2,672 passages in Modern Compilations & Folklore
Individual passages from Legends of the Jews, shown in source order. Page 19 of 56.
After giving his children all sorts of life lessons – He asked them to carry his body to Hebron, so he could be buried near his ancestors. Then, in a rather poignant and human mome...
The familiar story centers on Samson – the strongman betrayed by Delilah, his hair cut, his strength gone, his eyes gouged out by the Philistines. A tragic hero, to say the least. ...
God didn't just leave the entrance to Paradise unguarded. Instead, He appointed the cherubim, those powerful, almost indescribable angelic beings, to stand watch. But they weren't ...
After hearing those earth-shattering pronouncements, the Israelites thought, "Yes! This is it! God's going to reveal the entire Torah [the first five books of the Hebrew Bible] to ...
All that splendor, all that divine closeness… gone. But the story doesn't end there. The Ginzberg's says retelling in Legends of the Jews, as Adam realized the gravity of his situa...
Reuben admits, "Now I confess my sin, that ofttimes I longed to kill him, for I hated him from the bottom of my heart… and I desired to destroy him from off the land of the living....
He addressed them with words that still resonate today. He said: "God gave you the Torah and wrought marvels for you." It wasn’t just about receiving the law; it was about being ch...
The story of Micah is, frankly, a wild ride. It all starts with Delilah. Yes, that Delilah – the one who betrayed Samson. According to the Legends of the Jews, Delilah took some of...
One that even the sons of Jacob, the patriarch of the Jewish people, grappled with. These weren't just ordinary siblings. They were the ancestors of entire tribes, destined for gre...
No one stands closer, in the lore, than MOSES. The celestial court, not as a static painting, but as a living, breathing reality. In that reality, the souls of the righteous are in...
The story of Micah and his homemade sanctuary is a wild ride through the human tendency to, well, improvise. We find this tale tucked away in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, painti...
What was happening in the cosmos on that day? Well, according to tradition, Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) wasn't just the birthday of the year, it was Adam's very own day of ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Israel Heard God's Voice Unfiltered at Sinai. It made all the difference. The Legends of the Jews, a masterful collection of rabbinic stories compiled ...
The tradition often reminds us that even the best lineages can have some…interesting…twists and turns. Let's The texts suggest a possible reason for a "degeneration" in Moses' fami...
The patriarch Jacob certainly did. Him, nearing the end of his days, gathering his sons around him. It’s a powerful scene, fraught with love, anxiety, and a deep desire to impart w...
There’s a story about the moment the Israelites received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Remember, they were initially in direct communication with GOD. And when they heard th...
Them is often remembered as fixed, unwavering, almost like statues. But what if their stories were more…complicated? More human? Yes, that Moses! You might assume anyone related to...
Remember Micah? The guy who stole silver from his mother and then used it to make an idol (Judges 17)? Well, according to Legends of the Jews, the trouble didn’t stop there. The pe...
" Jewish tradition is rich with stories filling in those blanks, offering glimpses into the hidden corners of creation. One such tradition speaks of ten things created in the twili...
He's 125 years old, feeling strong, and ready to impart some wisdom, according to Legends of the Jews. He calls his sons together, not to Asher's message is surprisingly simple, ye...
The Talmudic sages certainly did, wrestling with these questions in their interpretations of scripture. Take the story of Phinehas and the eleven tribes, for instance. Phinehas, a ...
This particular passage feels like a father's desperate plea to his children, a warning whispered on the eve of exile. "Be not like Sodom, my children," it begins. Don't repeat the...
Legends of the Jews turns to Sinai Healed Every Ailment and Freed Israel From Death. In Legends of the Jews, a collection of rich midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) and a...
The Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbinic lore by Louis Ginzberg, gives us a glimpse into a celestial celebration, a party hosted by none other than the Almi...
The story, as retold by Ginzberg in Legends of the Jews, introduces us to this angel, a being named Hadarniel. This angel, it's said, towers over his brethren, exceeding them by si...
Forget the Friday night dinners we know and love. Imagine the cosmic version, the original blueprint laid out in the heavens! The Legends of the Jews gives us a glimpse, a peek beh...
The familiar picture has them singing sweetly, but some legends paint a far more dramatic, awe-inspiring picture. Take the story of SANDALFON, an angel so immense it would take fiv...
Legends of the Jews turns to Micah in Battle. The war that followed was devastating. Seventy-five thousand Benjamites perished, leaving only six hundred survivors. Can you imagine ...
Shabbat (the Sabbath) is often remembered as a day of rest, a time for reflection, maybe a delicious cholent. But In Legends of the Jews, Adam's exit wasn't exactly a quiet affair....
Legends of the Jews turns to Benjamin Died Peacefully and Was Carried to Hebron. Simply, "And when he had made an end of saying these words, he commanded them to bury him in Hebron...
Did they just. fade away? Well, let's Phinehas, remember him? The zealous grandson of Aaron who, in Numbers 25, took decisive action to stop a plague and was rewarded with a covena...
Legends of the Jews turns to Shabbat Preserved Adam's Celestial Light After He Sinned. Logically, that amazing light should have vanished the instant he messed up. Poof! Gone. But,...
Legends of the Jews turns to Joseph Confronted His Brothers About What They Told Jacob. The scene: Years of separation, a devastating famine, and finally, the moment of truth. Jaco...
That’s a glimpse into what Moses experienced on his journey to receive the Torah. In Legends of the Jews, the encounter with the angel Sandalphon was so intense that Moses nearly l...
His story is more than just a rise from slavery to power in Egypt. It’s a blueprint for how to live a life steeped in compassion. The text It speaks directly to Joseph's brothers, ...
In some texts, he's known as Gallizur, but let's stick with Raziel for now. According to Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg), Raziel has a truly unique role. He's basically got insider ...
That struggle is ancient, woven into the very fabric of our stories. And in those stories, readers often find wisdom, guidance on how to navigate this messy thing called life. One ...
The journey up the mountain was even more perilous than we imagine. Moses, a mortal man, ascending to the very Throne of Glory, surrounded by angels... angels who weren't exactly t...
It wasn't just the companionship of God, or a life free from toil. According to tradition, he lost seven precious gifts – treasures that will only be restored in the Messianic Age....
He gathers his sons, his legacy, around him. What does he say? What profound secrets does he reveal? In Legends of the Jews, a monumental work compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg that...
The familiar picture has him receiving the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, in a moment of serene revelation. But Jewish tradition suggests it was a far more intens...
Our ancestor Adam, the first human, knew that feeling intimately after his transgression. And the story of how he atoned is truly remarkable. In Legends of the Jews, a monumental w...
A reader can picture them, just the two of them, confronting their guilt and trying to make amends. But what if there was another player, a persistent tempter who wasn't quite read...
He's lived a long life, seen triumphs and hardships, and now he has one final, crucial instruction. "I command you, my children," he says, his voice perhaps a little frail but firm...
The Talmud (Menachot 29b) offers a fascinating glimpse into just such an encounter. MOSES, ascending to heaven. He finds God meticulously embellishing the letters of the Torah, ado...
Legends of the Jews turns to Moses and the Torah of Thou. It all starts when Moses witnesses God writing the attribute of "long-suffering" – in Hebrew, erekh apayim – into the Tora...
Sometimes, the stories behind the stories are the most fascinating of all. Take, for instance, the tale of Adam and his encounter with Satan after, well, the incident. Adam, burden...
Legends of the Jews turns to Adam and Divine Judgment. The very first Shabbat (Sabbath), the day of rest, is drawing to a close. The sun begins its descent, painting the sky in fie...
