1,099 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Sifrei Devarim, shown in source order. Page 11 of 23.
Jewish law, particularly as it deals with witnesses and testimony, is full of exactly those kinds of moments. to one Specifically, we're tackling a passage that dissects the proces...
It’s like peeking into the minds of the Rabbis as they wrestled with the nuances of justice. The passage The text hones in on the seemingly simple phrase: "to your gates." What doe...
The ancient texts of Judaism, particularly the Sifrei Devarim, a legal commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, explore such weighty matters with surprising precision. Take the act o...
Our tradition certainly does. It understands that words can build up, but they can also tear down, even to the point of taking a life. What safeguards do we put in place when someo...
Sifrei Devarim turns to What Deuteronomy's Prophetic Test Teaches About True Prophecy. Okay, What does it really mean? The text isn't suggesting vigilante justice. Not at all. Inst...
the verse states: "And whence is it derived that if he does not die by the hand of the witnesses anyone can put him to death? From 'and the hand of all the people afterwards.'" The...
What Counts as a Difficult Case in Jewish Law is the question behind this passage from Sifrei Devarim. The passage starts with "from you," and the Sifrei interprets this as referri...
The Sifrei Devarim, a legal midrash on the Book of Deuteronomy, touches on some specific examples of legal “disputes” that might arise. It mentions the ordeal of the sotah, the wom...
Jewish tradition definitely understands that feeling, especially when it comes to the Land of Israel and, even more specifically, the Temple in Jerusalem. Where does that sense of ...
Judges is often remembered as these impartial figures, robed and removed, but Jewish tradition explores the nitty-gritty of who sits on the beth din (court of law) and what makes t...
The verse from Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:11 states, "And you shall do according to the thing that they tell you from that place which the L-rd chooses." What does this actually mean...
What happens when your understanding clashes with that of established authority? The book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, dives right into this, and the Sifrei Devarim, a collection of le...
The verse in question, Devarim 17:12, says, "And the man who shall do wilfully, not to listen.." And that’s it. Just that fragment. It seems incomplete. The Sifrei Devarim, a colle...
Jewish law has some pretty specific ideas about that, especially when it comes to authority. to a fascinating little corner of legal thought from Sifrei Devarim 155, a commentary o...
Sifrei Devarim is one of those rabbinic texts where a single phrase can unlock a whole structure of Jewish law. Section 156 is a short passage, but packed with insights into how Je...
the motivations and consequences behind Israel's desire for a king. First, the text touches on a beautiful idea: "which the L-rd your G-d gives to you": in your merit." The land it...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Samuel Remembered. Rabbi Nehorai, as quoted in Sifrei Devarim, gives us a rather startling answer. He suggests their eagerness for a king wasn't just about ...
It wasn't just about popularity, that's for sure. The Book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, gives us some fascinating insights, and the Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretation...
It’s about belonging, identity, and the very soul of the community. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, lays down some pretty clea...
Sometimes, it's in the seemingly small details that we find the biggest surprises. Take horses, for example. Yes, horses! Deuteronomy, Devarim in Hebrew, chapter 17, verse 16, tell...
There's this fascinating little discussion in Sifrei Devarim 158 about horses – yes, horses! Specifically, how many horses a king can have. It sounds almost trivial. But beneath th...
What about the rules? Were kings held to a different standard? Well, the tradition turns to the Book of Deuteronomy, Sefer Devarim, specifically (Deuteronomy 17:17). It says, “And ...
Honestly, their debates still resonate today. to a fascinating discussion from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. Here...
Sifrei Devarim, that ancient commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a fascinating glimpse into this question. It's a short and sweet passage, really, but packed with meani...
In Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early Jewish legal interpretations, we find a fascinating instruction about writing a Sefer Torah, a Torah scroll. It says, "that he shall write ...
You might be surprised. Forget the crown jewels and the royal chef. According to one fascinating interpretation in Sifrei Devarim 161, it's a scroll. Specifically, a megillah, a sc...
Sifrei Devarim, a very early Halachic Midrash on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a powerful, if concise, insight. The verse says, "and he shall read in it all the days of his lif...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Saga of Joseph. The king needs to get to his vineyard, or perhaps his field. Does he have to follow the same winding roads as everyone else? Apparently not!...
Sifrei Devarim, a legal midrash on the book of Deuteronomy, tackles this head-on. It emphasizes the importance of unwavering commitment to mitzvot (commandments). And it's not just...
It all starts with King Solomon, the wisest of men. The text quotes (1 (Kings 3:1)3), where God says to Solomon, "And also what you did not ask I have granted you, even riches and ...
It all starts with a verse in Devarim (Deuteronomy 18:1): "There shall not be to the Cohanim, the Levi'im, the entire tribe of Levi, a portion and an inheritance with Israel." Okay...
Sifrei Devarim turns to The Levites Inherit Fire-Offerings Instead of Land. The verse It sounds straightforward. The priests, the Levites, they get to eat from the offerings brough...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Five Peoples Dwelt in the Land Before the Levites. Sifrei Devarim 165 offers a glimpse into a different kind of inheritance, one that resonates with spiritu...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Priestly Gifts from Offerings and Ordinary Animals. Here’s how it works: we start with the idea that even individual peace offerings might be subject to pri...
Jewish law, Halakha, is famous (or maybe infamous!) for diving deep into the nitty-gritty. And sometimes, it's in those tiny details that we find the bigger picture. Consider a see...
Take the words "whether ox or sheep" from Sifrei Devarim. Sounds straightforward. But these words, like so many others, open a portal to a rich discussion about Jewish law and its ...
Sometimes, just sometimes, you catch a glimpse of the beautiful mind at work behind it all. the story turns to one such puzzle. Specifically, we’re confronting the rules around pri...
The familiar reading treats about sacrifices, about offerings to the Cohein (priest), but sometimes the details feel…distant. the tradition turns to and explore a fascinating inter...
The book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verse 4, gives us a peek into this ancient practice. Specifically, Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretation...
Ancient Jewish tradition certainly did, and it wove that connection into the very fabric of daily life. Consider the mitzvah, the commandment, of reishit hagez, "the first of the s...
" We confront it in our careers, our relationships. and even when it comes to giving gifts! The ancient rabbis did too. to a fascinating little corner of Jewish law, specifically, ...
A reader can imagine the grand spectacle, the soaring prayers, the scent of incense.. but what about the physical posture of the priests, the kohanim? Well, a fascinating little de...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Levite Roles That Continue Even Without the Temple. That's where the phrase "he and his sons all of the days" comes in. Sifrei Devarim tells us it encompass...
The ancient rabbis certainly considered this when they interpreted the Torah. to a fascinating little corner of the book of Sifrei Devarim, specifically section 168, which explores...
It wasn't just about grand ceremonies; even the distribution of offerings had its own set of rules and regulations. to one little-known, but fascinating, detail from Sifrei Devarim...
The Sifrei Devarim, a legal commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a fascinating glimpse into just that. It’s like a backstage pass to the inner workings of the Temple. Ou...
The Torah, our ancient guide, has something to say about it. The tradition turns to Sefer Devarim, the Book of Deuteronomy. Specifically, (Deuteronomy 18:9). It's a seemingly simpl...
That tension, that very human struggle, is right at the heart of this little passage from Sifrei Devarim. It opens with a seemingly straightforward phrase: "that the L-rd your G-d ...
