kahana, a collection of ra...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. They saw the heart as the seat of… well, just about everything. In Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of homiletical teachings, we find a f...
The Book of Lamentations, a raw and mournful lament over the destruction of Jerusalem, grapples with this very feeling. It asks, in a voice thick with sorrow: "What shall I testify...
The Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, offers a fascinating insight into this very question. It all starts with a verse f...
They're…complicated, to say the least. : Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Joseph and his brothers. Talk about a mixed bag! So, when the Song of Songs (8:1) says, "...
