Tree of Souls (Schwartz)

645 texts · Page 51 of 72

Texts from Howard Schwartz's Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, a landmark anthology gathering myths and legends spanning the full arc of Jewish tradition, from the creation of the world to the coming of the Messiah.

Jacob's Pillow

Tree of Souls

would rest his head. God then performed a miracle and made all the stones into one. According to another tradition, Jacob placed all the stones under his head and they were fused t...

PatriarchsAdam & EveShekhinah

Jacob's Books

Tree of Souls

The Zohar Hadash, in Yitro 37b, tells us that Jacob owned not one, but three incredibly significant books. Imagine the weight of that! These weren't just any scrolls; they were bel...

CreationAngelsHeavenPatriarchs

Jacob The Angel

Tree of Souls

Was Jacob, the patriarch, just an ordinary man? Tradition whispers secrets, suggesting his story is far grander than we might imagine. Some even say his true name was Israel, and t...

CreationAngelsHeavenPatriarchs

Jacob The Divine

Tree of Souls

It's a pretty wild idea, isn't it? That Jacob, the trickster, the wrestler with angels, the father of a sometimes-fractious family, is so central to the divine plan that his image ...

HeavenPatriarchs

The Image Of Jacob Cast Down From Heaven

Tree of Souls

That, in essence, is the heart of this powerful story about Jacob and the destruction of the Temple. Tradition tells us that in the lead-up to the destruction of the Temple in Jeru...

HeavenPatriarchsTempleHoly Land

The Death Of Jacob

Tree of Souls

His twelve sons, the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel, are gathered around him. They’re not just there to say goodbye. They're there for something more. According to Targ...

MessiahPatriarchsAdam & EveMysticism

Jacob Never Died

Tree of Souls

Did you know that some traditions claim Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel, never actually died? It sounds impossible, doesn't it? He was embalmed, buried… but the story ...

CreationAngelsHeavenTorah

Summoning The Patriarchs

Tree of Souls

There's a story, a rather incredible one, about a rabbi who supposedly did just that. It all revolves around Rabbi Judah Loew, also known as the Maharal of Prague. This was a truly...

CreationTorahPatriarchsAdam & Eve

The Birth Of Moses

Tree of Souls

Amram, Moses’s father, wasn't just any man. He was a skilled doctor, so renowned that he served Pharaoh himself! The text in Tree of Souls tells us of his wisdom, and of God's hand...

CreationHeavenTorahMoses