The Mother Whose Son's Blood Boiled Until Justice Came

Exempla of the Rabbis, No. 194

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

194. A mother preserved the blood of her son, murdered by his brothers. It boiled as long as the brothers were alive.

Themes

Wisdom Violence Women

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Legends of the JewsSolomon's Bold Claim About Virtuous WomenSolomon, as we know, was never one to shy away from a bold statement. But one in particular ruffled feathers. He declared, "One man among a thousand have I foun Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelRabbi, Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi, Offered an Alternative ReadingRebbi, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, offered an alternative reading of the fighting-men passage. If a man intends to strike one enemy and accidentally strikes a differe Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelIt Killed a Man or a Woman This Is Extra, Towards"And it killed a man or a woman", this phrase appears in the mued section, but the Mekhilta says it is "extra." Its legal content is already known from other ve Esther RabbahThe King Who Killed His Wife for His FriendAhasuerus was a hypocrite. Not in the casual sense of the word, but in the specific, devastating way that Esther Rabbah defines it: a ruler who kills his wife f Midrash TanchumaWhen a Woman Has Had a Discharge of Blood. Thus Did Rabbi Hiya Teach(Lev. 15:25:) “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood [for many days].” Thus did R. Hiya teach: Any place where [Scripture] says, “days,” it is two days;Ben SiraKnowledge and Insight of SiraWe've all been there. Ben Sira, that ancient book of wisdom, dives right into that feeling, urging us to navigate the tricky terrain of shame and righteousness.