Prophecy

3,491 texts · Page 49 of 73

The gift of prophecy in Israel, from Moses at Sinai to the last prophets, and the divine voice that still echoes.

Moses and Creation of Sinai

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Today, we're diving into Bamidbar Rabbah 11, a section of a Midrash, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Numbers, and we'll find some surprising and hopeful insigh...

Solomon's Song

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Jewish tradition has a lot to say about that moment – that before and after. And it all starts with a verse from Song of Songs: "Behold the bed of Solomon..." (Song of Songs 3:7). ...

Aaron and Noah of Priestly

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Today, we’re diving deep into the Priestly Blessing, also known as Nesi’at Kapayim, the Lifting of the Hands, found in the Book of Numbers (6:22-27) and explored in Bamidbar Rabbah...

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You Unpacked Layer by Layer

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(Numbers 6:24). It’s more than just a nice sentiment. It’s a layered blessing, packed with meaning and implications. Let's unpack it, shall we? Bamidbar Rabbah, a classic collectio...

What It Means for God to Shine His Face Upon You

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You know, the one that starts "Yevarechecha Adonai v'yishmerecha – May the Lord bless you and keep you..." It’s a beautiful, powerful blessing, and it's packed with layers of meani...

May the Lord Show Favor and Grant You Peace

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Jewish tradition grapples with this apparent contradiction all the time. Take the famous Priestly Blessing from (Numbers 6:26): "May the Lord show favor to you, and grant you peace...

Tabernacle — The Golden Calf

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We find ourselves in Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the Midrash Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the books of the Torah. The text opens with a seemingly simple stat...

Moses Entered the Cloud and Psalm 91 Protected Him

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That image, that feeling, is right at the heart of Psalm 91, and it takes center stage in a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 12. The verse "He who dwells in the shelter of ...

Solomon's Palanquin as a Metaphor for All of Creation

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What if the answer wasn’t a cold, scientific explanation, but a beautiful, poetic description hidden within our sacred texts? The Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teaching...

God's Woe on the Day the Tabernacle Was Dedicated

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The ancient rabbis grappled with that feeling too, especially when things were going well for the Israelites. Take the story in Bamidbar Rabbah 12, which begins with a single, load...

Abraham and Creation of Presence

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It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (3:11): "Go out and gaze, daughters of Zion, at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wed...

Elijah and Creation of Kings

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Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) text, wrestles with this very question, using the construction of the Tabernacle – the mis...

Angels Attend to Metatron

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We often talk about big, abstract ideas, but sometimes the most profound truths are found in the everyday acts of kindness, learning, and… well, building a really special house. to...

How Goodly Are Your Tents Jacob and Their Hidden Meaning

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To one of those metaphors, found in Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers. We begin with a beautiful verse from Numbers (24:5): "How goodly are...

Tabernacle Offerings That Mirror All Creation

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Take, for example, the book of Numbers, or Bamidbar in Hebrew, specifically chapter 7, verse 3. It describes the offerings brought by the princes of Israel for the Tabernacle: "The...

Divine Presence of Tabernacle

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It’s a story rich with symbolism, divine presence, and, believe it or not, even a little tension about who gets to offer what. , shall we? According to Bamidbar Rabbah 13, it all b...

Adam and Creation of Abba

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Our starting point is a verse from the Book of Numbers (7:12), kicking off the offerings brought by the tribal leaders: "The one who presented..." But this simple phrase sparks a m...

Judah's Offering

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From that small verse, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) launches into a fascinating exploration of Judah, the tribe of lions, fiery furnaces, and ultimately, God's pr...

Vayhi and Vehaya - Two Hebrew Words That Signal Destiny

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They saw hidden depths and endless possibilities in the very fabric of the Hebrew language, and one fascinating example of this is their discussion of the words vayhi and vehaya. T...

The Silver Dish and Israel's Spiritual State at Sinai

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The Torah portion Naso, particularly in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, delves into this very concept, using the offerings of the princes as a springboard. It's a fascinating exploration of Is...

The Extra Vav in the Word Rams and Its Prophetic Hint

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These little anomalies, these extra strokes of ink, are rarely accidents. They're often seen as whispers, hints of deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface of the text. Take the w...

Why Is There an Extra Vav in the Word Offering

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That’s exactly what happens in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a Midrash on the Book of Numbers. It all starts with a single letter: a vav. The passage asks, "vekorbano (a sacrificial offering...

Why All Twelve Tribal Princes Brought Identical Offerings

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A collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Numbers, there’s a profound reason behind it. It wasn't just about the what they offered, but the why. The text opens with a quest...

Netanel of Issachar and the Subtle Word 'Hikriv'

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The Torah portion describes the offerings brought by the leaders of the tribes of Israel at the dedication of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Each day, a different leader brought the ...

