Messiah

1,174 texts · Page 23 of 25

The coming of the Messiah, the ingathering of exiles, the resurrection of the dead, and the world to come.

Maintain Justice and Perform Charity Says Isaiah

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The Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, dives deep into this question, particularly in section 30. It all starts with a verse from Isaiah...

Job and Divine Judgment

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Our tradition teaches that wealth, valor, and wisdom are not inherently good or bad – it's how we use them that truly matters. Shemot Rabbah (31) delves into this very question, dr...

The Dangers of Lending Money With Interest

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To a passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, and see how shockingly relevant it still is. We're talking about money, lending, an...

Jeremiah — Messiah at the Dawn of Creation

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That feeling, that fear, is something the Jewish people have grappled with throughout our history. And it's right there in Shemot Rabbah 31, a midrash on the book of Exodus. The pa...

God Humbles One and Elevates Another Like a Wheel

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Sometimes you're on top, sometimes you're on the bottom. It's a powerful image, and one that resonates deeply in Jewish tradition. Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Midrashic ...

Divine Presence of Isaac

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The Jewish tradition is rich with stories of angels, not just as winged figures, but as manifestations of the Divine Presence itself. And their role? To safeguard and redeem. to on...

Rod and Serpent of Songs

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The congregation of Israel itself has felt that way! Our passage opens with a fascinating connection between the verse "They shall take Me a gift" (Exodus 25:2), which refers to th...

Why God Gave the Torah as a Gift After Moses Forgot

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Rabbi Abahu tells us that for all forty days Moses spent up on the mountain, he was studying Torah… and forgetting it just as quickly. Can you imagine the frustration? "Master of t...

Israel Loses Its Crown After the Golden Calf

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In Shemot Rabbah, the great midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection on the Book of Exodus, we find a story about just that, and it hits right at the heart of the re...

Moses Asks to See God's Glory and Learns Humility

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The Torah is full of moments like that, and they teach us so much about ourselves and our relationship with the Divine. We find a fascinating exploration of this idea in Shemot Rab...

Behold There Is a Place With Me Says God to Moses

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Not physical places, of course, but… well, let’s explore a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It delves into a ...

The Oral Torah and the Written Torah as One Covenant

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It’s a question that delves into the very heart of our tradition, and Shemot Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah) offers some pretty powerful insights. Let's unpack it. The verse in question is ...

How Moses Survived Forty Days Without Food or Water

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The Torah tells us, "He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, ...

Moses and the King of Betzalel

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The passage begins with Moses announcing Betzalel's appointment to oversee the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, ...

What Is in a Name and Why Betzalel's Mattered

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What's in a name? More than you might think. Our tradition teaches that a good name is more valuable than even the finest oils. But why? The text opens with a striking statement: "...

Betzalel Gets Credit for Everything Because of Devotion

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The Torah tells us, "Betzalel crafted..." regarding every single item in the Tabernacle. But, wait a minute! Did he really do it all himself? That's the question posed in Shemot Ra...

Trial of Rabbi Shimon

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One fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, sheds light on this through a rather striking image. The passage opens wit...

The Reward That Awaits the Righteous in the World to Come

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Seeing the reward that awaits the righteous. What would you do? Rejoice? Question your worthiness? Our sages grappled with this very question, and their insights are captured in Sh...

Temple — Wisdom of Solomon

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We often think of Solomon, King Solomon, as this incredibly wise and diligent ruler. But was he always that way? Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on t...

Your Sons Will Replace Your Fathers Says the Psalmist

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A verse from Psalms (45:17): “Your sons will be in the stead of your fathers.” This seemingly simple statement kicks off a fascinating exploration of legacy and lineage, asking: Wh...

Solomon the Master of Parables and Torah Wisdom

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It's deep, it's rich, but sometimes… it feels inaccessible. That's where stories, analogies, and parables come in. And King Solomon, according to Jewish tradition, was a master of ...

Elijah and Creation of Alacrity

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You turned the house upside down. You lit every lamp, peered into every corner. Why? Because the reward – finding that lost treasure – was worth the effort. Well, Shir HaShirim Rab...

Solomon and the Heavenly Realms

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In fact, the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs, dives deep into its meaning and context, revealing some pretty surprising ideas. L...

