508 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, shown in source order. Page 5 of 11.
Sometimes, the answer is far more insidious, far more…internal. Let’s turn our gaze to the story of Sodom, a name that has become synonymous with wickedness. But what really happen...
Rabbi Judah tells us that in Sodom, a truly horrific decree was issued: anyone who dared to help the poor, even with a simple loaf of bread, would be burned alive. Imagine living i...
Our tradition teaches us that we are deeply influenced by our surroundings, and especially by the people we choose to spend our time with. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating ear...
The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating ancient Jewish text that retells and expands upon biblical narratives, offers a compelling example through the story of Lot. Lot is famili...
The familiar version gives us the basic outline – wickedness, angels, fire and brimstone – but some of the details tucked away in Jewish tradition add layers of complexity and, fra...
Tradition tells us that Abraham faced not just a few challenges, but ten major trials throughout his life. Ten! Can you imagine? The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an early medieval colle...
His life was practically a masterclass in overcoming adversity. Readers often think of Abraham's trials, his nisyonot, as being primarily about faith – being asked to sacrifice Isa...
The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an ancient text that weaves together biblical narrative, aggadah (storytelling), and mystical insights, outlines ten trials that Abraham faced. Ten mome...
Not just for a little while, but potentially… forever. What would you do? How far would your trust in the divine stretch? That’s the kind of situation Abraham faced, according to P...
This particular passage, from Chapter 26, gives us a glimpse into Sarah's encounters with powerful rulers and the surprising twists that shaped her journey. It all starts with Phar...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer turns to Abimelech Among the Heavenly Host. We find this story tucked away in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating and somewhat enigmatic work of Jewish lit...
The ancient text Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a collection of stories and interpretations of the Hebrew Bible, gives us a glimpse into just such a moment. Specifically, it focuses on Ab...
Trials is often remembered as personal, internal struggles. But what happens when those trials come from the outside, from the world itself? to one chapter, chapter 27, of Pirkei D...
Our story starts with Abraham. Remember when he learns that his nephew Lot has been captured? (Genesis 14:13) tells us, "And there came one who had escaped, and told Abram the Hebr...
The patriarch Abraham experienced just such a moment, according to the ancient text, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer. The scene: Abraham, fresh from his encounter with the divine, is a man ...
The Jewish tradition teaches us that time itself can be layered, that moments can resonate across generations. is it possible that the same night, the very same 24 hours, could wit...
It is often remembered as a formal obligation, a percentage we owe. But its roots, according to some fascinating ancient texts, are surprisingly personal, filled with gratitude and...
It's a collection of stories and interpretations of the Torah, attributed to Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, a prominent sage from the first century. It's not quite Midrash (rabbinic i...
That feeling, that sense of wonder and a connection to something vast, is at the heart of this story about Abraham, our patriarch. In Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collecti...
A reader can skim over those details, but sometimes, buried within those numbers, are entire worlds of meaning. The source pulls on one of those threads, and see where it leads us....
Here, Rabbi Joshua offers a powerful insight into a well-known scene from (Genesis 15:10). You remember the one: "And he took him all these, and he divided them in the midst." Abra...
What God Showed Abraham About the End of Days is the question behind this passage from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Elazar ben 'Azariah, a prominent voice in the Talmud, took this...
The familiar version gives us the big moments in his life – the covenant, the almost-sacrifice of Isaac. But sometimes the quiet moments, the unspoken fears, reveal the deepest lon...
Rabbi Ẓe'era had a rather fiery take on it. He suggested that these earthly kingdoms, with all their pomp and power, were ultimately created as nothing more than fuel for Gehinnom ...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer turns to Day of Atonement of Kippur. How do we get there? Well, Rabban Gamaliel points to the verse in (Genesis 17:26): "In the selfsame day was Abraham circ...
Within this ancient ritual, there's a curious detail, a specific day that holds particular significance. The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of stories and interpr...
It's far more than just a nice story about hospitality. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text that weaves together biblical narrative and rabbinic ...
It’s a fascinating idea, explored in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a text filled with beautiful stories and interpretations. Rabbi Ẓe'era makes a profound statement: there are five kinds...
It's all there in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, chapter 29. This ancient text uses the image of a vine to teach us about growth, potential, and the transformative power of commitment. Ra...
This text isn't just a dusty historical record. It's a vibrant window into how our ancestors understood their relationship with God, and with each other. It focuses on Abraham, our...
Rabbi Jochanan, a prominent figure in the Talmud, offers some striking insights here. He states that gentiles, or "heathens" as the text puts it, who choose to come to Israel and c...
Our journey begins with Isaac. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 29, Isaac himself circumcised his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Now, The text suggests that just as Esau despised hi...
The familiar story centers on Passover, the Korban (a sacrificial offering) Pesach, the Paschal lamb. But there's a layer to the story that adds so much depth, a detail that speaks...
It's rarely accidental. Jewish tradition teaches that these repetitions often hold a deeper meaning, a hidden layer of significance just waiting to be uncovered. Consider a fascina...
Jewish tradition actually recognizes this, identifying three specific kinds of "afflictions" that test us: the affliction of the fast, the affliction of the prison, and the afflict...
The familiar version gives us it's a fundamental ritual in Judaism, a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. But what about the times when it wasn't done quite. The Pirkei D...
There’s usually a story behind it, a reason that goes way back. Take circumcision, for instance. Beyond the physical act, did you know there's a tradition of covering the foreskin ...
Elijah fled persecution and found more than shelter. In the silence, he found the next shape of his mission. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating work of Jewish literature, explor...
They instituted a custom, a seat of honor specifically for the "Messenger of the Covenant." And who is that messenger? None other than Elijah himself! The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer te...
The patriarch Abraham certainly did. The story begins with Sarah, Abraham's wife, making a demand. She tells Abraham to write a get, a bill of divorce, and send away his handmaid H...
Sometimes, those hidden depths hold the most fascinating secrets. Take the story of Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael. The familiar version gives us the basics, but what about the detail...
We all remember the story: Hagar, cast out into the desert with her son, Ishmael, their water supply dwindling under the scorching sun. But Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating ea...
Hagar's desperate wanderings with her son. "And she departed and wandered," the passage begins, referencing (Genesis 21:14). But Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer interprets "wandering" here ...
Sometimes, those threads are stronger than we imagine, woven with love and a touch of the divine. Our story today comes from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating work of Jewish li...
We meet her after the death of Sarah, when Abraham – yes, that Abraham – takes her as his wife. But who was she, really? Some traditions identify her with Hagar, the mother of Ishm...
Connecting the name of Ishmael’s son, Kedar, directly to the people known as the "sons of Kedar." It’s a seemingly straightforward connection. The verse cited from Jeremiah (49:28)...
This ancient text, a non-canonical Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), offers a unique, sometimes cryptic, perspective on the relationship between Israel and the descendant...
Specifically, Chapter 30 dives into a prophecy attributed to Rabbi Ishmael concerning the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. What does it say? Buckle up. Rabbi Ishmael for...
