1,340 texts · Page 25 of 28
We all do. And sometimes, that impulse leads us down a path we later regret. It's that tension between desire and consequence, between the immediate gratification and the long-term...
Power over another human being is one of the most dangerous things a person can hold, and Ecclesiastes names this danger directly. In (Ecclesiastes 8:9), it says, "All this I have ...
Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, as it’s known in Hebrew, dives deep into this very conundrum. And in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, we find a p...
You're not alone. The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it’s known in Hebrew, grapples with this very question, and the rabbinic interpretations in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection o...
It all starts with a verse from Ecclesiastes (9:4): "For anyone who is joined to any of the living there is hope, as a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Now, that seems prett...
The verse that really gets us thinking is (Ecclesiastes 9:6): "Even their love, even their hatred and even their envy, have already perished; they will never again have a portion i...
The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet, certainly did. And the rabbis of old, in their interpretations, saw that same topsy-turvy world reflected in their own times. Kohelet Rabbah, ...
We find ourselves in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Ecclesiastes. The verse in question is (Ecclesiastes 10:15): “The toil of the fools wil...
"If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the land," it says, "and if the tree falls in the south, or in the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it sh...
Maybe, just maybe, that's part of the point. (Ecclesiastes 11:5) tells us, "Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of one who is pregnant; ...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with that very idea. It's a book of wisdom, attributed to King Solomon, but some of its verses have sparked d...
It’s a universal feeling, and it’s one that the ancient sages grappled with too. The book of Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, wrestles with the meaning of life, and Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbini...
It all centers around the verse from (Ecclesiastes 12:13): "The end of the matter, everything having been heard: Fear God and observe His commandments, for that is all of man." But...
The Torah tells us, "His sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter: ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’" (Exodus 2:7). But why specifically ...
As is so often the case with Torah, the rabbis unpack layers upon layers of meaning. What did it really mean when it says "he saw that there was no man"? The ancient rabbis of Shem...
The verse in question comes from (Exodus 3:15): "God said further to Moses: So shall you say to the children of Israel: The Lord, the God of your fathers, God of Abraham, God of Is...
To that, drawing from the ancient wisdom of Shemot Rabbah, a classic rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus. In (Exodus 3:20), God says, "I will extend My hand, and smite Egypt ...
That feeling is all over the story of the Exodus, and it really hits hard in the early chapters of the Book of Exodus. to a moment of crisis, as understood by the ancient Rabbis in...
It’s a moment of raw honesty from Moses himself. The story begins after Moses relays God's message to Pharaoh – the one demanding freedom for the Israelites. Instead of freedom, Ph...
This particular passage, Shemot Rabbah 6, uses a parable to illuminate a fascinating aspect of Moses' relationship with God. Rabbi Meir offers a vivid analogy. Imagine a king marry...
The Torah isn't always explicit about timing, and sometimes, a seemingly simple phrase can unlock a whole world of debate. Take (Exodus 7:25): "Seven days were completed, after the...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so. In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating, and frankly chilling, comparison ...
It's easy to see them as just divine punishment, but the rabbis found layers of meaning, justice, and even hidden miracles within each one. Let's look at the plague of boils as des...
The verse in (Exodus 9:10) tells us, "They took soot of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it heavenward; and it became boils erupting into blisters upon man an...
Like stacking the deck. Well, Shemot Rabbah, the great collection of interpretations on the Book of Exodus, wrestles with just that. One fascinating reading hinges on a verse from ...
It begins with the verse, "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), spoken to Moses and Aaron. Why them? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks, why did God speak t...
The book of Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Exodus, offers a stunning insight into just how crucial the calendar is. It all begins with the ...
We find a powerful example of this in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The Rabbis ask us to consider how God relates to us, specifical...
Jewish tradition teaches us that justice, true justice, is at the very heart of the Divine. And that the way we act in the world has cosmic repercussions. In Shemot Rabbah, a compi...
To one of those fascinating connections, found within Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. The verse we're looking at is: "It was when Ph...
Jewish tradition offers a powerful and comforting perspective on this very human feeling. It suggests that God isn't just listening, but already knows what's in our hearts, even be...
Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Midrash on the book of Exodus, tackles this very question, and the answers are, frankly, . It starts with a verse from Psalms: "There is none...
Take a look at Exodus. Right after we're told, "You shall not ascend on stairs to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed upon it," (Exodus 20:23) we suddenly read, "A...
The verses in Exodus dealing with accidental harm to a pregnant woman. The text quotes (Exodus 21:22-23): “If men fight and they strike a pregnant woman and her children are miscar...
It all centers around the Hebrew word ve’eleh, meaning "these are." The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) opens with a question: What's so special about ve’eleh? The Rabbi...
It’s a question that’s echoed through the ages, one that our sages grappled with deeply. Let’s delve into a fascinating teaching from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic inter...
One minute someone is a hero, the next... well, not so much. It's human nature. But what about those in positions of authority, like judges? Do our shifting opinions of them have c...
It’s not just about giving what you have, but about how you give it. In the book of Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a powerfu...
We find one of those moments in the story of the Golden Calf, and how Aaron, brother of Moses, reacted to it. The scene: Moses is descending from Mount Sinai, clutching the tablets...
Sometimes, the answer can be found in the most unexpected places, like in the ancient commentaries on the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim in Hebrew. Specifically, we can look at Sh...
It's not just a love poem, you see. It’s an allegory, a conversation between God and the people of Israel. Rabbi Berekhya paints a powerful picture. He says the congregation of Isr...
It all comes down to the Sanhedrin, the ancient Jewish high court. The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of Songs, offers ...
Take this one from the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim: "Your hair is like a flock of goats" (Song of Songs 4:1). Goats? Hair? What’s that all about? Well, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a ...
It turns out, the ancient rabbis thought about this a lot, especially when it came to the relationship between humanity and God.” In Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6, a midrashic (rabbinic i...
Our tradition, in its rich tapestry of stories, isn't afraid to explore the complexities of the relationship between the Divine and humanity. to one such fascinating exploration fr...
They understood that a community, just like a person, needs eyes to see, to discern, to navigate the complexities of life. And where do we find these "eyes"? The answer, surprising...
We start with the verse, "When a person presents a meal offering to the Lord" (Leviticus 2:1). But the Rabbis cleverly link this to (Psalm 22:24): "Those who fear the Lord, praise ...
Jewish tradition has some powerful, and frankly, pretty wild ways of thinking about sin, responsibility, and the ultimate judgment. to a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a ...
