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That’s the feeling swirling around in this passage from the Midrash of Philo, an ancient commentary attributed to Philo of Alexandria, as it grapples with the moment someone encoun...
We often stumble upon verses that seem straightforward but hint at something profound, something beyond the literal. Take Genesis 17:4, where God says to Abraham, "And I, behold, m...
We often take them for granted, but in the ancient world – and particularly in the Jewish tradition – names held incredible power. They weren't just labels; they were reflections o...
It might sound trivial, but Jewish tradition is full of stories about how the smallest things can have enormous significance. Today, we're diving into one such story, found in The ...
The question centers around a powerful promise God makes to Abraham in Genesis 17:6: "I will greatly increase thee, and set thee among the nations, and kings shall proceed from the...
Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, grappled with this very question. And his answer, preserved in "The Midrash of Philo," is surprisingly insightful. He suggests th...
The verse in Genesis 17:10 states, "And every male of you shall be circumcised, and you shall circumcise, or you shall be circumcised, in the flesh of your foreskin." Seems straigh...
That’s certainly true when we delve into the deeper interpretations of brit milah, the covenant of circumcision. We all know the physical act: the circumcision of the male child, a...
It’s a question that’s been pondered for millennia, and the answers, well, they’re as layered and fascinating as the tradition itself. The Torah tells us in Genesis 17:11 that God ...