Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 187 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.

Seven Chambers of Gehenna and Israelites

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:114

We picture this grand, awe-inspiring moment, but Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews paints a rather... different picture. Imagine this: After generations of brutal slavery in Egypt, th...

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Golden Calf Faces Judgment

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:115

The laws surrounding leprosy, or tzara'at, were incredibly strict. Imagine being banished not just from your home, but from the entire community! While other forms of ritual impuri...

Hell/GehennaCreaturesMosesKing David

Mishael in the Days of Moses

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:116

And it involves… a second chance Passover! Imagine this: The Israelites are in the desert, fresh out of Egypt. God is laying down the law, literally. Among the instructions is the ...

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Moses: Aaron and the Fires of Gehenna

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:117

Today, let's talk about Aaron, the High Priest, brother of Moses. We find ourselves at a somber moment: Aaron has just lost his two sons. A devastating blow. But something remarkab...

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Moses: Aaron and the Lawgiver

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:119

His sons, in a moment of unauthorized zeal, offered "alien fire" before the Lord and were consumed. A devastating blow. How could joy ever return? Yet, according to Legends of the ...

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Aaron's Offering

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:121

Twelve days of celebration, twelve days of dedication… and Aaron's tribe, the Levites? Nowhere to be seen. According to Legends of the Jews, Aaron was deeply troubled. "Woe is me!"...

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Covenant of Moses and Aaron

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:123

As recounted in Legends of the Jews, along with the instruction to illuminate the Mishkan (the Sanctuary), came another: to celebrate the Shabbat (Sabbath) by kindling lights. God'...

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Moses: Pillars of Fire and Cloud

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 3:124

The Talmud tells us that the menorah was made of a single piece of gold. But how did Moses, blessed be he, actually make it? The story goes that when God commanded Moses to create ...

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Moses and the Origins of the World

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 4:2

The old stories, the aggadah, are full of fascinating hints. Take the way He kept track of the Israelites back in the desert. It's said that God, in His infinite love, insisted on ...

CreationMosesTempleHoly Land