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The passage begins with a rather grand statement from Exodus: "See, I have set you as god to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother will be your prophet” (Exodus 7:1). But what does it re...
Jewish tradition has some pretty strong opinions on that. And, spoiler alert: it doesn't end well. Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Midrash (interpretive stories) on the Book...
The Book of Exodus tells us the what – ten devastating plagues – but it's the Midrash, those ancient rabbinic interpretations, that delve into the how. Specifically, let's look at ...
It's all there in the book of Exodus, chapter 7, verse 9: "When Pharaoh will speak to you, saying: Provide a wonder for you; then you shall say to Aaron: Take your staff, and cast ...
Unthinkable. Yet, that's precisely the level of focus the Sages expected during prayer. The Mishna Berakhot (5:1) tells us that even if a king greets you, or a serpent wraps around...
It's not just a random trick. It's a direct confrontation, a symbolic smackdown, if you will. : Pharaoh saw himself as a god, the supreme ruler of Egypt, unshakeable and all-powerf...
It wasn't just random chaos, you know. There's a deeply considered, almost… merciful… method to the madness. The Book of Exodus (7:16-17) sets the stage: "You shall say to him: The...
The Torah tells us, "The magicians of Egypt did so with their spells; and Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 7:22). But what does "...
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 ...
