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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Eliezer's daughter and descendants
Medrash Rabah Parshas Chayai Sara 59:9 says that Eliezer had a daughter and was hoping that she would marry Yitzchak. Avraham told him you are cursed (come from a cursed family) and my son is blessed. ...
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Why does Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer only connect certain berachos of Shemoneh Esrei to events in Tanach?
According to Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer:
The first beracha of Shemoneh Esrei, "Blessed are You, Hashem, Protector of Avraham," refers to Hashem's protecting Avraham during the war with the four kings (ch....
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Criteria for the list of Nashim Kesheiros (Medrash Breishis Rabsi)
The Medrash Breishis Rabsi Parshas Chaya Sara 23:1 lists 22* Nashim Kesheiros.
כ"ב נשים כשרות היו בעולם ואלו הן שרה, רבקה, רחל, לאה, סרח בת אשר, יוכבד, מרים, בתיה בת פרעה, דבורה, צללפונית אשת מנוח, ...
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Source that Og told Sarah about the Akeidah, and thus she died
Someone recently told me that they were taught as a child that Og was the one who told Sarah about the Akeidah, causing her death. I always understood it as the Satan. Indeed, that's what Midrash ...
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Earliest source for teaching Torah in secret to hide from the Romans
A number of online sources (such as this article by Rabbi Ari Enkin, or this article by Rabbi Yair Hoffman) mention the tradition that rabbonim used to go out into the woods and teach Torah while ...
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Rabbi Akiva seeing Bar Kochba sleeping on his back?
I once saw it in some sefer that Rabbi Akiva saw Bar Kochba sleeping on his back (not on his side) and then he knew that he wasn't Mashiach. Does anyone know where this is written? I'm pretty sure its ...
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Why isn't midrash rabbah learnt as much as other commentaries
I feel like there's more of a stress to learn other commentaries, and midrash rabbah and tanchuma are just nice things extra if you want to. I see amazing droshos in the midrash, and was wondering why ...
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Are there accepted rules for the exposition of a set of juxtaposed verses (סמוכים)?
This question came about from learning Gemoro Brochos 21b but the question is not limited to this daf.
The Gemoro Brochos 21b quotes Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi as expounding verses Devorim 4 (9 & ...
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When did Bliha and Zilpah die?
I heard that Seder Olam Rabbah writes that both Rachel and Leah had already passed away by the time of twenty two years after Yaakov married them. We wanted to know if there are any sources when Bilha ...
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The Fourth Exile, Persia or Rome?
When Avraham experiences a vision of 'fear, darkness, great, descending upon him', (Gen 15:12), the Midrash says that these four words refer to the 4 exiles. Fear is Babylon, darkness is Medea, great ...
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What were Chazal referring to when they said there were 7 notes in a musical octave?
Related: What do Chazal mean when they say that when Moshiach comes there will be another note added to the octave making a total of 8 notes?
There is a well known Medrash (anyone help with the ...
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Hava Amina for Kohen not becoming impure for father
The Midrash questions why the Torah has to specify that a Kohen becomes impure both for his deceased father and deceased mother. Why not just write his mother? It says:
[ד] יאמר "לאמו", מה תלמוד ...
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Could not find this in soncino Bamidbar rabbah
In the march 1986 issue of the jewish observer, they bring bamidbar rabbah 21 which says in the name of Yehoshua ben levi, “Hoshana rabba represents the ultimate downfall of defiant nations, just as ...
user18823
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Do we apply עושה מעשה עמך consistently anywhere it says עמך?
The Gemara in several places (BM 48b and 62a, Yevamos 22b, Sanhedrin 85a, BB 4a, BK 94b, Makkos 8b) quotes the exposition
ונשיא בעמך לא תאור - בעושה מעשה עמך
“A prince in your people you shall ...
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Can an angel perform multiple agencies?
Bereishis Rabbah 50:2 states that one angel cannot perform multiple tasks:
אין מלאך אחד עושה שתי שליחות ולא שתי מלאכים עושים שליחות אחד.
One angel cannot perform two agencies, nor can two ...
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What was the "Great river of the Ocean" shown to Jonah?
The Midrash Tanchuma in Vayikra discusses the wonders shown to Jonah by the fish which swallowed him after having saved it from the Leviathan (see the Midrash [ibid.] for further elaboration).
(Source ...
