2,672 passages in Modern Compilations & Folklore
Individual passages from Legends of the Jews, shown in source order. Page 50 of 56.
What happens when a legend disappears? When a leader, a prophet, a figure like MOSES, is simply… gone? The grief, of course, is immense. But beyond that, there's often a desperate,...
It's almost impossible to overstate it. And the prophet Elijah, or Eliyahu, plays a key role in driving that point home in some of the most beloved stories. Ginzberg, in Legends of...
Legends of the Jews turns to Elijah and the Messiah. This wasn’t just any Rabbi,. This Rabbi was special. He held a unique place in the heart of Elijah the Prophet himself! Elijah,...
It happens to the best of us, and even to some of the greatest Rabbis in Jewish lore. Take the story of Rabbi Joshua, for example. The familiar version gives us the prophet Elijah....
As Legends of the Jews tells us, Joshua's grief was profound. He tore his clothes, a traditional sign of mourning, and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and t...
Legends of the Jews turns to Elijah Explains Why Bad Things Happen to Good People. One of the most compelling of these tales involves Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, a respected scholar and...
Rabbi Baroka, a respected sage, is walking down a bustling street, shoulder-to-shoulder with none other than Elijah the Prophet. Imagine the scene! Overwhelmed by curiosity, the Ra...
He's looking for Moses, but why? The legends don't always tell us everything directly, leaving room for interpretation. Perhaps he wants to thwart God's plan, maybe he wants to tes...
They weren't scholars, they weren't pious ascetics… they were clowns. Yes, you heard that right. Clowns. Not just any clowns. According to the Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg), these...
A wealthy, pious man blessed with a beautiful and saintly daughter. Sounds like a fairy tale beginning. But tragedy had struck repeatedly. She'd lost three husbands, each one dying...
It's a kind of cosmic detective story, but instead of a grizzled gumshoe, our investigator is… well, it's not entirely clear who it is! But they are on a mission to find Moses afte...
The Angel of Death came for the son of Rabbi Reuben, and the household answered with piety, wit, and prayer. The Angel of Death, that fearsome messenger, appears before Rabbi Reube...
Legends of the Jews turns to Death of Samael of Moses. Not according to some stories. The tale goes that Samael (the angel of death) – often identified as the angel of death, a com...
The one who visits to herald the coming of the Messiah. But his influence stretches far beyond that single night. According to tradition, Elijah wasn't just hanging around offering...
Legends of the Jews turns to The Serpent Searches Creation for Moses Son of Amram. So, where does he begin his search? He starts with the tree of knowledge. Remember that tree? The...
Legends of the Jews turns to Elijah Appears to Disciples Who Master Mystical Secrets. We learn that after a disciple had thoroughly absorbed these mystical teachings, Elijah would ...
Sometimes, the answer might surprise you. Let's His teachings marked such a radical shift that many believe it was influenced by none other than the prophet Elijah himself. Yes, th...
That's where we find ourselves in this intriguing little story. The story unfolds with an unnamed seeker, desperate to find Moses. He believes that God may have commanded Moses to ...
Sometimes, the most extraordinary lives begin with the most ordinary acts of kindness. Take the story of Rabbi Eliezer, father of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov – a name that echoes th...
Elijah's not just about dramatic showdowns with false gods – that was just the warm-up! The real action starts in the days of the Messiah. the world needs a serious fixer-upper bef...
It turns out, even Samael (the angel of death), often described as the chief of the demonic realm, the accuser, the adversary (and sometimes confused with Satan, though that's a wh...
Three days before the Messiah's arrival, Elijah the prophet reappears. Not quietly,. He shows up in Palestine, and according to Legends of the Jews, his lament over the ruined Holy...
That, my friends, is the sound of Elijah heralding the arrival of the Messiah. What does that sound do, though? In Legends of the Jews, retold by Ginzberg, it's not just one blast,...
When Moses, Moshe Rabbenu, our teacher, our leader, passed away, it sparked a celestial debate. As Ginzberg retells it in Legends of the Jews, a fascinating thing happened. Adam, t...
