A Midrash on Parshas Tazriah: It once happened that the evil Turnus Rufus asked Rabbi Akiva, "which are the greater works, those of the Holy One Blessed is He, or those of flesh and blood?" He said to him, "Those of flesh and blood are greater." Turnus Rufus said, "But the Heavens and Earth [...]
The Midrash Tanchuma says: אַתְּ מוֹצֵא שְׁלֹשָׁה שֵׁמוֹת נִקְרְאוּ לוֹ לְאָדָם, אֶחָד מַה שֶּׁקּוֹרְאִים לוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, וְאֶחָד מַה שֶּׁקּוֹרְאִין לוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם, וְאֶחָד מַה שֶּׁקּוֹנֶה הוּא לְעַצְמוֹ. Chazal tell us a person has 3 names, what his parents call him, what hi peers call him, and lastly, the name he acquires for himself. [...]
The Midrash Tanchuma notes how the Mitzvah of lighting the Menorah in the Makom HaMikdash is difficult to understand. Does Hashem need light? Hashem is the source of all true light! Whats then is the significance of this Avodah, which has such emphasis and even its own chag, Chanukah? We are told later on [...]
And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst This pasuk explains everything. Avodas Hashem, the purpose of Mitzvos, our relationship with Hashem, what we try to instill in our children. In todays world we are often taught that “the inside is what counts”. We tend to look at [...]
A Midrash Tanchuma R. Alexandri said: Two mules are being led along a road by men who despise each other. Suddenly, one of the mules falls to the ground. As the one who is leading the second mule passes by, he sees the mule of the other man stretched out beneath his load, and [...]
A Midrash Tanchuma How did they try Him? R. Judah the son of Nehemiah and the sages differed over this. R. Judah held: They deliberated and said: If He supplies us with food, then just as a king is praised and honored by the people when he enters a city, because he satisfies all [...]
The Midrash explains that there were 4 different responses Bnei Yisroel had when faced with Pharos army: Retreat to Egypt. Give up and die. Jump in the water and swim to safety. Fight back. All these responses were wrong. So often we are faced with challenges, difficulties, anxieties. We plan for every eventuality and [...]
1) Makas Choshech: Chazal tell us how the “darkness” was so “thick” that when it fell whatever a Mitzri was doing at that moment, he became stuck in that position for the duration of the Maka. A frightening image! Imagine being stuck, unable to move, and also unable to see anyone else! How lonely! [...]
At the beginning of this week’s parsha (and twice in last week’s parsha) Moshe is instructed to warn Pharaoh about the next plague. The phrase that is used is בא אל פרעה - “Come to Pharaoh”. The question is, since Hashem was sending Moshe to speak to Pharaoh surely it should say לך אל [...]
We find again and again that Moshe Rabeinu complains to Hashem that he is an inadequate leader and that he cannot do the job himself. Each time, Hashem answers back that he can do it and offers him more help (Aharon to speak, later the 70 Zekeinim). We see this theme over and over [...]