Torah

5,112 texts · Page 44 of 107

The Torah as cosmic blueprint: Jewish traditions about the creation, revelation, and infinite depth of the Five Books of Moses.

Why God Rejected Animal Sacrifice but Wanted Praise

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That tension, that disconnect, is right at the heart of Psalm 50, and it’s something the Rabbis grappled with deeply. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Bo...

Psalm 51 and the Deadly Power of Speech

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim 51, a commentary on Psalm 51, dives headfirst into this very idea, using the story of King David and the prophet Nathan to illustrate just how potent our speech ca...

The Devastating Spiritual Power of Harmful Speech

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Words, once spoken, can’t be unsaid. But what about the spiritual consequences? Today, we’re diving into Midrash Tehillim, specifically psalm 52, to explore the power – and the pot...

The Tongue Can Kill Even From a Distance

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

We often underestimate it, but Jewish tradition teaches us that the tongue is a force to be reckoned with. (Proverbs 18:21) says it plainly: "Death and life are in the power of the...

When Doeg's Hidden Wickedness Was Finally Exposed

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Turns out, our tradition has a lot to say about that. The book of Proverbs (26:26) reminds us, "His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the ...

Why Kindness All Day Long Defeats the Wicked

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, that beautiful collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a surprising answer: kindness, all day long. It sounds simple, almost too simple, doesn...

God Uproots the Wicked Who Trusted in Wealth

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The ancient sages wrestled with these questions too. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, we find a fascinating perspective, partic...

Abraham Confronts Sodom Where No One Feared God

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, grapples with that very feeling, using the story of Sodom and Abraham to explore themes of corruption...

David on the Run Willing to Accept Any Punishment

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That feeling isn't new. King David knew it well, and he poured it into his psalms. to one particular moment of desperation, as illuminated by Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabb...

Ezra at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It might sound audacious, but our tradition actually suggests there are times when the "lower court" – that's us, down here – and the Holy One, blessed be He, are in a bit of a… di...

David Questions Why the Judges Stay Silent

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That tension is at the heart of our story today, drawn from Midrash Tehillim 58, a beautiful exploration of Psalm 58. It grapples with a difficult question: "Do not destroy the con...

Michal in David's Court

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

This idea – the power of partnership, the strength in numbers – echoes throughout Jewish tradition. And it’s right there at the heart of Midrash Tehillim 59. The verse from Ecclesi...

Solomon Asks Who Was Praying Before Creation Began

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Take, for instance, this fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, Psalm 59. It wrestles with a question that's been around since, well, the beginning: What's the deal with marria...

Rabbi Akiva's Son and the Most Unusual Wedding Night

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

I've got a story for you, tucked away in Midrash Tehillim 59, that’s a real head-scratcher. It involves Rabbi Akiva, his son, and a rather unusual wedding night. The tale begins wi...

The Ancient Grief That Echoes from Noah to David

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That feeling isn't new. In fact, according to Midrash Tehillim 60, it goes way back. This particular midrash (a method of interpreting biblical stories beyond their literal meaning...

You Have Shown Your People a Hard Time

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The ancient rabbis grappled with this too. They looked at Psalm 61, and from it, they wove a powerful message about suffering, redemption, and the ever-present possibility of conne...

In God Alone Does My Soul Find True Rest

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It’s a profound truth. The text opens with a connection to Psalm 62, "For the conductor, on the hands of the dove. Yet my soul is silent only to God." It then immediately leaps int...

David Before the Flood

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim 62, a beautiful exploration from the world of midrash (Jewish biblical interpretation), gives us some fascinating – and maybe even comforting – food for thought. T...

David Seeks God in the Wilderness After Absalom's Revolt

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

You're not alone. It seems to be a deeply human thing, this turning to the Divine in moments of crisis. But is that… okay? Is it somehow "less than" if we only remember to call out...

Edom in Paradise

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

King David certainly did. And his words, captured in Psalm 63, resonate across the ages, a testament to a soul seeking connection with the Divine. “My God, I seek You early,” David...

David — Daniel at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Our ancestors felt it too, and they wrestled with it in their stories and prayers. Today, we're diving into Midrash Tehillim 64, a fascinating passage that uses the story of Daniel...

Living by Torah of Isaiah

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

We often think of praise as loud, exuberant, filled with song and dance. But what about the silence? What kind of praise is that? (Psalm 65:1-2) gives us a clue: “For the conductor...

Solomon's Deep Dive into the Waters of Torah

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this verse, taking us on a journey through moments of profound transformation and ...

