Rabbi Meir Outwits the Samaritans

Exempla of the Rabbis, No. 180

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·March 24, 2026

180. R. Meir & Samaritans. Midr. Hagadol, Gen.

Vayyishlah.

Gen. R. 94 § 7.

Yalk. Sip. p. 153.

Ben Gorion II, p. 160,

348-

Themes

Wisdom Kabbalah Humor Torah Music

Continue Reading

Letter of AristeasEleazar Studies TorahThe Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating peek into the world of 3rd-century BCE Alexandria, gives us a clue. It's framed as a letter from Aristeas, an official in Letter of AristeasWisdom of PtolemyHe was determined to acquire a copy of the Torah, the Jewish Law, for his collection. The story, as told in the Letter of Aristeas, recounts the arrival of a de Letter of AristeasWritten and Oral Law of PhilocratesI’m talking about the kind of gathering described in the Letter of Aristeas, a text that purports to tell the story of how the Hebrew Bible was translated into Sifrei BamidbarThe Sprinkler of Purification Waters Must Wash His ClothesIt can be a real head-scratcher.It’s all about water – not just any water, but "the waters of sprinkling," used to purify someone who has become ritually impure Sifrei DevarimHow Scheming Witnesses Are Exposed and PunishedSpecifically, The passage lays out a very specific scenario regarding zomemin (זוממין) – these are “scheming witnesses," witnesses proven to have lied under oat Sifrei DevarimOfficers Address the People in Their Own AuthorityDeuteronomy, or Devarim in Hebrew, chapter 20 verse 8, gives us a glimpse into this often-overlooked role. It says, "Then the officers shall speak further to th