Rabbi Judah HaNasi's Face Glowed After the Bathhouse

Exempla of the Rabbis, No. 43

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

43. Shining through Cleanliness.

cf. Nedarim, f. 49 a.

J. Sabbath, VIII, 1.

J. Pesahim, X, 1.

J. Shekalim, III, 2.

Midr. Hagadol, Gen. Vayehi and Numb. Hukkat.

Eccles. R. VIII, 1 § 4.

Themes

Wisdom Torah Moses Humor Sinai

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Book of JasherAbraham and Creation of MosesThe Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), fills in some of those gaps. It's like a behind-th Book of JasherMoses and Mount Sinai's TransgressionBook of Jasher turns to Moses and Mount Sinai's Transgression. The story picks up right after the Israelites leave Rephidim. They arrive in the Sinai wilderness Legends of the JewsGod Threatened to Unmake the World If Israel Refused TorahIt kind of does. God, in His infinite wisdom, creates the universe. A dazzling display of stars, planets, oceans, mountains.. but with a catch. A cosmic "Terms Legends of the JewsIsaac's Transgression of AbrahamTake Shib'ah, for instance. It's the name given to the spot where Isaac made a covenant with the Philistines. But why Shib'ah? Well, according to tradition, it'Legends of the JewsWhy God Chose a Humble Thorn-Bush for the Burning BushThere's a lot more to that thorny shrub than meets the eye. Our tradition teaches us that the choice was far from arbitrary. In fact, the humble thorn-bush, or Legends of the JewsMoses Beheld the Living Creatures That Support God's ThroneSome of the Jewish mystical tradition points to a pretty incredible source: the heavens themselves. Moses, not just receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai, but firs