Questions tagged [midrash]
Exegetical interpretation, often of verses in Tanach. The term also refers to books based on these interpretations, e.g., Midrash Rabba, Midrash Tanchuma, et al.
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Midrashim that explore the exact meaning of "tov" in Genesis 1?
It's no secret that "good," in English as well as in Hebrew, is rather polysemous: on the one hand, it can mark the degree to which a given thing satisfies its purpose or relevant ideal (as ...
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All 3 forefathers called "Yisroel"?
B"H
I heard that there's a midrash that says that all 3 of the forefathers, Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov were all called Yisroel.
Is this true? If so where is it found?
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Looking for source re: David HaMelech and Circus/Theater
I'm looking for a source about David HaMelech using the 'excuse' of going to the circus/theater as a rebuff to his yetzer hara querying him why he rises at midnight.
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Per the Midrash - how can Hashem make it rain on Shabbat
Per the midrash quoted in this answer, Hashem keeps all commandments, if so how does the midrash explain why Hashem makes it rain on Shabbat wouldn't that be a Zoreia - Sowing
See Rambam Hilchot ...
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Uttering the name of God to kill people
According to the Midrash Tanchuma (see also see also Shemot Rabbah 1:29, Yalkut Shimoni 167 and Yalkut Reuveni: Parashat Shemot), Moshe killed the Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-12) by uttering a particularly ...
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Why did the nations reject the Torah if they were obligated regardless as bnei noach?
There's a well known midrash that HaShem went around offering the Torah to other nations prior to offering it to Israel, with the nations rejecting it for various reasons (restrictions on theft, ...
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Theodical arguments from Bereshit Rabbah 69:5 - why are they rarely if ever used?
According to Bereshit Rabbah 69:5, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov prayed for aging, suffering and sickness, and before this, these conditions did not exist in the human experience.
The reasons are given ...
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What were David's reasons for writing Psalms?
BH
What were David's reasons for writing the Book of Psalms?
Are they in chronological order to the events that happened in his life?
Did he write some of the psalms as the event was happening?
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Pharaoh made himself according to "Ezekiel 29:3"?
Ezekiel 29:3
Speak these words:
Thus said the Sovereign GOD:
I am going to deal with you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
Mighty monster, sprawling in your channels,
Who said,
My Nile is my own;
I made it [...
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Why Pharaoh of Exodus, in Ezekiel 29:3?
Ezekiel 29:3:
"Speak these words:
Thus said the Sovereign GOD:
I am going to deal with you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
Mighty monster, sprawling in your channels,
Who said,
My Nile is my own;
I ...
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Was Deuteronomy 18:15, interpreted messianically in Judaism?
Deuteronomy 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren—him you shall heed— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of ...
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Midrash about our "age" in Olam Haba
I once heard that there is a midrash that states in Olam Haba, we start each day as children, then the next quarter we are adolescent, then adult, then old age, so that we can enjoy the goodness of ...
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1000th generation, and creating the world out of Rachamim
I recently saw in a (Chassidic) sefer that the concept of "Hashem intended to make the world out of justice, but saw that it wouldn't last, so made it out of mercy" (Rashi on Bereshit) means ...
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What is the connection between Hashem's battle with the dragon and creation in Tehilim Chapter 74?
Tehilim 74:13-17 recounts a series of victories of Hashem. The first couplet documents victories in battle against both the tanin and the Leviathan:
אַתָּ֤ה פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ בְעׇזְּךָ֣ יָ֑ם שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ ...
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What does the Vav in Eliyahu represent?
There is a famous Midrash that Yaakov took a Vav from Eliyahu. This is why their names are spelled
אליה & יעקוב
They say it has to do with the announcements.
What did he take?
I.e. what כח was in ...
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Understanding ערלים comparisons
In Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer chapter 29 (uncensored version), we read:
ולמה מלן, בשביל הטהרה שלא יטמאו את אדניהם במאכליהם ובמשתיהם, שכל מי שאוכל עם הערל כאלו אוכל עם הכלב, מה הכלב שלא נמול כך הערל שלא ...
