Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 123 of 295

Selections from Louis Ginzberg's monumental Legends of the Jews, a seven-volume compilation that weaves together aggadic material from the Talmud, Midrash, and other rabbinic literature into a continuous narrative.

Trial of Judah and Bath

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:34

It's a moment of vulnerability that resonates across millennia. Judah, a man known for his strength and leadership, admits to a profound moral failing. He warns us, his descendants...

PatriarchsMatriarchsSoulRepentance

Teachings of Judah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:35

Judah, in his later years, implores his children: "Do not intoxicate yourselves with wine." Why this warning? Because, he says, "wine twists the understanding away from the truth, ...

Adam & EvePatriarchsMysticismSoul

Faith of Judah and Leah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:39

Picture him gathering his sons around him, his voice perhaps a little weaker now, but his eyes still shining with conviction. He doesn't dwell on personal matters, or worldly posse...

PatriarchsMatriarchsTorahMessiah

Issachar in Battle and Rachel

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:40

Names weren't just labels back then; they were prophecies, echoes of events, little whispers of destiny. Take Issachar, for instance. His name is directly linked to a fascinating s...

AngelsPatriarchsMatriarchsPrayer

Levi's Transgression and Jacob

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:41

This is a glimpse into the life of Levi, son of Jacob, ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. And it's a story about how doing things with a pure heart can lead to unexpec...

Patriarchs

Abel and the Torah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:42

Legends tell us about the path to that simplicity. It's a path laid out with love and wisdom, a path that resonates even now. "And now hearken unto me, my children," the voice seem...

TorahSoulWisdom

Beliar Returns to God

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:43

There's a powerful, almost prophetic passage preserved in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, a collection that draws together centuries of stories and interpretations. It speaks of a ...

Repentance

Death of Jacob and Naphtali

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:44

Naphtali, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, is on his deathbed, surrounded by his family. And what he says is “I am one hundred and twenty-two years old," he proclaims, "and I can d...

HeavenRepentance

Teachings of Issachar

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 2:47

The tradition is rich with details, offering us glimpses into their lives and legacies. Let's turn our attention to two of Jacob’s sons: Issachar and Zebulon. Imagine the scene: Is...

JosephMysticismRepentanceDeath