2,672 passages in Modern Compilations & Folklore
Individual passages from Legends of the Jews, shown in source order. Page 41 of 56.
Legends of the Jews turns to Kingdom of Abraham of Abimelech. His story doesn't end there, though. His twelve-year-old son, Benmelek, took over the throne, adopting his father's na...
Abraham, our patriarch, experienced profound loss. First, his brother Nahor passed away in Haran at the ripe old age of 172. Then, the death of Sarah, Abraham's beloved wife, hit h...
Legends of the Jews turns to Isaac's Repentance. Get this: Hagar, yes, that Hagar, bore him a daughter! And Ishmael, who hadn't always been the easiest character, repented and even...
It wasn’t just about being chosen; it was about who he was. In Legends of the Jews, that all the blessings showered upon him weren't undeserved. He was “clean of hand, and pure of ...
Abraham certainly did, especially when it came to finding a wife for his son, Isaac. He was very particular. Abraham knew the importance of lineage and shared values. There's this ...
Take the tale of Eliezer, Abraham's trusted servant, tasked with finding a wife for Isaac. It’s more than just a simple errand; it's a journey filled with divine assistance and sub...
It happens to the best of us, and as we’ll see, it certainly happened to Laban in the story of Rebekah and Eliezer. Rebekah, you'll recall, had just met Eliezer, Abraham's trusted ...
Remember, Abraham, wanting to secure a future for his son within his own lineage, sent Eliezer on this crucial mission. But it wasn't just a simple "go find a nice girl" kind of er...
Remember, Eliezer had journeyed to Haran to find a suitable wife for Isaac. Now, his return was nothing short of miraculous. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tells us...
Legends of the Jews turns to Sarah — Rebecca and the Patriarchs. The weight of expectation! After all, she wasn’t just moving into any tent. She was moving into the tent of Sarah, ...
Isaac knew that feeling. For three long years after his mother Sarah's passing, Isaac was inconsolable. He sought solace in the academy of Shem and Eber, immersing himself in study...
It’s a poignant moment, and the Torah is silent about Isaac's immediate reaction. But Jewish tradition, ever eager to fill in the gaps, gives us a fascinating glimpse into what mig...
Sometimes, the stories are wilder than you'd expect. Take Africa, for example. You might not think it, but some traditions trace the name all the way back to Abraham himself! Some ...
Even though Abraham knew in his heart that Isaac, his beloved son, was the most deserving of his paternal blessing, he held back. Why? According to Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg), ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Isaac and the Angels of Abraham. Abraham, on his way home with a mysterious stranger, hears a voice coming from a tree. Not just any voice, but one pro...
The legends paint him as nearly unparalleled in his virtue. Now, the time was approaching for Abraham to depart from this world, but the angel Michael found himself in a bit of a p...
It’s a story filled with angelic visits, tearful goodbyes, and a final, audacious request. According to Legends of the Jews, after Michael the archangel’s arrival, a joyous meal wa...
The tale goes like this: The archangel Michael himself descended, not in a flashy sports car, but in a chariot of the cherubim – those powerful, angelic beings. Can you imagine the...
The Jewish mystical tradition is rich with stories and visions of the afterlife, and one particularly fascinating account involves Abraham, led by the angel Michael himself. Michae...
Abraham, our ancestor Abraham, did just that. Think back to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. A harrowing tale. We read in the Torah about Abraham pleading with God to spare the cit...
The patriarch Abraham did. And the encounter, as you might imagine, was… intense. The story goes that Abraham was sitting under the oak of Mamre, a place of significance in Genesis...
Not necessarily! The Legends of the Jews hints that even after Abraham's passing, his work wasn't finished. It paints a picture of him continuing to intercede for sinners, not just...
The people of Hebron certainly did, right before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It's the eve of the holiest day of the year, a time for communal prayer and reflection. But Hebro...
Legends of the Jews turns to Abraham and the Patriarchs of Hebron. The scene is Hebron, a city of immense significance in Jewish history, resting place of the Patriarchs and Matria...
