Tree of Souls (Schwartz)

645 texts · Page 59 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.

The Mystery Of The Cherubim

Tree of Souls

We hear whispers of incredible things, and today, let's focus on one of the most intriguing: the cherubim. These weren't your chubby, winged babies from Renaissance art. These cher...

CreationAngelsDemonsAdam & Eve

God's Judgment Above And Below

Tree of Souls

Jewish tradition often speaks of a profound connection between the heavens and the earth – “as above, so below,” as the Kabbalists say. But what happens when tragedy strikes here? ...

CreationAngelsHeavenMessiah

God's Cleansing Of The Holy Land

Tree of Souls

Imagine the Temple in Jerusalem, the heart of holiness, destroyed. According to Tree of Souls, from that day forward, the Land itself became "broken down because of the wickedness ...

DemonsMessiahAdam & EveTemple

The Destruction Of The Temple

Tree of Souls

That feeling, that echoing emptiness, resonates deeply with the Jewish experience of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. It wasn't just the loss of a building; it was a cos...

AngelsDemonsHeavenMessiah

A Stone From Mount Sinai

Tree of Souls

You're not alone. But have you ever wondered why that wall, of all the Temple, still stands? There are many explanations, of course, both historical and theological. But Jewish tra...

TorahMosesTempleHoly Land

The Hand Of God

Tree of Souls

The Temple, the very center of Jewish life, engulfed in flames. What happens when the unthinkable becomes reality? The Talmud (B. Ta'anit 29a) recounts a powerful image: the High P...

CreationAngelsHeavenAdam & Eve

God's Mourning

Tree of Souls

Jewish tradition isn't afraid to explore that question. And when we do, we find a God who isn't detached from our pain, but deeply, profoundly moved by it. Take the destruction of ...

HeavenTorahMosesAdam & Eve

Abraham In The Temple

Tree of Souls

The stones are still hot, the air thick with ash and despair. Who would you expect to find there? According to a powerful story preserved in the Talmud (B. Menahot 53b), it was non...

HeavenTorahPatriarchsAdam & Eve

Abraham And The Alphabet

Tree of Souls

It sounds like something out of a fantastical story, but according to tradition, there was a time when the Hebrew alphabet itself was called upon to do just that. Imagine this: God...

CreationTorahPatriarchsAdam & Eve