Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 272 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.

Destruction of the Temple and Jeremiah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:29

Yet, the Jewish mystical tradition doesn't shy away from portraying God as deeply affected by the events of human history, especially the tragedies. And perhaps nowhere is this mor...

PatriarchsMosesTempleProphecy

Jeremiah and Noah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:30

The story goes that after the destruction of the First Temple, the prophet Jeremiah found himself with a daunting task. He was told to bring the news to the Avot, the Patriarchs th...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsMosesTorah

Heavenly Court of Abraham

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:32

The story we're about to delve into, found in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, paints a vivid picture of a heavenly court in turmoil. God, seemingly distant, and the angels, filled ...

CreationPatriarchsMosesTorah

The Binding of Isaac and Jacob

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:34

We remember him most vividly, perhaps, from the Binding of Isaac, the Akeidah. A moment of ultimate faith, ultimate sacrifice averted at the last possible second. But what about th...

PatriarchsTemple

Faith of Moses and Jeremiah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:35

That, my friends, is the essence of this poignant tale from Legends of the Jews. The story picks up long after Moses has passed. Forty long years he served as a faithful shepherd t...

MosesProphecyHoly LandExile

Moses Studies Torah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:36

The text tells us that “the sound of their grief pierced to the very heavens.” It paints a vivid picture of despair. And where is Moses, their leader, during all this? He’s gone to...

MosesJobTorahTemple

Jacob: Rachel Among the Fathers

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:37

The Talmudic Sages certainly did, and they taught some beautiful stories that explore this idea. One of the most moving involves our matriarch, RACHEL. Imagine the scene: Jacob, tr...

PatriarchsMatriarchsMysticismHoly Land

Kingdom of Jeremiah and Nebuzaradan

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:39

We all know the story of the Babylonian exile, the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. It’s a bleak chapter in Jewish history. Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, sent h...

DanielJobProphecyHoly Land

Prophecy of Jeremiah and Temple

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 10:40

The prophet Jeremiah certainly did, and the story of his choice after the destruction of the First Temple is a powerful one. Imagine the scene: Jerusalem has fallen. The Temple is ...

ProphecyHoly LandExile