Joseph

2,156 texts · Page 21 of 45

Joseph the dreamer: sold into slavery, risen to power in Egypt, and the reunion that saved his family from famine.

The Righteous Cry That Pierced Through Heaven

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

A discussion of "rana," which can be translated as a cry or supplication. But it's not just any cry; it's a cry of righteousness. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) dra...

How the Angel of Death Visits Even Righteous Kings

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It’s not always what you think. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a glimpse into this very question, and it's wild. The pass...

The Heavens Declare God's Glory Day and Night

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It's no wonder that the Psalmist David, gazing up at that same sky millennia ago, wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). But what does that declaration actuall...

God Himself at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

They're thousands of years old, yet they speak to our struggles, our joys, our fears as if they were written yesterday. Today, we're diving into Midrash Tehillim 20, a fascinating ...

The Hidden Layers Inside the Shepherd's Psalm

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Let’s dive into what the ancient interpreters found within those words. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, offers some fascinating persp...

How Israel Stayed Clean Wandering the Wilderness

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Where did they get clothes? How did they stay clean? It's the kind of thing that keeps rabbis up at night, apparently. And it leads us to some pretty amazing stories in the Midrash...

Why Moses Alone Could Ascend God's Mountain

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, doesn’t leave us hanging with just the question. It gives us an answer, and it might surprise...

What Made Joseph Worthy Among All the Righteous

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that beautiful, expansive form of Jewish storytelling, loves to shine a light on those very people. It teases out their virtues, amplifi...

Abraham and David Endure God's Fiercest Trials

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The sages of old wrestled with this very idea – the idea of being tested by God. And they found solace and guidance in the stories of our ancestors. Midrash Tehillim, a collection ...

What Happens to Our Souls When Justice Comes

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It's a question that ancient Jewish texts grapple with, revealing profound insights into justice, repentance, and the ultimate fate of our souls. to a passage from Midrash Tehillim...

The Lord Is My Light in Psalm 27

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

In Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 27, "The Lord is my light and my salvation," becomes a springboard for exploring just that. But...

Levi and the Dreamer

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

To one particularly powerful passage, a meditation on (Psalm 27:1), "The Lord is my light and my help; whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom should I drea...

David — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Psalms, offers a fascinating perspective, suggesting that everything, absolutely everything, has its perfect, div...

Moses and the Dreamer of Hashem

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

We all do, at some point. And that feeling, that yearning, is captured beautifully in the ancient collection of teachings known as Midrash Tehillim, specifically Midrash Tehillim 3...

Israel Cries Out to God on the Eve of Passover

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The ancient rabbis certainly did. In fact, they put those feelings right into the mouth of the people of Israel, in a powerful passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbin...

Elijah in Joseph's Time

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Some prayers aren't polite. Midrash Tehillim 42 preserves one that reads more like a plea, a challenge, almost a demand, directed straight at God. The speaker in this Midrash (rabb...

The Wisdom Korah's Children Discovered After Exodus

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The ancient Israelites grappled with that exact feeling after the Exodus from Egypt. And Midrash Tehillim (a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms) delves right into ...

Joseph the Dreamer of Egypt

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The verse we're focusing on is "Your children shall be under your fathers." Now, on the surface, that might seem straightforward. But as with so much in Jewish tradition, there's a...

Jerusalem's Glory Revealed Through Midrash

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That’s kind of the idea behind Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary). Midrash, if you're not familiar, is this incredible way of interpreting Jewish texts, digging deep to unc...

The Devastating Spiritual Power of Harmful Speech

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Words, once spoken, can’t be unsaid. But what about the spiritual consequences? Today, we’re diving into Midrash Tehillim, specifically psalm 52, to explore the power – and the pot...

Abraham Confronts Sodom Where No One Feared God

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, grapples with that very feeling, using the story of Sodom and Abraham to explore themes of corruption...

The Ancient Grief That Echoes from Noah to David

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That feeling isn't new. In fact, according to Midrash Tehillim 60, it goes way back. This particular midrash (a method of interpreting biblical stories beyond their literal meaning...

You Have Shown Your People a Hard Time

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The ancient rabbis grappled with this too. They looked at Psalm 61, and from it, they wove a powerful message about suffering, redemption, and the ever-present possibility of conne...