Issachar in Battle

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It all starts with Issachar. The text dives right in: "One silver dish" (Numbers 7:19), marking the offering of the prince of Issachar. But it's not just about the silverware. This...

Rabbi Berekhya at the Dawn of Creation

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"On the sixth day, prince of the children of Gad, Elyasaf son of Deuel" (Numbers 7:42). The text repeats. Why? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) don't th...

Yerovam at the Dawn of Creation

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It's like peeling back the layers of an onion – the deeper you go, the more you discover. Today, we're diving into Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a section of the Bamidbar Rabbah, which itsel...

Who Preceded God That He Should Repay Them

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The Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, explores this very idea through a verse from Job: "Who preceded Me, that I should repay? Everything ...

When Solomon's Temple Doors Refused to Open for the Ark

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We find in Bamidbar Rabbah 14 a fascinating exploration of the verse, "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in...

Elazar — Rabbi Yehoshua at the Dawn of Creation

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It's all about how we access, understand, and apply the teachings of Torah. The passage opens with a verse from Ecclesiastes (12:11): “The words of the wise are like goads, and lik...

Hidden Layers in the Seventh Prince's Silver Offering

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It’s like a beautiful song with a simple melody, but underneath, there's a complex harmony of hidden meanings and connections. Today, we're going to explore just such a passage fro...

Manasseh's Prince and the Tension of Obeying the King

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To a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretation, on the Book of Numbers, that explores this very tension. The pass...

Asher's Offering

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In Jewish tradition, even the sequence of seemingly minor details can hold profound meaning. Take, for instance, the offerings of the princes in the Book of Numbers. Why does the p...

Why Naphtali Offered Last After Asher at the Tabernacle

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It might seem like a minor detail in the Book of Numbers, but Jewish tradition finds profound meaning in every nuance of the Torah. "On the twelfth day, prince of the children of N...

Noah — Adam at the Dawn of Creation

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It might sound like a stretch, but our sages saw profound links between generations, commandments, and even the offerings brought by the princes of Israel. The Book of Numbers, Bam...

Bilam and Moses of There

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It uses the comparison between Moses and Bilam to highlight just how utterly unique Moses was. (Deuteronomy 34:10) tells us, “There has not arisen another prophet in Israel like Mo...

Moses and Creation of Voice

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These are the kinds of questions that ripple through the ancient texts. In Bamidbar Rabbah, we find a fascinating exploration of the verse, "He heard the Voice speaking with him" (...

Where Exactly Did God Speak From in the Tabernacle

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Bamidbar Rabbah, that incredible collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives deep into this very question. It’s not just a ma...

Temple — Solomon at the Dawn of Creation

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We flip a switch and flood a room with light without a second thought. But millennia ago, kindling a flame was a precious act. So why did God command it in the Mishkan, the Taberna...

Moses Struggled to Craft the Menorah More Than Anything

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The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 15, tells us that crafting the menorah was uniquely challenging for Moses. More so than any other objec...

Why God Asked Israel to Light Lamps Before the Divine

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The verse in question is from (Psalms 18:29): "For You light my lamp." Israel, in this story, turns to the Holy One, blessed be He, and essentially says: "Master of the Universe, Y...

Seven Lamps of the Menorah and the Seven Planets

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Bamidbar Rabbah, in section 15, tackles this very question, and the answers are surprisingly profound. "Toward the front of the candelabrum, the seven lamps shall illuminate," the ...

A Perfect Menorah Descended from Heaven for Moses

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The story of the menorah, the candelabrum in the Tabernacle, as told in Bamidbar Rabbah 15, is a wild ride about just that. It's a reminder that even Moses, the ultimate receiver o...

How Many Strings Were on the Levites' Sacred Lute

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The Book of Numbers—Bamidbar in Hebrew—tells us to "Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and purify them" (Numbers 8:6). But hidden within that instruction, our sage...

Isaac — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

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Jewish tradition suggests that success isn't just handed out; it’s earned through trials, through proving ourselves worthy. Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on t...

Fear the Lord and the King and Crown Him Over You

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The Book of Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), in its 15th section, delves into just that, using the seemingly simple instruction of crafting silver trumpets as a springboard. "Craf...

David's Lute That Woke Him at Midnight to Praise God

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The passage opens with the idea of kingship and privilege. The text tells us, "Craft for you – you use them, as you are king, but no one else may use them other than King David." T...

Why God Told Moses to Gather Seventy Elders

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It’s a question the rabbis grappled with centuries ago, and their insights, drawn from the Torah itself, are surprisingly relevant today. We find a fascinating discussion in Bamidb...