Solomon and the Patriarchs

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Today, we're diving into the heart of one of the most beloved, and sometimes debated, books in the Jewish tradition: Song of Songs, or as it's known in Hebrew, Shir HaShirim. We're...

Elazar — Adam at the Dawn of Creation

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It’s a question that bubbles up from the depths of Jewish tradition, and Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs, offers some fascinatin...

Anointing Oil for Priests and Kings in Israel

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We see it used for anointing, for lighting, for cooking... but what's the deeper symbolism? to a fascinating exploration from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpr...

Abraham's Fragrance Released When God Said Go

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Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of Songs, dives deep into the verse where God tells Abraham, “Go you from your land, fro...

Black From Sin but Lovely Through Repentance

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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...

What the Daughters of Jerusalem Really Represent

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It's like peeling back an onion, only instead of tears, you find profound insights. Let's take a dive into a fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic...

Kedar in Battle

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Jewish tradition teaches us this is a dangerous habit, a lesson beautifully illustrated in the interpretation of the verse, "Like the tents of Kedar" (Song of Songs 1:5) found in S...

Go Out in the Footsteps of the Flock Says the Beloved

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It's a feeling, according to our sages, that even Moses himself grappled with. to a fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) co...

Songs — Giving of the Torah

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"While the king was at his feast..." (Song of Songs 1:12). Rabbi Pinḥas, quoting Rabbi Hoshaya, connects this verse to the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, and His "feas...

Behold You Are Fair My Love and the Tally of Deeds

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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...

The Rose of Sharon and the Flowers of the Field

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They found surprising insights in the most unexpected places – like the flowers of the field. We're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on th...

Joseph the Dreamer of Israelites

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The Shir HaShirim Rabbah – a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs – opens up a fascinating window into this. Rabbi Eliezer, interpreting a verse about redemp...

A Lily Among Thorns Is Israel Among the Nations

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That image, that feeling, is captured beautifully in the ancient interpretations of the Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs. Rabbi Huna uses the image of a lily among thorns to descri...

Avun — Esau at the Dawn of Creation

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In the ancient wisdom of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the Song of Songs commentary, we find just that: the humble lily as a powerful metaphor for the enduring spirit of Israel. Rabbi Avun...

Hanina — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

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In Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7, the Rabbis unpack a seemingly simple verse – (Song of Songs 2:7): “I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds...

Three Rabbis Decode the Beloved Leaping Over Mountains

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The Song of Songs, that beautiful, evocative poem, begins with the line: "The sound of my beloved! Behold, he approaches, he leaps over the mountains and bounds over the hills" (So...

Messiah — Moses at the Dawn of Creation

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Jewish tradition understands that feeling, and offers a powerful image to overcome it: God leaping over mountains. We find this image in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the...

Moses and the Dreamer of Songs

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Ever read a love poem and thought, "This is beautiful, but what does it mean?" Well, the Jewish tradition has been doing that for centuries with the Song of Songs, also known as Sh...

Elijah and the Messianic King Hidden in Song of Songs

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It's not just about romance; they saw layers of hidden meaning, particularly about the coming of the Messiah. to one fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a rabbinic comme...

Until the Shadows Flee and the Kingdoms Crumble

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The verse in question is (Song of Songs 2:17): "Until the day is great and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a fawn on the cleft mountains.” Now, on the ...

Daniel's Transgression

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Today, we're diving into the Book of Daniel and a fascinating interpretation found in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs. We’re foc...

Elisheva's Song

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That’s the story woven into the ancient commentary on the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, and it centers on a woman named Elisheva. The verse "Who is this ascending…," from (S...

Song of Songs as a Cosmic Love Letter to Israel

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Ever heard a love song so intense it felt... cosmic? The Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim in Hebrew, is exactly that. But it's not just about romance; Jewish tradition reads it as a...

The Scarlet Thread That Turned White on Yom Kippur

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That feeling is something our ancestors grappled with intensely after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the ancient commentary on Song of Son...

Abraham as the Mountain of Myrrh in Song of Songs

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The ancient Rabbis did. They poured over the verses, searching for clues. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, we find some fascinating answer...