God's Mercy Is Inexhaustible Even for the Worst Sin

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Jewish tradition has a powerful answer: God's mercy is inexhaustible. It’s a concept beautifully explored in Midrash Tehillim 67, a commentary on the Psalms. The passage opens with...

How Solomon Sought Righteousness to Rule Justly

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

In Jewish tradition, these questions lead us straight to the Source of all righteousness, the Holy One, blessed be He. And surprisingly, also to King Solomon. Midrash Tehillim, a c...

How One Small Act of Courage Changed Jewish History

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Today's story from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, is all about how seemingly small acts of courage and confession can have enormo...

Dreams of Joseph of Egyptians

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

We often focus on the wonder of divine intervention, but sometimes the small details reveal a much deeper story. Take the plague of blood in Egypt, for example. We all know the sto...

What Joseph's Dreams Reveal About Divine Providence

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Our sages certainly did. The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this very question. Specifically, it wrestles with (Psalm 78:4...

Did the Egyptians Get a Chance to Repent

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives right into that question when it grapples with the plagues visited upon Egypt. Specifically...

Judah — Benjamin in Joseph's Time

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The story opens with a sage, simply called Rabbi, deeply engrossed in defining the precise borders of the tribe of Benjamin. Now, Benjamin was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, e...

Why God Called Joseph the Shepherd of Israel

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Psalm 80, a poignant plea for divine intervention, opens with a striking image: "Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, You Who leads Joseph like a flock." It's a cry for guidance, for protec...

Two Messiahs Emerge from Joseph and David

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That tension, that push-and-pull, it's something our ancestors wrestled with too. And wouldn't you know it, the ancient wisdom of the Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretati...

Israel as a Vine Torn from Its Roots in Exile

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, an ancient collection of homiletical interpretations of the Book of Psalms, uses a striking image to describe just such a predicament, and it's one that resonates...

Jeremiah's Prayer

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim 90 dives deep into this very question, contrasting empty rituals with the power of sincere prayer, particularly through the examples of Moses, David, Jeremiah, and...

Why Moses Is Called the Man of God in the Psalms

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It seems like a simple title, but Midrash Tehillim 90, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, dives deep into what that name really means. It's not just ab...

The Hidden Secrets of Creation Revealed on Shabbat

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It's more than just a day off; it's a cornerstone of Jewish life, a sacred pause in the week. But why Shabbat (the Sabbath)? What makes it so special? Midrash Tehillim, a collectio...

When God's Vengeance Shines Through Seven Heavens

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

(Psalm 94:1) cries out, "God of vengeance, shine forth!" And in Midrash Tehillim, the collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, this verse opens a fascinating door in...

Who Deserves to Be Appointed as a Priest of God

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The passage, attributed to both Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah, wrestles with a very specific question: who should be appointed as a priest? It begins with God telling Moses, “Appo...

Moses and Creation of Haggai

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

We often think of ethereal beings, wings and halos and all that. But what if the term encompasses more than we initially imagine? Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations ...

The Earth Stands Firm on Foundations God Set Forever

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That’s the feeling I get when diving into the Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms. And Psalm 104? It’s a trip. The verse we're looking ...

Sarah — Kingdom of Abraham

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The ancient rabbis certainly did. And they found evidence of it woven throughout the stories of our ancestors. to a fascinating little gem from Midrash Tehillim (a collection of ra...

Why God Sent Jacob's Family Down into Egypt

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a startling perspective on the famine that forced Jacob and his family to leave Canaan. “And there w...

Joseph's Song

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The story of Joseph in Egypt resonates so deeply because it touches on this universal human experience. And Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book o...

The Plagues That Struck Egypt from the Inside Out

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

"His name is in their words." What a powerful opening! Rabbi Yudan bar Rabbi Simon suggests something quite striking: the plagues weren't just external events, but were written dir...

Pharaoh and Joseph of Egypt

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, uses a vivid analogy to explore exactly that feeling, focusing on the Exodus from Egypt. It hangs ...

Can Anyone Fathom the Mysteries of God

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That feeling, that sense of the utterly unknowable, it’s a thread that runs deep through Jewish thought. The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms...

Kingdom of Mordechai

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

King David knew the feeling. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, opens a window into David's heart – and perhaps our own. The verse we’re di...

God Redeems Israel for His Own Name's Sake

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The answer, according to ancient Jewish wisdom, might be more about God's reputation than our own merit. to Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms,...