How Solomon Sought Righteousness to Rule Justly

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

In Jewish tradition, these questions lead us straight to the Source of all righteousness, the Holy One, blessed be He. And surprisingly, also to King Solomon. Midrash Tehillim, a c...

God Set the Earth on Pillars Before Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, specifically Midrash Tehillim 75, grapples with this very idea, drawing upon verses from Psalms and Genesis to paint a compelling picture. The midrash (rabbinic i...

Pharaoh — Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this verse, unlocking layers of meaning and offering us a glimpse into the div...

Asaph Before the Flood

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It’s more than just nostalgia, more than just remembering the "good old days." It's about survival. Spiritual survival. And that's exactly what Midrash Tehillim, a collection of ra...

Temple and Creation of Jerusalem

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It’s a very human feeling. And it’s a feeling that resonates deeply within the words of the Midrash Tehillim, specifically in its commentary on Psalm 79. , shall we? The Midrash (r...

Asaph's Song

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That’s precisely what we find ourselves pondering in Midrash Tehillim 79, a fascinating exploration of Psalm 79, attributed to Asaph. The psalm begins with a cry of devastation: "O...

Why We Sound the Shofar at the New Moon

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Take (Psalm 81:2), for example: "Raise a song, strike the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp." But then it continues, "Sound the shofar at the New Moon, at the full moon for ...

Moses and Creation and the Wilderness

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The blast of the shofar, that ancient ram's horn, isn't just some ritualistic noise. It’s a call to action, a reminder, and, if we listen closely, a whisper from the Divine. Midras...

God Stands in Judgment Among the Gods

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Psalm 82 opens with a powerful image: "A Psalm of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of God; He judges among the gods." It's a verse that speaks volumes about justice, responsib...

Isaiah — Adam at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, wrestles with just that question in its commentary on Psalm 82. It's a short passage, but packs a seriou...

When Israel Cried Out and God Seemed Silent

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

We find this struggle echoed in Jewish tradition, this tension between our cries and the perceived silence of God. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of ...

Divine Secrets Heaped Up for Israel in Psalm 83

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Jewish tradition certainly does. It speaks of hidden wisdom, divine secrets revealed to those who seek them. But with revelation comes responsibility, and with secrets, sometimes, ...

Torah Study as David's Secret Weapon Against Despair

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It's in those moments, perhaps, that we need a little reminder of hope. And wouldn't it be amazing if there were a secret weapon against despair, hidden in plain sight within the v...

The Primordial Light That God Hid for the Righteous

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating glimpse into this bond, specifically in its commentary on Psalm 85, attribute...

Why Jerusalem Stands on the Merit of the Patriarchs

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Psalm 87, a song attributed to the sons of Korah, begins to unpack this very question. "Its foundation is on the holy mountains," the psalm declares, suggesting that holiness is ro...

Hezekiah's Jerusalem and the Dream of Rebuilding

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The ancient sages certainly did. a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, specifically Psalm 87, and see where i...

Jeremiah Warns Against Boasting in Human Wisdom

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The prophet Jeremiah, in the name of God, tells us no. "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom...but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am t...

Jeremiah's Prayer

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim 90 dives deep into this very question, contrasting empty rituals with the power of sincere prayer, particularly through the examples of Moses, David, Jeremiah, and...

Birth of Moshe

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

A prayer attributed to Moshe, the man of God. It’s a powerful opening, immediately grounding us in the foundational narrative of the Jewish people: "Before the mountains were born,...

Moshe's Song

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Midrash Tehillim (a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms) poses a seemingly simple question about the opening of Psalm 90, traditionally ascribed to Moses: ...

Why Moses Is Called the Man of God in the Psalms

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It seems like a simple title, but Midrash Tehillim 90, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, dives deep into what that name really means. It's not just ab...

Abraham — Moses's Legacy

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

The Midrash Tehillim, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, wrestles with this very idea. Rabbi Yitzchak points to (Deuteronomy 33:27), which ...

Sit in Silence and Be Brought Low Before God

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

Our ancestors grappled with the very same feeling. And in the beautiful tapestry of Jewish tradition, we find wisdom woven into stories, like this gem from Midrash Tehillim, a coll...

Rebuilding and Restoration of Abba

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

It’s a feeling that resonates deeply, and it’s something the ancient rabbis grappled with too, especially when contemplating the fate of Israel. Midrash Tehillim, a fascinating col...

Abraham and Sarah as God's Servants in Psalm 90

Midrash Aggadah Midrash Aggadah

That feeling, that connection, is something Jewish tradition has explored for centuries. And one beautiful place where we find this idea expressed is in Midrash Tehillim, a collect...