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Interpreting and accepting contemporary reports of fantastic events
Are there any contemporary sources that discuss how to approach reports or stories in circulation among the Jewish public that stretch credulity? Is it incumbent upon us to find meaning in them?
I am ...
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Justice and the idea that God seeks the pursued
In a recent question, the OP sought a source for the idea that God "always sides with the pursued, regardless of merit" and the accepted answer came from Leviticus Rabbah 27:5:
וְהָאֱלֹהִים ...
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Where does it say it’s not about the job but rather it’s the merits?
BH
I heard that it's not about the Job or certain profession that you have rather it's your merits that actually bring you your parnasa if this is an accurate statement according to the Talmud what is ...
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Yonah and Leviathan midrash
Anyone know the source for some midrash about when Yonah is in the mouth of the fish and then they go to the Leviathan and Yonah shows him his bris and he runs away?
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Nevi'im written before they happened
In parshas Nasso Rashi brings a medrash to explain the verse:
Numbers 7:23:
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֘ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה ...
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Reference to an automated nachash who goes to the market for you?
I’m searching for a reference to the place in the Gemara which talks about there being, in the messianic era, some kind of helper which I think is the nachash which goes to the store and the ...
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Avraham, the four Kings, and the future redemption
In parshas Lech Lecha (Bereishis 14:1-3), the Torah recounts the war of the four kings:
וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵי֙ אַמְרָפֶ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ־שִׁנ��עָ֔ר אַרְי֖וֹךְ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֶלָּסָ֑ר כְּדׇרְלָעֹ֙מֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֵילָ֔ם ...
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How many years did Yocheved live?
**Seder Olam Rabbah 9 - **"Serah bat Asher was among those who came to Egypt and those who left it. [She was] from those who came to Egypt, as it is written, "And Serah their sister" (...
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Source for difference between the tenth (final) shira and all previous shiros
I heard once that the tenth shir that will be sung upon the coming of Mashiach will be different than all the previous shiros. The other nine all mention the downfall of our enemies, but this shir ...
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The Staff of Moses
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 40:
Rabbi Levi said: That rod which was created in the twilight was delivered to the first man out of the garden of Eden. Adam delivered it to Enoch, and Enoch delivered it to ...
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Is there a Sefer that explains each 'melech' in the megilla? [duplicate]
Esther Rabba (3:10) says that any place in the megilla where it says מלך without specifying אחשוורוש afterwards, it is referring to both the mundane king - Achashverosh, and to the holy king - hashem. ...
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The Satan's rebellion in Rabbinic literature?
My understanding is that in most of Rabbinic literature, the Satan is viewed as simply the angel with the job of accusing mankind like in Iyov, and that the Christian notion of him as having rebelled ...
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Galus: three or four?
There are different sources (Bereishis Rabbah 2:4, Shemos Rabbah 15:6, Ramban; Bereishis 15:14) that say that there were decreed four galuyos - four exiles. There are also explanations that explain ...
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Kashes on Bereshit Rabba 65:9
In this midrash, the Avot each make a wish to Hashem for an improvement in the world. I have a couple of kashes on Yitzchak's wish:
אָמַר לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים אָדָם מֵת בְּלֹא יִסּוּרִים
...
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Source for this midrash?
Can someone quote where this midrash is found- there was a man who came to a rabbi and asked him to come live in his city and he’ll give him all the money, and the rabbi basically roasted the city and ...
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An example of a man asked for a sign, been given the sign, then rejecting the sign, but he repents afterwards?
I wonder if there is a case in The Torah, of a man (or group of people) asking God for a miracle, then God offered the miracle, but the man rejected the sign, or accepted the sign but later will show ...
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Meaning of "ascended on the high and taken it"? (Psalm 68:18)
What are the various meanings or references of this phrase, particularly the meaning of "ascended on high and taken it", the parenthesis shows that Torah is the object of achieving, but ...