They loved to explore these "what if?" scenarios. What if Abraham, Isaac, and Moses met? Who would come out on top? Thankfully, we have some playful, insightful answers preserved i...
The rabbis certainly debated it, comparing and contrasting the merits of our most revered patriarchs and prophets. And wouldn't you know it, the discussions could get a little… spi...
Legends of the Jews turns to Moses Elevated to Almost Cosmic Proportions. Ginzberg, in his Legends of the Jews, recounts this idea in vivid detail. He says that on the first day, G...
The final act of the prophet Elijah, that fiery figure of the Hebrew Bible, will be the ultimate showdown. He will carry out God's command to slay Samael (the angel of death), who,...
Legends of the Jews turns to Elisha Receives a Double Portion of Elijah's Spirit. Elijah had promised Elisha a "double portion" of his spirit. And according to Legends of the Jews,...
It's a story of faith, resourcefulness, and the enduring power of good deeds. Like his mentor Elijah, Elisha was known for his compassion. He wasn’t just some aloof spiritual figur...
A widow stood before Elisha with debt at her back and creditors ready to take her children. This story, recounted in Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg), centers on a widow burdened by ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Abishag's Journey. This is a story found in the Bible in (2 (Kings 4:8-1)7), and elaborated on in the Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg. It tells o...
Legends of the Jews turns to Death of Elisha. Can you imagine her anguish? Elisha, despite his prophetic gifts, was taken aback. He admitted that while he often knew what was to co...
He wasn't just anyone; he was the servant of the prophet Elisha. A position of immense privilege. But Gehazi, it seems, had a fatal flaw: he was, shall we say, a little too interes...
The story of Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha, offers a fascinating glimpse into just such a situation. Gehazi, wasn't exactly keen on sharing his master's wisdom. Accordi...
The story of Elisha and his disciple Gehazi is a potent reminder. Elisha, a prophet of great stature, had taken Gehazi under his wing. But Gehazi, alas, was deeply flawed. Despite ...
The Talmud (Sotah 47a) suggests that Elisha's unwavering severity – remember his harsh treatment of his servant Gehazi and the mocking boys of Jericho? – didn't go unnoticed by the...
The end of Elisha's life, the great prophet, was a real turning point for the Israelites. The Talmud (Sotah 13a) tells us that as long as Elisha was around, the Aramean armies coul...
Before the big fish, there's this fascinating little prelude, a kind of "Jonah tries to flee" masterclass. Jonah gets the divine call, a mission from God. But instead of heading wh...
Let me tell you a story about a literal boat, a literal storm, and a prophet named Jonah. The familiar story centers on Jonah and the whale (or big fish, depending on the translati...
The story of Jonah in Jewish tradition is a powerful exploration of guilt, responsibility, and the ripple effect of our actions. It's a story that resonates even today. The familia...
The familiar story centers on Jonah, but some of the ancient legends surrounding this famous prophet are truly wild. When God created the world, He also created a special fish, spe...
The familiar story is this: Jonah, tasked with prophesying to Nineveh, decides to take a little detour and ends up swallowed by a giant fish. But what happens inside that fish is w...
Remember him? The guy swallowed by the whale? After his little underwater detour, God gave him a second chance, sending him to the sprawling, chaotic city of Nineveh. Nineveh wasn'...
The familiar story centers on Jonah. Swallowed by a giant fish, preaches to Nineveh, the city repents. But what did that repentance look like? It wasn't just sackcloth and ashes. I...
Legends of the Jews turns to Jonah in Battle. This story, which is found within Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, highlights the Ninevites' profound change of heart. You remember Nin...
There’s so much more simmering beneath the surface of this famous tale. So, after the people of Nineveh, in response to Jonah's warning, finally turned away from their wicked ways,...
Remember how God spared the city after its inhabitants, prompted by Jonah's preaching, repented in sackcloth and ashes? As the Book of Jonah tells us (Jonah 3:10), God saw their de...
