1,099 passages in Rabbinic Midrash
Individual passages from Sifrei Devarim, shown in source order. Page 16 of 23.
It uses the phrase "on the way" from Deuteronomy to describe precisely such a time: "at the time of your being tossed about." Imagine the Israelites wandering in the desert, facing...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Esau Remembered. The passage begins by referencing (Deuteronomy 23:17), which says, "..where it is good for him (an escaped servant); you shall not oppress ...
Because "you were a stranger in his land." It sounds simple enough, but Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah digs deeper. The Egyptians, let's be real, weren’t exactly acting out of pure altru...
Sometimes, even seemingly small words open up worlds of interpretation. to one such instance, found in Sifrei Devarim, specifically dealing with (Deuteronomy 23:9). The verse state...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Marriage Restrictions for Ammon, Moab, and Edom. These weren't arbitrary decisions. These restrictions were rooted in specific historical events and perceiv...
The verse in question deals with the descendants of Egyptians entering "the congregation of the L-rd" – meaning, marrying into the Jewish community. (Deuteronomy 23:8) states that ...
Life throws us curveballs, challenges us, and sometimes, it feels like we're surrounded by adversaries. So, what does Judaism teach us about facing these moments? The tradition tur...
It offers some pretty profound advice on how to navigate that battlefield. The passage begins with a simple, yet powerful phrase: "against your enemies." The text emphasizes the im...
Sifrei Devarim turns to The Power and Harm Hidden in Our Words. Sifrei Devarim, a fascinating work of halakha (Jewish law) connected to the Book of Deuteronomy, brings up a really ...
It might seem distant, but these laws offer a fascinating glimpse into the worldview of our ancestors. to a passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on th...
It might seem like a distant world, but these concepts shaped daily life and understanding. to a fascinating little corner of it, found in Sifrei Devarim. Specifically, It talks ab...
Sifrei Devarim reads one battlefield command as a lesson in holiness, privacy, and the dignity of the camp. What’s a yad? Literally, it means "hand." But here, our text, Sifrei Dev...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Story of Ishmael. The verse states, "and you shall go out there outside" (Deuteronomy 23:13). Seems straightforward enough. But the Sifrei amplifies this, c...
Our tradition teaches us that G-d, blessed be He, dwells within us, within our communities, within our very lives. Deuteronomy, in chapter 23, verse 15, puts it this way: "For the ...
Every action, every intention, resonates. Take this passage from Sifrei Devarim. It states that if "you do all that is stated herein, in the end He will save you and deliver your f...
The ancient text of Sifrei Devarim, a commentary on the book of Deuteronomy, grapples with this very question, specifically regarding a ger toshav, "a sojourning stranger." A ger t...
The verse in (Deuteronomy 23:18) states, "There shall be no harlot from the daughters of Israel, and there shall be no harlot from the sons of Israel." Seems straightforward. But, ...
(Deuteronomy 23:19) states, "You shall not bring the hire of a prostitute and the exchange of a dog into the house of the L-rd your G-d for every vow." Seems straightforward enough...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Trading a Lamb for a Dog and the Temple Ban. In Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations connected to the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a fascin...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Vows Offerings and What Cannot Be Re-Vowed. Next, the text explores what can and can't be brought "into the house of the L-rd your G-d." The phrase excludes...
Our starting point is a rather unusual prohibition. (Deuteronomy 23:19) states: "You shall not bring the hire of a prostitute, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord you...
We start with a verse from Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:37: "Your money you shall not give him on interest, and on increase you shall not give your food.” Simple enough. Except, as alway...
Our tradition understands that feeling deeply. It even has laws to protect against it. to a little corner of Jewish law, specifically dealing with the ethics of lending and borrowi...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Strict Rules Against Charging Interest to a Brother. The verse in question says, "But to your brother shall you not give interest" (Deuteronomy 23:20). Seem...
The Torah, our guide to living a meaningful life, has something to say about that. Sifrei Devarim, a collection of ancient rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a...
It gives it a deadline! Specifically, Seems straightforward. Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today. especially when it comes to promises to G-d. But, as always, the rab...
The Torah, as always, has something to say about that. to a little corner of Sifrei Devarim, a fascinating commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, and see what wisdom we can unearth...
We all have. But what happens when that promise is to the Almighty? What kind of weight does that hold? A commitment. It’s a mitzvah, a commanded act, to fulfill the promises we ma...
Would you be allowed to pluck a few as you worked? The Torah actually addresses this very question, and like so many things in Jewish law, the answer isn't quite as simple as it fi...
The ancient rabbis grappled with this all the time, teasing out the nuances of Jewish law from even the briefest verses in the Torah.They might seem simple At first, but these teac...
It’s like those Russian nesting dolls, each layer revealing something new. Let's peel back some layers from the book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, specifically from the collection known...
At first, the phrase But it's actually teaching us something fundamental: that a woman can be acquired through cohabitation. Now, "acquired" might sound jarring to our modern ears,...
Our exploration begins in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. Here, the rabbis confront a fundamental question: How is a woman acquire...
The Torah, in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), actually touches on this very human experience. It speaks about divorce, about what happens when love fades, or maybe wasn't even t...
Their discussion, preserved for us in Sifrei Devarim (269), revolves around a verse in Deuteronomy (24:1) which discusses the grounds for divorce. It states, "When a man takes a wi...
It’s far more than just signing some papers. Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure of Jewish law, weighs in on the matter. He states a husband can divorce his wife "even if he finds anoth...
Sifrei Devarim turns to The Ink, the Pen, and the Rules for Writing a Get. " This, in its immediate context, refers to the writing of a get, a Jewish divorce document. But the rabb...
What does it take to truly end a marriage? The rabbis of the early tannaitic period debated what constitutes a real "cutting off," a complete severance, what they called krithuth. ...
The core of the discussion revolves around a complex scenario: a woman is divorced (receives a get) from her husband, but as part of the divorce agreement, a condition is set – let...
It's about a complete severing, a clean break. But what exactly does that mean? to a fascinating discussion from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early Jewish legal interpretations ...
Hand to hand, transaction complete. But as with so much in Jewish law, scratching the surface reveals layers of fascinating complexity. to a passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collecti...
The verse states, "and he shall send her away from his house." Seems straightforward. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw layers of meaning. Sifrei Devarim hones in on th...
Why a Divorced Woman Should Not Remarry Nearby is the question behind this passage from Sifrei Devarim. Then, the text refers to the second husband as "another man." Now, this isn'...
A woman gets divorced. Simple enough. But what if, after the divorce, she has a relationship with someone else? Does that change things if she wants to remarry her first husband? Y...
When Is a Woman Considered Defiled After Divorce is the question behind this passage from Sifrei Devarim. The passage starts by stating the obvious: "after she had been defiled" re...
The ancient texts are full of surprising takes.It tackles the complex and often painful topic of divorce and remarriage. The verse reads, "for she (a returned divorcée) is an abomi...
It actually carved out some space for those needing a break. We find this concept tucked away in the book of Sifrei Devarim, specifically section 271. It deals with exemptions from...
It sounds strange, I know. At first, it seems like a very specific prohibition. Why millstones? What's the big deal? The text doesn't just leave it there, though. It immediately as...