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Midrash about 10 commandments
Looking for a midrash that says that after the Chet HaEgel, Moshe told Gd “the 10 commandments are in singular form. Bnei Yisrael thought they were directed solely to me and not to them”
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Why did Gabriel interfere with Joseph’s cloak?
In Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews, a legend is quoted which says that Joseph was eventually found not-guilty of assaulting Mrs Potiphar because, when the Egyptians examined the tear pattern on the ...
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Eretz Yisroel as G-ds palace
Based on this answer, I was looking for sources that describe Eretz Yisroel as the "palace of G-d".
Are there any sources that describe Eretz Yisroel as such? As "Palace of the King&...
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Source for Bloody Fruits Story
Recall reading a story when I was younger, pretty sure in a kid's book of Midrash/Aggadah, like Our Sages Showed The Way.
Trying to find the original source, could be have some details wrong.
Someone ...
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Deeper meaning of Bat Shlomo midrash
Do any commentaries elucidate any deeper meaning into the story of Bat Shlomo in the tower (found here: The Medrash About Shlomo HaMelech's Daughter )
Obviously the Pashut message is that Gd runs ...
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Story of Shlomo and birds
Just heard today that apparently there’s some midrash where Shlomo sees two birds perched on top of his castle and he overheard one bird saying to the other “with the stomp of my foot I can crumble ...
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Being MeChadesh Torah saves lives
HaRav Shaul Alter shlit"a, when he was at the Beis Medrash of Lakewood Commons in Lakewood earlier this month, he delivered a Divrei Chizuk (Words of Strength) on the war and quoted the Midrash ...
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Where can I find this text from Midrash Tanhuma?
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo discusses Jesus association with Balaam and offers the following text from the uncensored Midrash Tanhumah :
“Bilaam foresaw that a man born from a woman would arise and ...
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Feast of achashverosh connected to failed 70 year prophecy
What is the source where it actually mentions that one of the reasons for the feast of Achashverosh was celebrating the "failed" prophecy of Yirmiyahu?
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attack against Persia (Iran) in the Acharis HaYomim
I saw a midrash that says that Edom (Europe, US?) will join forces with Arabia; together they
will attack Malchus Poras (Persia, Iran).After they defeat her, they will in turn attack
Yisrael, leading ...
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1
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What is HaAshmurah HaRishona in the Mishnah
BH
What is HaAshmura HaRishonah?
Someone told me it is just a division in the night while someone else told me that it is referring to the Leviim guarding in the temple which ever it is does it speak ...
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Source for the practice of messianic interpretation of calamity
I seem to recall a Rashi somewhere in Nach which explains a Pasuk as praising B’nei Yisrael, who see every calamity that befalls them as heralding Mashiach.
Can anyone source this?
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What’s the deal with צרויה?
Found out recently that צרויה as in (Yoav Ben Tzruyah) was actually Yoav’s mom and not his father. Why is Yoav constantly referred to as the son of his mother, when the Tanach norm is to use their ...
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Is the aleph bet of Ben sira canonical? [closed]
Is אלפא ביתא אחרת לבן סירא (excluding the passages brought in the gemara) in the sefer אוצר מדרשים part of the jewish mesorah?
Specifically this passage:
כתיב עושה גדולות עד אין חקר ונפלאות עד אין ...
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Medrash about Adam originally not having fingers
I'm looking for the medrash that says that Adam (or another hunanoid creation) originally didn't have fingers but had spoon like appendages instead.
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Why did the Rambam single out Ribui?
In Sefer HaMitzvos, Shoresh 2, the Rambam says that anything derived using Rabbi Yishmael's 13 principles of derivation, or a Ribui (extraneous wording which tells us to include new laws), does not ...
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How can a name exist before anything was Created
BH
I heard “before the world was created it was the Holy one blessed be He and His Great Name alone”
עד שלא נברא העולם, היה הקדוש ברוך הוא ושמו הגדול בלבד
Source
How can a name exist before ...
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