Sin

782 texts · Page 15 of 17

The nature of sin in Jewish theology: transgression, its consequences, and the ever-present possibility of return through teshuvah.

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayishlach 9

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And God said unto Jacob (Gen. 35:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; evil shall not sojourn with Thee (Ps...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 8

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife (Gen. 39:8). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord (Jer. 17:7). You fi...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayigash 9

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: The envy also of Ephraim shall depart … Ephraim shall not envy Judah (Isa. 11:13)....

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 16

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

This is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them (Gen. 49:28). Scripture does not say “he blessed him” but rather he blessed them. Why is this so? Because he attribute...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 20

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Scripture states elsewhere For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then cons...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 11

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

When Pharaoh shall speak unto you (Exod. 7:9). Scripture states (elsewhere in reference to this verse): Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 16

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been seen (Exod. 9:18). Zabdi the son of Levi said: He made a mark upon the wall and...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 17

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased (Exod. 9:34). Such is the way of the wicked: whenever they are in trouble, they humiliate themselves, b...

Midrash Tanchuma, Bo 14

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand (Exod. 13:16). Upon thy hand refers to the biceps. Between thine eyes refers to the top of the forehead. Where is that located? The school ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 6

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exod. 14:4). This was said because his heart was undecided whether to pursue them or not. And I will get Me honor upon Pharaoh and upon all his h...

Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 14

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

The deeps cover them (Exod. 15:5). Were there actually any deeps? Is not the floor of the Red Sea flat and firm? This verse merely informs us that the lower depth as well as the up...

Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 15

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Thy right hand, O Lord (Exod. 15:6). This verse indicates that the Lord’s right hand is stretched out to receive repentant sinners. Though You set a time for the generation of the ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 16

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And in the greatness of Thine excellence (Exod. 15:7). You have increased Your excellency against all who rose up against You. Who were those that rose up against You? They were th...

Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 25

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim (Exod. 17:8). R. Eliezer the son of Hisma said: This verse should be understood and interpreted in relation to the verse quoted ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Yitro 1

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

18:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy pl...

Midrash Tanchuma, Yitro 7

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And Jethro rejoiced (Exod. 18:9). Do not read this word as vayihad (“and he rejoiced”) but rather vayihed (“and he became a yehudi [a Jew]”). Why did Jethro say: Blessed be the Lor...

Midrash Tanchuma, Yitro 15

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Another explanation of the verse: And God spoke (Exod. 20:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: Then did He see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and s...

Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 7

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

It has been taught: thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart (Lev. 19:17). You might say that this means you must not strike him or curse him. However, since Scripture says in ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 18

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Behold, I sent an angel before thee (Exod. 23:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I will send an angel before you but not before them. Whereupon Moses replied: If you ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Terumah 10

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And thou shalt make the altar of acacia-wood (Exod. 27:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Tell them to erect an altar for burnt offerings so that it may atone for the ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 10

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

This is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (Exod. 29:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: But Thou, O Lord, art on high for evermore (Ps. 92:9). And prece...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 13

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

This is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (to hallow them … take one young bullock and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread) (Exod. 29:1). You shall do it for them, ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 15

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon (Exod. 30:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart (Prov. 27:9). This vers...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 1

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel (Exod. 30:12). May our masters teach us: How many times each year did the Israelites bring their offerings to the Temple? Thus di...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 2

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel (Exod. 30:12). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Thy navel is like a round goblet, thy belly is like a heap o...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 4

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel (Exod. 30:12). Scripture states elsewhere: Many there are that say of my soul: “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah. But...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 5

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

When thou takest the sum (Exod. 30:12).11This entire section is to be found almost verbatim in Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, pisha 2:4–5. R. Jonah began to discuss the verse For God is ju...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 10

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

This they shall give, everyone that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel (Exod. 30:13). Because they had sinned at the sixth hour,16Word-play reading the word boshet...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 11

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel … then shall they give every man a ransom (Exod. 30:12). When Moses heard this, he said: Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 21

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Go, get thee down (Exod. 32:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Mankind has already compelled Me to descend from this place to witness its degradation, as is said: And ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 22

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Go, get thee down (Exod. 32:7). The sages said: Moses was actually excommunicated by the heavenly court at that time. Here it is said: Get thee down (red) as a rebuke, for the peop...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 26

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Depart, go up hence” (Exod. 33:1). This is what Scripture says in allusion to this verse: For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 29

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Hew these two tablets (Exod. 34:1). Scripture states elsewhere: The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich (Prov. 10:22). This refers to Elisha’s prayer for water, when he said: Thus...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 31

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Hew these two tablets of stone (Exod. 34:1). When did Moses descend from the mountain? R. Judah the son of Shalum said: Moses remained on the mountain with the Holy One, blessed be...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 33

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And the Lord said unto Moses: “Write thou these words” (Exod. 34:27). May our masters teach us: Is one who writes two letters on the Sabbath (while unmindful of the prohibition or ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayikra 1

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses [and spoke unto him].” This text is related (to Ps. 103:20), “Bless the Lord, O His messengers,1Mal’akhaw. Throughout this section of...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayikra 6

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 4:1–2:) “And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, … ‘When a soul sins [by mistake]….’” Let our master instruct us: Is it right for one to enter the Temple Mount with his staff ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayikra 7

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 5:1:) “And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing […, if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity].” This text is related (to Eccl. 5:1), “Do not be rash w...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 1

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 6:2:) “This is the law of the burnt offering.” This text is related (to Ps. 89:7), “For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord, is like the Lord among the children of the...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 3

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” This text is related (to Prov. 3:17), “The ways [of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are pea...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 5

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings." When they offered the sacrifice of the peace offerings, the Holy One, blessed be He, would lift up His face to ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 7

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” You find that all of the [other] sacrifices that they would bring, they would bring for sins. In the case of th...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 4

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 9:2:) “Then he said unto Aaron, ‘Take a calf [of the herd for a sin offering].’” Why was it not told him [to take] a bull instead of a calf? He said to him, “Because through ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 8

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Three things Moses found difficult and the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them to him with a finger and these are them: The making of the menorah, the moon, and creeping things.35...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 10

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

All of those seven days that Moshe was occupied with the tabernacle, he was sprinkling the blood and incinerating the fats. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "What do you t...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 11

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And to the elders of Israel: Rabbi Akiva said, "Israel is compared to a bird - just like a bird cannot fly without wings, so [too,] Israel cannot do anything without elders. Rabbi ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tazria 2

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Another interpretation (of Lev. 12:2), “and bears a male”: This text is related (to I Sam. 2:2), “There is no holy one like the Lord, for there is none beside You.” What is the mea...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tazria 5

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 12:3:) “And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” It is not written here that one lays out expenses over circumcision. See how much Israel loves ...