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Where is the source of this Midrash/Agadita in the Ein Yaakov
I saw in the הקדמת הכותב of the Ein Yaakov the following midrash/agadita cited:
בן זומה אומר מצינו פסוק כולל יותר והוא שמע ישראל וגו׳ בן ננס אומר
מצינו פסוק כולל יותר והוא ואהבת לרעך כמוך ...
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What order are the thirteen midos in?
We recite, before p'suke d'zimra, a list from R. Yishmael of thirteen midos by which the Torah is nidreshes, taken from Sifra. What determined their order?
You can stop reading now; the rest is just ...
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Adam 's sin out of deveikut?
I found this online:
In his sefer "Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh," R' Itamar Shwartz emphasizes the important point that our existence in this world is for the purpose of being davuk to our Creator; to be ...
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Midrashic non-literalism in the Taz
The Taz writes in his Divrei David (Genesis 1:23) regarding a Midrash:
ואין לנו להפקיע דברי חכמים מפשטן
"We should not remove words of the Sages from their simple interpretations."
Does the Taz ...
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Location for medrash cited by the Chizkuni
The Chizkuni in Parshas Achrei Mos 16:22 writes that the ish iti (the person who would take the goat to har azazel) would not live through the year. He cites from a medrash that the person knew he was ...
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Source for medrash that Klal Yisroel counted the omer when they came out of Mitzraim
The sefer Tur Bareket (OC 489, also brought here) quotes a medrash that Moshe Rabbeinu told Klal Yisroel to count 50 days towards matan torah.
Do any of our readers know the exact source in the ...
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Is the Medrashic understanding at the Akeidah applied elsewhere?
In Bereisheet 22:2, Hashem commanded Avraham וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה to "raise [his son] up as a sacrifice." Rashi explains that the language was never that Hashem demanded an actual ...
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Looking for a midrash mentioned by Falaquera
When Noah recovered from his wine, he enslaved his grandson Canaan to his sons Shem and Japheth. The relationship he envisioned for his sons Japheth and Shem is spelled out in Gen 9.27:
יפת אלהים ...
user19234
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How old is מדרש ר׳ עקיבא בן יוסף אל אותיות קטנות?
I stumbled on these midrashim, I'm curious as to how old they are...
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How tall was Chava?
Rashi here brings a Midrash that Adam Harishon's height was from earth until the Heavens. Based on the Midrash, was Chava that tall as well? Otherwise it would have been quite difficult to be married ...
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"They could have walked out of Egypt" Source?
I have heard on multiple occasions of a Chazal that states something along the lines of:
"Had Binei Yisroel merited/been righteous enough, they could have walked out of Egypt."
There are a number of ...
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Was King Achashverosh Jewish?
In this beautiful animated interpretation of the Purim story, at the crowning of King Achashverosh, the crowd announces (as soon as the crown is put upon his head):
"And he will rise upon the ...
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Makkas Dam; monetary exchange
Midrash Rabbah describes how the Jews in Egypt became wealthy through the plague of blood by selling their water to the Egyptians who were desperate. This may be a thought experiment as I haven't seen ...
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Half-Hallel in commemoration of the fallen Egyptians
There seem to be two separate explanations as to why we only say a "half" hallel on the intermediate and final days of Pesach. According to one opinion (as attributed to the Shibolet Haleket here) it ...
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Charging interest to "your brother"
A deleted post from a long time ago made the claim that
[W]e are [allowed to charge interest to other Jews] but not from
immediate family. Even from another Jew, if he or she is not a member
of ...
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What is the date ending the 700 years mentioned in these midrashim?
Based on this answer I was able to have some extra fun reading over Shabbat.
First, I would like to say, that I was amazed as to how much of the material I was allready familiar with, mostly from ...
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Drashos based on the doubled verb
In Menachos 17b, the gemara explains a drasha:
ור"א א"כ לכתוב רחמנא אם האכל האכל א"נ אם יאכל יאכל מאי האכל יאכל שמעת
מינה תרתי
And what would Rabbi Eliezer respond? He would say that ...
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Midrash on commandments for non-Jews
Note: I had recalled seeing this or a similar question somewhere on the site but couldn't find it.
There's a midrash that appears in two versions (that I know of), one in Midrash Tehillim 21:1:
"...
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Why does Rashi specifically tell us his interpretation method on 3:8?
