2,672 passages in Modern Compilations & Folklore
Individual passages from Legends of the Jews, shown in source order. Page 5 of 56.
A reader can see them as just random acts of divine power, but Jewish tradition teaches us there’s so much more going on. It's not just about punishment, it's about midah k'neged m...
Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) turns to The Plagues Brought Through Aaron. In Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, a whole year passed between the first plague and the final...
The familiar story is this: God sends these devastating plagues upon Egypt until Pharaoh finally relents and lets the Israelites go. But there's so much more to it than just a simp...
As the time approached for the Israelites' redemption from Egyptian slavery, a dilemma arose. They hadn't accumulated enough good deeds to merit their freedom! So, what did God do?...
The familiar version gives us the big picture: plagues, Moses, Pharaoh, the Red Sea. But what about the details, the little-known corners of the narrative? to one of the most drama...
The Torah tells us that Pharaoh rose in the night, after the plague of the firstborn. But the Legends of the Jews, drawing on various midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) s...
Plagues, parting of the Red Sea, freedom! But the details…they’re wild. The scene: the Egyptians, fresh from the devastation of the tenth plague, practically shoving the Israelites...
The Torah portion of Shmot – Exodus – introduces us to Moses, arguably the greatest prophet in Judaism. But even before the burning bush, before the plagues, before the parting of ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Why the Righteous Suffer Just When Peace Seems Near. "The standard of the Messiah shall wave forever and ever." This sets the stage for understanding e...
Imagine, if you will, two thousand years before heaven and earth. A time of pure potential. What was brewing in the cosmic kitchen? In Legends of the Jews, a monumental work compil...
It's far more than just a tale of sibling rivalry and Egyptian intrigue. According to the Legends of the Jews, compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, Jacob endured the hardships of his ...
The familiar story is this: plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. epic stuff. But sometimes, the most crucial details are the ones tucked away in the corners of the narrative. Like,...
It's a powerful image, isn't it? A promise from God, as recounted in Legends of the Jews, that "Thou that didst lead My children in this world, shalt also lead them in the future w...
That even the Torah itself might have had some… reservations. The Legends of the Jews says that’s precisely what happened. the Torah, in its divine wisdom, foresaw the potential fo...
Getting the coffin out of Egypt in the first place was a whole adventure in itself. See, according to Legends of the Jews, retold by Louis Ginzberg, Egyptian magicians had set up a...
Take Joshua, for example. Initially, he wasn't exactly known for his brilliance. In fact, some called him a fool! But he served Moses faithfully. And as we read in Legends of the J...
A monumental work compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, God actually created and destroyed several worlds before He finally settled on this one! Apparently, He wasn’t quite satisfied w...
The familiar story is this: the coat of many colors, the dreams, the rise to power in Egypt. But what about before all that? What was Joseph really like as a teenager? In Legends o...
They knew the people of Israel had faced, and would continue to face, incredible challenges. But they also believed in something powerful protecting them: divine intervention. How ...
That’s a glimpse into the trials of Joseph. The story of Joseph, as told in the Torah, is already But the rabbinic tradition, the wellspring of Jewish interpretation and storytelli...
You're finally free. Free from centuries of enslavement, free from back-breaking labor, free from the sting of the whip. But where do you go? The Israelites, fresh from their mirac...
The story of Joshua preparing to conquer Jericho, as told in Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg), throws us headfirst into that shadowy world. Before a single soldier marched, Joshua ne...
Instead of beelining straight for the Promised Land, they wandered in the desert for what felt like forever. Why? Well, it turns out there's more to it than just getting lost. Ther...
It wasn't exactly smooth sailing, let me tell you. According to Legends of the Jews, the moment was ripe with miracles, all designed to solidify Joshua's authority in the eyes of t...
Take the story of Joseph and his brothers, for instance. It's a tale of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and ultimately, redemption. Joseph, the favored son, wasn't exactly winning popul...
Legends of the Jews turns to Ephraim's Journey. A group of weary travelers, the descendants of Ephraim, son of Joseph. They'd been marching for a day, their stomachs rumbling loude...
Can you feel their anticipation, their weariness, their unwavering faith? They arrive at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, twin peaks that would become the stage for a powerful ritual....
In Legends of the Jews, the heavens are arranged so mercy stands near the Throne while destruction is kept at the edge. Ginzberg, in his wonderful compilation Legends of the Jews, ...
The Torah, in the story of Joseph, doesn’t shy away from those very human emotions. In fact, it puts them front and center. The brothers of Joseph, were seething. And it all starte...
Legends of the Jews turns to The Tribe of Ephraim's Doomed Escape Before Moses. It involves the tribe of Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and a premature attempt to lea...
All sorts of momentous events piled up on a single day. This was the very day the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. Can you picture it? After forty years of wandering, they fina...
Forget Genesis for a moment; this is about the Hebrew alphabet vying for the ultimate honor! The scene: Each letter steps forward, making its case to God. First up, Shin (ש). "Lord...
Legends of the Jews turns to Joseph Dreamed His Brothers' Sheaves Bowed Before His. That's exactly where we find ourselves at the beginning of Joseph's story. "Hear, I pray you, th...
It might seem arbitrary, but Jewish tradition teaches us that even the order of the letters holds profound meaning. And, The scene: before the universe existed, the letters of the ...
Dreams not just of success, but of them bowing down to you! You can almost feel the tension in the air, can’t you? Initially, Joseph’s brothers brush off his dream, unwilling to ev...
Here's the catch: he thinks they’re just popping out for a quick three-day religious retreat in the wilderness to offer sacrifices. A short vacation, essentially. He even sends som...
The story of Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land is full of such moments, a rollercoaster of triumph and tragedy, and it all starts with Jericho. Joshua, leading the Israelites ...
That feeling is at the heart of our story today, a tale I call "The Cottage of Candles," retold from Howard Schwartz's Tree of Souls. Once, there was a Jew driven by an unshakeable...
The familiar story centers on the coat, but sometimes we forget about the dreams that really kicked things off. The second dream is the real kicker. Joseph dreams that the sun, the...
The familiar story is this: from Genesis – how he wisely stored up food for the famine. But what became of that fortune? Well, legend has it that Joseph, a brilliant administrator ...
He went straight to the top, appealing to God Himself. Why? What went wrong? But God wouldn't answer. Why the divine silence? It wasn't just some cosmic mood swing. the verse says,...
Legends of the Jews turns to Jacob Recorded His Own Dream and Recognized Joseph's. Fast forward a bit, and Jacob's son, Joseph, has a dream of his own. And wouldn't you know it, yo...
Amalek and his magicians – the king's advisors – break the news: these Israelites? They're gone for good. That's when things really hit the fan. In Legends of the Jews, when Amalek...
The story of Achan gives us a glimpse. It's a tale of transgression, communal strife, and ultimately, redemption – or at least, the possibility of it. See, after the miraculous cro...
Jewish tradition, as always, offers some truly dazzling answers. Our sages teach on that inaugural day, GOD brought forth ten things. Ten! That's quite a busy first day on the job,...
The familiar story centers on the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, the dramatic escape from slavery. But what about the Egyptians left behind? It wasn't just a simple case of "p...
Even after the setback at Ai, the Israelites were a force to be reckoned with, inspiring dread in the hearts of the Canaanite peoples. That's where the story of the Gibeonites come...
Jewish tradition has always been rich with layered realities, and the concept of multiple heavens is no exception. Forget one sky; imagine seven! Each with its own purpose, its own...
