Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 54 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.

Messiah and the Patriarchs

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:124

We read about him cutting them in half in Genesis 15, but the Torah is often frustratingly brief. It leaves us hanging, doesn't it? Well, the Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) picks u...

PatriarchsDanielMessiahSoul

Abraham's Vision and Gehenna

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:125

The Torah touches on this in the Brit Bein Habetarim (ברית בין הבתרים), the Covenant Between the Pieces, in Genesis 15. But the story doesn't end there. The Legends of the Jews fil...

PatriarchsJosephMosesDaniel

Covenant of Abraham and Sarah

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:127

Abraham knew that feeling well. Before he was Avraham Avinu, our father Abraham, before the brit bein ha-betarim—the covenant of the pieces—he was just a man with a promise and a p...

Hell/GehennaNoah & FloodPatriarchsMatriarchs

Hagar Among the Fathers

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:128

The story of Hagar and Sarah is a potent reminder. We find it woven throughout the book of Genesis, and expanded upon in fascinating ways by the Rabbis in the Midrash, those incred...

PatriarchsMatriarchs

Marriage of Sarah and Abraham

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:129

You’re not wrong. to a classic tale of jealousy, longing, and a bit of divine intervention, straight from the heart of the Sarah and Abraham story. Imagine this: Sarah, Abraham's w...

PatriarchsMatriarchsJosephDaniel

Abraham and the Patriarchs of Hagar

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:130

But let's rewind a bit, to the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Abraham, known for his humility, gave Sarah the authority to deal with Hagar as she saw fit. However, he did offe...

PatriarchsMatriarchsMosesSolomon

Covenant of Circumcision and Abraham

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:132

But the story, as often happens, is richer and more nuanced than we might initially think. The Torah tells us that thirteen years after Ishmael's birth, God commanded Abraham to pe...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsDanielTorah

Day of Atonement and Abraham

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:135

Sometimes, the stories behind them are even more incredible than the rituals themselves. Let's talk about brit milah, circumcision, and a story that links it to the holiest day of ...

PatriarchsJobTempleRepentance

Death of Abraham and Circumcision

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 5:136

Now, to ensure he gets some rest, God does something… unusual. He makes the day intensely hot. How hot? The Zohar tells us that God bored a hole into Gehinnom – that's hell – so it...

Hell/GehennaPatriarchs