The story goes that these Jews were living under the thumb of a particularly cruel ruler. This lord of Hebron, as Ginzberg tells us in Legends of the Jews, was a real piece of work...
Jewish tradition certainly hints at that possibility! Take Balaam, for example. You know, the one hired to curse the Israelites? The Moabites and Midianites thought he was Moses' e...
Legend tells us Isaac wasn't just Abraham's son; he was his counterpart. The Legends of the Jews tells us he resembled his father "in beauty, wisdom, strength, wealth, and noble de...
The idea is that God wouldn't want anyone to be able to say, "Hey, you kept yourself hidden from us!" later on. So, what did God do? According to some interpretations, God gave eve...
There's a fascinating tale in Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, that dances right on that very question. It involves King Solomon, his daughter, and a prophecy that seeme...
Rebekah? She shone. The text says she didn’t walk in their ways; her piety, her devotion, was on par with Isaac himself. Yet, their marriage wasn't all smooth sailing. Can you imag...
The answer, as often happens in Jewish tradition, is layered and complex, and more than a little surprising. In Legends of the Jews, compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, the story of ...
It's about the little things, the daily grind of governing. And sometimes, those little things can spark big trouble. Our tale involves Jeroboam, a rising figure in Solomon's court...
He was about to leave Jerusalem, probably with his heart pounding, trying to get away from Solomon's anger. Imagine the fear, the uncertainty of it all. Then, out of nowhere, he me...
Their story is well-known: a righteous couple, deeply devoted, yet facing the heartbreaking reality of infertility. They pleaded with God. They poured out their hearts in prayer. A...
He knew his army wasn't strong enough, his strategies weren't clever enough. He needed an edge, something… supernatural. So, he turned to Balaam. Balaam was no ordinary sorcerer. H...
The story of Rebekah and her twin sons, Jacob and Esau, is a wild ride that takes us just there. According to Legends of the Jews, by Louis Ginzberg, Rebekah's pregnancy wasn't exa...
Legends of the Jews turns to Rebekah's Agonizing Pregnancy Drove Her to Shem and Eber. She suffered terrible pains, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She asked other women if...
Take the tale of Balak and Balaam. It's more than just a simple request to curse a nation. It’s a clash of egos, a battle of wills, and a whole lot of ancient magic. Ginzberg, in h...
As retold by Ginzberg, Jeroboam was no ordinary guy. He was a star student, a true disciple of the prophet Ahijah. Can you imagine? His knowledge was said to surpass all the schola...
It wasn't your typical baby shower, that’s for sure. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, but also… something else. Something a bit unsettling, perhaps? The story, as told i...
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 105a) actually tells us that Balaam, the infamous prophet-for-hire, was one of three individuals whom God tested and who utterly failed. He's in dark company,...
Jeroboam, as we find him in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, was a master of manipulation. He wasn't just some run-of-the-mill schemer; he was a genius at twisting perceptions. And ...
Jewish tradition certainly seems to think so. Take the story of Jacob and Esau, those eternally feuding twins from the Book of Genesis. Their very names, given at birth, are loaded...
Take Balaam, for example. He's one of those figures in Jewish tradition that just… fascinates. We find him in the Book of Numbers, a non-Israelite prophet hired to curse the Israel...
The split of the kingdom into Judah and Israel is definitely one of those. It wasn't just a political squabble; it was a seismic event with echoes that still resonate today. The ma...
Legends of the Jews turns to The Tribe of Dan Nearly Invaded Judah. Well, according to the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, they were far from idle. Their story takes a ...
The story kicks off with Balak terrified of the Israelites and their growing power. Desperate, he sends messengers to Balaam, urging him to curse the Israelites (Numbers 22). Now, ...
Take the tale of Jacob and Esau. As babies, they were basically indistinguishable. Like a myrtle and a thorn bush just sprouting – you can't tell them apart yet. But give them time...