In Bereishis 3:8, Rashi makes the following comment about his method of interpretation:
וישמעו. יֵשׁ מִדְרְשֵׁי אַגָּדָה רַבִּים וּכְבָר סִדְּרוּם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ עַל מְכוֹנָם בִּבְ"רַ וּבִשְׁאָר ...
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Rashi Comment on Twins Tube with Pebbles
Rashi to Genesis 25:26
ואחרי כן יצא אחיו וגו’ צֵא וּלְמַד מִשְּׁפוֹפֶרֶת שְׁפִּיהָ קְצָרָה, תֶּן לָהּ שְׁתֵּי אֲבָנִים זוֹ אַחַר זוֹ, – הַנִּכְנֶסֶת רִאשׁוֹנָה תֵּצֵא אַחֲרוֹנָה וְהַנִּכְנֶסֶת ...
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Expressing benefit in the Pentateuch
Regarding the prohibition of deriving benefit from a murderous animal (shor haniskal), the gemara (e.g. Bava Kamma 41a) suggests (in an initial interpretation) that, from the fact that the Torah uses ...
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How many righteous men are in each generation?
I have been reading questions about the lamed-vav, the 36 righteous people who exist in each generation.
But Rashi, in Zecharia 11:12 cites the gemara in Chullin 92a which has an opinion that there ...
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Why is the actual length of Galus Mitzraim not mentioned in the Torah?
Chazal expound that the Jews were in Mitzraim for 210 years (see Rashi to Bereishis 42:2, and to Avodah Zarah 9a). Why is this figure mentioned nowhere explicitly, especially when other numbers are (...
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A name adding to our development into who we are/become?
In Bereshit 2:19 Adam gets the honorable task to name the animals. The Midrash Genesis/Bereshit Raba 17:4 tells us that the first man, Adam, looked into the essence and nature of every creature and ...
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Search for Eliyahu Kitov source in Midrash (Bar Ilan search?)
Looking for someone who can search all midrashim/chazal/yalkut etc for original source
If I had otzar or bar ilan, I'd do it myself, using search words like I typed below from kitov's hebrew text. I'm ...
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Adducing Gezerah Shavah (גזירה שוה), list of Gezerah Shavah (גזירה שוה) words
In Genesis 37:15 we read
Then a man found him, and behold, he was straying in the field, and
the man asked him, saying, "What are you looking for?"
טווַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה ...
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Any more 'daughters of God'?
As far as I have been able to ascertain, there were only two individuals explicitly referred to as a "daughter of God" or had God refer to them as "My daughter":
Batya/Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh,...
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Location of source for a midrash of Zipporah on Har Sinai?
A friend was expounding a midrash to me about Zipporah but was unaware of the provenance. The story involves Zipporah, prior to meeting Moshe, searching for her lost flocks near Har Sinai. She ...
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How is repeating what Bnei Yisrael did somehow a "correction"?
According to this answer, it seems as though staying up late is somehow a correction for Bnei Yisrael sleeping late. I've heard it explained that they thought nevua would only come while they are ...
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Which edition of Midrash Tanchuma is this?
There are a couple editions of Midrash Tanchuma floating around.
The following is based on the Buber edition from Vilna:
http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/vl/tohen.asp?id=280
But, can anyone discern what ...
user2088
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Halachic extension of the Giving of the Torah and marriage analogy
The sages frequently liken the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai to a chuppah (wedding ceremony), where Hashem is symbolized by the chosson (groom) and the Knesses Yisroel is symbolized by the kallah ...
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Symbolic relationship between Mothers and Exiles
I am interested in what is the correspondence between the Four Mothers (Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah) and the Four Exiles (Babylonian, Persian/Medean, Greek and Roman).
There is a lot of indirect ...
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War between Ten Tribes and Yehuda
There is a reference to Bereshis Rabba 65:20 and Vayikra Rabba 33:5 to 2 Chronicles 13:17 which says that 500,000 soldiers of the northern tribes killed by the army of Yehuda. The Midrash states that ...
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Midrash Tanchuma. Shoftim 12: Colour, or host? What's the explanation?
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יוֹרֵשׁ אוֹתָם אֶל מְעֹנֲנִים וְאֶל קֹסְמִים יִשְׁמָעוּ. אָמַר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא, כִּדְנָה תֵּימְרוּן לְהוֹם וְגוֹ' (ירמיה י, יא). אָמַר רַבִּי ...
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