2,672 passages in Modern Compilations & Folklore
Individual passages from Legends of the Jews, shown in source order. Page 38 of 56.
It wasn't just a place to sit, according to tradition. It was a masterpiece. A wonder of the ancient world that showcased not just royal power, but also divine wisdom. The legends ...
Our story centers around a character named Rakyon. The name itself is a bit of a dig – it translates to "Have-naught." And initially, that name seemed pretty fitting. But Rakyon? H...
The Amorites are not remembered here as ordinary enemies. The legend makes them giants. You might know the names Sihon and Og. They were kings of the Amorites, and legend paints th...
Legends of the Jews turns to Adam in Paradise and the Throne. A throne, not just of wood and stone, but teeming with symbolism, a visual representation of power, prophecy, and the ...
It sounds so ancient, so powerful, so… well, Egyptian! But the story behind it, according to some fascinating threads in Jewish tradition, is more surprising than it first appears....
Forget your gavels and stern judges. Imagine something far more… theatrical. The image comes to us from Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbinic lore put togeth...
In Jewish tradition, the battles against Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, loom incredibly large. The sages even equated these triumphs to the monumental victory over Pharao...
Not just any throne, but a marvel of engineering and symbolism, a machine practically alive with gold and precious stones. Solomon approaches the first step. The moment his foot to...
Even Abraham, our patriarch, wasn't immune. The scene: Abraham, fresh from his sojourn in Egypt, returns home. Life should be good. But trouble is brewing. It starts, as it often d...
The story of how he pushed back, how he insisted on something more, is a powerful one. It's a story that reveals not just Moses' character, but something profound about the relatio...
Legends of the Jews turns to Solomon Had a Dedicated Team to Keep Him Humble. Solomon, radiant in his royal garments, approaches his magnificent throne. It wasn't just a chair; it ...
Things weren't exactly smooth sailing between them. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, the tension that was building between their servants had escalated to ...
Not just any giant, but the giant. The one with a bed. well, you won't believe it. In Ginzberg's retelling in, Legends of the Jews, Og had this bed, fashioned out of ivory, no less...
The stories we find in Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, paint a wild picture of this throne's journey. It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for...
Even the great Abraham, our father Abraham, wrestled with that. According to the sages, God wasn't entirely happy with him. Why? Because Abraham, for all his legendary hospitality ...
This departure had a pretty serious consequence, setting the stage for a major war. Lot wanted to settle in the lush kikkar ha-Yarden, the well-watered circle of the Jordan. But th...
In Jewish tradition, the concept of final instructions, of ethical wills, is incredibly powerful. It’s about more than just passing on possessions; it’s about passing on values, a ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Solomon's Miracle. Solomon, according to the Legends of the Jews, attracted visitors with games and shows. Think of it: not just dry pronouncements, bu...
Think about Moses, right before the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. He has some serious things to say to them. Some… tough love, let's call it. But why does he wai...
Forget the little finger sandwiches and polite conversation. And when it comes to legendary feasts, few can rival the table of King Solomon. A spectacle of pomp and splendor. Not j...
It’s closer than it first appears. The scene: Sodom, ripe for the taking, its riches and food plundered by victorious armies. But amidst the spoils, they seize Lot, Abraham’s nephe...
The Israelites, fresh from the Exodus, knew that feeling all too well. And in Deuteronomy, Moses doesn’t pull any punches reminding them of it. He lays it all out, a litany of miss...
Legends of the Jews turns to Abraham Gathers His Disciples to Rescue Lot. What happened? According to the story, alarmed by his warning, not a single one of them stepped forward. T...
Forty years wandering the desert. Forty years! And according to tradition, it was all their own fault. Moses, their leader, didn’t hold back as they stood on the cusp of finally en...
The familiar story is this: Abraham, the righteous one, goes to war to rescue his nephew Lot. But the Legends of the Jews, that incredible collection of rabbinic lore compiled by L...
Even the wisest among us aren't immune to that feeling. Take King Solomon, for example. The familiar version gives us Solomon. Wise, just, powerful. The guy who could supposedly ta...
Take Abraham, for example. We know him as the patriarch, the father of our faith. But have you heard the legends of his battles? Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, paints a picture ...
Jewish tradition says it does. Absolutely. God sees it all, and nothing goes unrewarded. Not even a respectable word. Think about Lot's daughters. A pretty uncomfortable story. Aft...
Solomon, in all his glory, was wandering through a valley. Now, this wasn't just any valley – it was the valley of the ants. Imagine the scene: Solomon, with his immense army, a sp...
He'd just pulled off a daring rescue, freeing his nephew Lot from the clutches of invading kings. And in doing so, he'd recovered a great deal of stolen goods. The King of Sodom, a...
It's a story filled with nuance and, frankly, a little bit of surprise. These two nations, Moab and Ammon, were neighbors of the Israelites, descendants of Lot (Abraham's nephew) t...
Even if you're Abraham, the father of monotheism, it turns out you're not immune. Abraham has just pulled off an incredible victory, rescuing Lot and defeating a coalition of kings...
The Israelites weren’t exactly waging war on Moab, but their very presence – a kind of “hostile, though not warlike, attitude” as Ginzberg phrases it in Legends of the Jews – was e...
Not a single thread. Not even a shoe-latchet. A tiny thing. But according to the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, this act of sanctifying the Holy Name had massive reper...
The ancient Moabites knew that feeling all too well. See, a little backstory is needed. Remember Sihon and Og? Those formidable Amorite kings? Well, they were expansionists. They'd...
It wasn't always through armies and diplomacy. Sometimes, they turned to magic. Take Balak, for instance, the King of Moab. He wasn't just any king. The Torah introduces him as the...
The ancient texts tell us that after the dust settled from the battles described earlier in Legends of the Jews, Abraham was deeply troubled. He couldn't shake the thought of the i...
Our story begins with the Moabites, watching with growing unease as Israel triumphs over their enemies. But they knew it wasn't just military might at play. It was. something else....
Abraham, Avraham Avinu, our father Abraham, grappled with just such a question. He believed in God’s promise that his descendants would flourish, but he yearned to understand how t...
Legends of the Jews turns to Messiah and the Patriarchs. Well, the Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) picks up the thread and weaves a truly fascinating tapestry. It tells us that Abra...
Solomon, in all his glory, encountered an ant. Not just any ant, but one with some serious sass. Apparently, Solomon was feeling pretty good about himself, and this ant was not imp...
The Torah touches on this in the Brit Bein Habetarim (ברית בין הבתרים), the Covenant Between the Pieces, in Genesis 15. But the story doesn't end there. The Legends of the Jews fil...
Abraham knew that feeling well. Before he was Avraham Avinu, our father Abraham, before the brit bein ha-betarim, the covenant of the pieces, he was just a man with a promise and a...
The story of Hagar and Sarah is a potent reminder. We find it woven throughout the book of Genesis, and expanded upon in fascinating ways by the Rabbis in the Midrash (rabbinic int...
The ancient wisdom tradition understands that feeling all too well. It reminds us, "O son of man, let not time deceive thee; thou must wither away, and leave thy place, to rest in ...
You’re not wrong. to a classic tale of jealousy, longing, and a bit of divine intervention, straight from the heart of the Sarah and Abraham story. Sarah, Abraham's wife, has endur...
Legends of the Jews turns to Abraham and the Patriarchs of Hagar. Abraham, known for his humility, gave Sarah the authority to deal with Hagar as she saw fit. However, he did offer...
Solomon, in all his glory. The king whose wisdom was legendary, whose wealth was unparalleled, whose temple stood as a evidence of divine favor. Yet, even he wasn't immune to the t...
