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In the book of Vayikra, Leviticus, we read a troubling story about the "son of an Israelite woman" who, as the verse says, "went out" (Leviticus 24:10). But...went out from where? ...
to one such tale, found in Vayikra Rabbah 32, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. The passage begins with a seemingly simple statement: "And he was t...
We find a clue in Vayikra Rabbah, specifically in a passage connected to the story of the "son of an Israelite woman" (Leviticus 24:10). The text begins by quoting the Song of Song...
Jewish tradition wrestles with these questions constantly. Take, for example, the difficult case of the mamzer. The mamzer, often translated as "illegitimate child," occupies a com...
It’s a powerful thing to consider. The ancient sages certainly thought so. Our story today comes from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviti...
The passage begins with a verse from Leviticus (25:14): "If you sell a sale item…[you shall not wrong [tonu] one another]." The Hebrew word tonu speaks of exploitation, of taking u...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw the world as a delicate balance, and they understood that even seemingly small acts of injustice could have enormous consequences. In Vay...
Our tradition certainly thinks so. There’s a powerful message tucked away in Vayikra Rabbah, specifically in section 33, about the weight of our words and the damage they can infli...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw echoes of these struggles in the biblical text, particularly in the stories surrounding kings and their kingdoms. In Vayikra Rabbah, a co...
