Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)

2,650 texts · Page 69 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.

Isaac's Transgression of Abraham

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:43

Take Shib'ah, for instance. It's the name given to the spot where Isaac made a covenant with the Philistines. But why Shib'ah? Well, according to tradition, it's a double entendre,...

Hell/GehennaNoah & FloodPatriarchsMoses

Isaac's Miracle

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:45

Some say it was Isaac! Or, as he's sometimes called, Elihu the son of Barachel. Imagine: it was through his debates with Job that the hidden wonders of nature were revealed. Quite ...

PatriarchsJobTorahHoly Land

Kingdom of Esau and Jacob

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:47

Their lives continued to unfold, intertwined with family drama and divine purpose. Let's delve into the next chapter of their story, shall we? Imagine Esau, out on a hunting trip, ...

PatriarchsMatriarchsTorahPrayer

Rebekah: Rebecca Among the Fathers

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:50

The Torah tells us that Rebekah, knowing what was right and divinely inspired, took matters into her own hands to make sure that Jacob, not Esau, received Isaac’s blessing. But tha...

PatriarchsMatriarchsTorahTemple

Isaac: Esau and Divine Judgment

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:52

We often think of his blindness as a simple physical ailment, a consequence of old age perhaps. But the legends, oh, they tell a different story. According to Legends of the Jews, ...

Hell/GehennaAdam & EvePatriarchsProphecy

Esau's Legacy and Isaac

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:53

Isaac, son of Abraham, certainly did. The text tells us that as Isaac neared the age his mother Sarah had reached when she passed – 123 years old – he began to contemplate his own ...

PatriarchsTempleSoulPrayer

Esau: Isaac and the Patriarchs

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:54

Even as Esau spoke respectfully to his father, a darkness lurked within him, a hidden desire for Isaac's end. It’s a chilling thought, isn't it? To harbor such feelings while outwa...

PatriarchsSoul

Isaac in Paradise

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:55

It might have something to do with a blessing – or the lack thereof. to a story from Legends of the Jews, specifically about Isaac, Esau, and a fateful Passover eve. It's a moment ...

Adam & EvePatriarchsSoulEgypt

Esau's Transgression and Satan

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:56

See, Isaac, nearing his end (or so he thought), wanted to bestow his blessing upon his elder son, Esau. All Esau had to do was hunt some game and prepare a tasty meal. Simple enoug...

DemonsPatriarchsMatriarchsJob