5,036 texts · Page 98 of 105
It uses the four species taken on Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles, as a metaphor for the Jewish people. It comes from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive comment...
That feeling, that little twist of perspective, is at the heart of a beautiful teaching from Vayikra Rabbah, the rabbinic commentary on the Book of Leviticus. Rabbi Yehuda, quoting...
There's a profound reason why. Rabbi Yitzḥak opens Vayikra Rabbah 31 with a powerful image, quoting (Psalms 119:140): “Your saying is exceedingly pure, and Your servant loves it.” ...
In fact, it goes even deeper. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings on the Book of Leviticus, opens up this very idea. ...
It’s a question that’s occupied Jewish thinkers for millennia, and today we're diving into a fascinating piece of that puzzle. Let's turn to Vayikra Rabbah, specifically chapter 31...
The passage opens with the phrase "Command the children of Israel." But immediately, the text veers into a discussion about the number of God's "troops." A seemingly simple questio...
It's not just about taste or culinary use; there's a deeper story, a narrative woven through our texts that elevates olive oil above all other oils. Rabbi Ḥiyya, in Vayikra Rabbah ...
Take, for instance, the story in Vayikra Rabbah 31, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. It focuses on Aaron, the High Priest, and his rol...
We're diving into a fascinating little corner of the book of Leviticus, specifically Vayikra Rabbah 32, and trust me, it’s juicier than it sounds. The passage in (Leviticus 24:10-1...
This isn't just about political correctness; it's about the power of our words, our thoughts, and their ripple effects in the cosmos. Rabbi Avin kicks things off with a powerful id...
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...
To a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, that wrestles with this very issue. The passage starts with a seemi...
We find a powerful starting point in (Leviticus 25:35): “If your brother will become poor, and his means fail in proximity to you; you shall support him, stranger or resident alien...
The verse we’re exploring today comes from Vayikra Rabbah 34, which is part of the larger collection of Midrashim (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that interpret the Book of Levi...
They had a knack for seeing the sacred in the mundane, and Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah), a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Leviticus, is full of such gems. to ...
We often think of poverty in terms of money, or the lack thereof. But what if poverty could also mean a lack of knowledge, a lack of connection, or even a lack of generosity? Vayik...
The ancient sages did, too. And they found wisdom in the balance. Rabbi Tanhum ben Rabbi Hiyya, a wise teacher of old, opened his heart with a verse from Ecclesiastes (7:14): “On a...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought so when reflecting on the history of Israel. Vayikra Rabbah, a midrash – a collection of rabbinic teachings – on the Book of Leviticus, explore...
Jewish tradition is full of stories exploring this very idea. Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrash on the book of Leviticus, that unpacks t...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, delves into this very question, challenging us to examine our motivations and the imp...
The passage centers around the verse from Isaiah (58:12): “Through you, ancient ruins will be rebuilt; you will reestablish generations-old foundations.” What does that even mean? ...
You're not alone. Our tradition recognizes this struggle, this internal tug-of-war. And it offers a powerful image to understand it. The text we're looking at today comes from Vayi...
We often think of life itself, perhaps, or the beauty of nature. But according to Jewish tradition, some gifts are so profound, so foundational, that they shape our very existence....
This question, believe it or not, has occupied Jewish thinkers for centuries. And it all stems from a seemingly simple verse in Leviticus (26:42): “I will remember My covenant with...
The ancient rabbis grappled with these very questions, and their answers, preserved in texts like Vayikra Rabbah, are both surprising and deeply inspiring. to one fascinating passa...
Or perhaps put off fulfilling a commitment, thinking, "I'll get to it eventually?" Well, the ancient rabbis certainly had some thoughts on that. to a fascinating discussion from Va...
Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, tackles this very question. And it does so with a story – a really compelling one. It starts with...
Our story begins with a loaf of bread on the road, and it takes us on a journey filled with divine insight, legal intricacies, and a little bit of wine! The tale, found in Vayikra ...
“How does the greatly crowded city sit alone? She has become like a widow. Great among the nations, a princess among the states: She has become a vassal” (Lamentations 1:1).“How [e...
“The greatly crowded city,” Rabbi Shmuel taught: There were twenty-four thoroughfares in Jerusalem, each and every thoroughfare had twenty-four streets, each and every street had t...
“A princess among the nations,” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Because Israel violated the terms that they accepted at Sinai, therefore, “she has become a vassal [lamas].” Sinai is lamas, the...
“I remember my song in the night; I meditate with my heart, and my spirit searches” (Psalms 77:7). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Aivu.58The text of the midrash (rabbinic i...
“Judah was exiled due to affliction and great enslavement. She settled among the nations, did not find rest; all her pursuers have overtaken her within the straits” (Lamentations 1...
When Rabbi Yosei of Milḥaya died, Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish went up to perform an act of kindness136They went to participate in the funeral. and Rabbi Yitzḥak Pesaka went up w...
“May it not befall you, all wayfarers. Look and see: Is there any pain like my pain, which has been done to me, with which the Lord has tormented me on the day of His enflamed wrat...
“From on high He sent fire into my bones, and He crushed them; He spread a net for my feet, He turned me back. He rendered me desolate, suffering all day” (Lamentations 1:13).“From...
“The yoke of my transgressions is preserved in His hand, becoming entangled, coming upon my neck, sapping my strength. The Lord delivered me into the hands of those against whom I ...
“The Lord is righteous, for I have defied His word. Hear now all you peoples, and see my pain: My young women and young men have gone into captivity” (Lamentations 1:18).“The Lord ...
“See, Lord, for I am in distress, my innards burn, my heart overturned within me, for I have been defiant. Outside the sword bereaves; in the house, it is like death” (Lamentations...
“They heard that I sigh; there is no comforter for me; all my enemies heard of my misfortune, were glad because You acted. May You bring the day that You proclaimed, and they will ...
