2,672 passages in Modern Compilations & Folklore
Individual passages from Legends of the Jews, shown in source order. Page 39 of 56.
It wasn't a sudden plunge, but a slow slide fueled by choices… and a little help from the King of Demons himself. In Legends of the Jews, Solomon’s troubles began to snowball. whil...
The story, as often happens, is richer and more nuanced than we might initially think. The Torah tells us that thirteen years after Ishmael's birth, God commanded Abraham to perfor...
Solomon needed help, immense supernatural help, and he knew just where to find it. The task of capturing Asmodeus fell to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, Solomon’s most trusted and valia...
One of the most fascinating stories revolves around a journey they take together and the shocking revelations Asmodeus makes along the way. After what must have been an exhausting ...
One such legend, recounted in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, involves a mythical creature of immense power: the shamir. The shamir? What’s that? Imagine a tiny worm, or perhaps a ...
Sometimes, the stories behind them are even more incredible than the rituals themselves. Let's The Legends of the Jews tells us that Abraham’s circumcision wasn't just a personal a...
We talked before about how King Solomon, wisest of men, tricked Asmodeus into revealing the secret of the shamir, the magical worm that could cut stone for the building of the Temp...
Legends of the Jews turns to God Opened a Hole in Hell to Keep Visitors Away from Abraham. Here's the kicker: Abraham is distressed precisely because no one is visiting! His whole ...
Our story today begins with Abraham, recovering from his self-circumcision, a profound act of devotion to God. (Genesis 17:24-27). Even in his convalescence, Abraham’s generous spi...
Solomon is familiar. The wisest of men, builder of the Temple, ruler of a glorious kingdom. But what happens when that power is stripped away? What happens when the mighty fall? Ba...
This wasn't just any ordinary tree; it was practically a lie detector for the soul! A tree that could distinguish between those who believed in God and those who worshipped idols. ...
It’s a humbling thought, isn’t it? The Legends of the Jews, as compiled by Ginzberg, tells us a story of just such a time in Solomon’s life. During his exile, Solomon encountered a...
He belonged to that rare breed of truly pious individuals: those "who promise little, but perform much." (Avot 5:13) Remember the story of the three strangers who appear outside Ab...
Biblical figures is often remembered as flawless, but the story of Solomon, the wisest of men, reminds us that even royalty can stumble. And it’s a wild ride to redemption. For thr...
Legends of the Jews turns to The Angels Who Felt Less Angelic in Abraham's Presence. These weren't just any angels,. These were archangels! And after they shared a meal with Abraha...
Not just any king, but King Solomon himself. In our continuing saga, we find Solomon not exactly sitting pretty. He's been dethroned, remember? The demon Asmodeus, in a classic bai...
They were promised a child in their old age – a miracle, really. But when faced with the seemingly impossible, did they truly believe? The Torah tells us that when God says Sarah w...
The story goes that after his encounter with Asmodeus – that powerful, not-exactly-pleasant demon – Solomon was so shaken by Asmodeus's "forbidding ugliness" that he couldn't rest ...
King Solomon, wisest of all men, certainly did. In Ginzberg's "Legends of the Jews, " one day, Solomon noticed two shady figures lurking around his palace. Now, Solomon wasn't one ...
The Torah tells us of Abraham's incredible generosity in welcoming these strangers. But even more remarkable, says tradition, is what he did next: he went with them to see them on ...
The story goes like this: the King of Persia, a friendly ally of Solomon, was seriously ill. His royal physician, after consulting all his ancient scrolls and remedies, came to a r...
Let me tell you a story that'll make your blood boil – a classic Sodom tale of deception, greed, and just plain audaciousness. You're traveling through the ancient world, weary fro...
Legends of the Jews turns to A Physician's Dream Where Body Parts Argue Over Speech. He had a dream. In this dream, all his body parts – hands, feet, eyes, mouth, tongue – they wer...
In Sodom, a stranger once found himself embroiled in a dispute. We don't know exactly what it was about, but it was serious enough to bring before the court. They wrangled and argu...
King Solomon, the wisest of all men, certainly tried. And the story of his scribes, Elihoreph and Ahijah, is a fascinating, if ultimately sobering, tale about just that. These were...
Fire and brimstone, a pillar of salt, and some very unhappy angels. But the details… the details are truly something else. The Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews says it wasn’t just So...
Take, for instance, the story of one of his daughters. Now, Solomon, as we know, wasn’t just a wise king; he was also said to possess incredible knowledge, including the ability to...
The stories we hear about Sodom in the Torah only scratch the surface. Jewish tradition paints a truly horrifying picture of this infamous city and its sister, Gomorrah. According ...
Not just a little, but so much that the very soil sparkled. Sounds like paradise. But what if that abundance bred not generosity, but an insatiable greed? That's the story of a nam...
The Legends of the Jews, that monumental work by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, compiles and retells a vast collection of stories from the Talmud, Midrash, and other sources. It's a treasur...
It wasn’t just abstract "sinfulness." It was a deep, ingrained cruelty that touched every part of their society. Let me tell you a story about Paltit. Paltit – her name itself has ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Destruction of Sodom of Admah. It wasn't just Sodom and Gomorrah. There were other cities in that region, equally deserving of divine wrath. Take Admah...
Legends of the Jews turns to Destruction of Sodom of Abraham. The story goes that God, observing the rampant wickedness in Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities, had reached ...
Abraham, like a loving father, couldn’t bear the thought of people suffering. He pleaded with God, interceding on behalf of the sinners of Sodom. It wasn't just a polite request; i...
In the Legends of the Jews, Ginzberg retells this powerful moment where Abraham challenges God's justice. Can you Arguing with the Almighty! God, having already destroyed generatio...
The story, as told in Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews, is a real nail-biter. The familiar story centers on Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities were, shall we say, not exactly shining e...
The story of how he pleaded for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the most powerful examples of intercession in the entire Torah. Remember the story? God, seeing the wicke...
Even after the Shekhinah (the Divine Presence) – that divine presence, the very aura of God – had withdrawn from him, Abraham didn't give up on praying for the sinners of his gener...
Our tale begins with angels leaving Abraham at midday, their wings carrying them towards Sodom as evening approached. Now, usually, angels are all about speed. They deliver their m...
The story of Lot, Abraham's nephew, gives us a masterclass in hospitality gone wrong. The familiar version gives us the basics: God, displeased with the wickedness of Sodom, sends ...
The familiar story is this:. The wicked city, the angels disguised as travelers, the impending doom. But have you ever stopped to consider just how far gone the people of Sodom wer...
Even he wasn't setting a great example. The tradition says a man should be ready to risk everything to protect his wife and daughters. But Lot? Well, he was willing to compromise h...
Angels, messengers of God, have rescued Lot and his family, leading them away from the impending destruction. They're given one crucial instruction: don't look back. Don't even thi...
Take the story of Lot, Abraham's nephew, and the destruction of Sodom. The familiar story is this:. God, disgusted by the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, decides to destroy them....
Sodom did not burn at a random hour. In Legends of the Jews, the timing of dawn becomes part of the judgment. The Ginzberg's says retelling in Legends of the Jews, the destruction ...
The inhabitants of Sodom and the other cities of the plain suffered the ultimate loss: not only their lives in this world, but also their portion in the olam ha-ba, the world to co...
The story of Lot is a fascinating example. We know him best, perhaps, for his narrow escape from the fiery destruction of Sodom. But did you know that his salvation wasn't just a s...
Ever find yourself in a sticky situation, and think, "Didn't I just do this?" Well, let's He's about to have a serious case of déjà vu. After leaving Egypt, Abraham and his wife, S...
