Moab Trembles Lest the Old Feud Be Reawakened

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 251:12

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

Another interpretation: they said, now they are coming to stir up the quarrel that was between our father and their father, as it is said, "And Esau bore a grudge" (Genesis 27:41), and so forth. "Trembling seizes the mighty of Moab" (Exodus 15:15). If you should say that they were coming to inherit their land — has it not already been said, "And the LORD said to me, do not harass Moab" (Deuteronomy 2:9), and it says, "and you shall draw near opposite the children of Ammon" (Deuteronomy 2:19)? Then what does Scripture teach by saying "Trembling seizes the mighty of Moab"? On account of grief.

Themes

PatriarchsIsraelHoly Land

Continue Reading

Yalkut Shimoni on TorahThe Chiefs of Edom Dismayed Though Israel Spared Their LandThe song declares that the chiefs of Edom were dismayed, and the sages press on the word. Dismayed about what, exactly? Surely not fear of invasion, they reasonBook of JubileesThe First TorahThe familiar picture has Moses on Mount Sinai, receiving the divine word directly from God. Forty days and forty nights of dictation. But what if I told you thePrayer of JosephJacob The AngelWas Jacob, the patriarch, just an ordinary man? Tradition whispers secrets, suggesting his story is far grander than we might imagine. Some even say his true na3 EnochThe Souls Of The PatriarchsSome of these images paint a picture of them continuing to fight for us, even from the next world. One such story tells of the souls of the patriarchs – AbrahamBen SiraA Prayer to End the Arrogance of TyrantsIt pulls no punches in its call for humility and divine justice. Ben Sira, a sage writing in Hebrew around 200 BCE, gives us these powerful words: "Make an end Ben SiraThou Art My Father and Mighty SalvationIt's in those moments that People often turn to something greater, something beyond ourselves. And that's precisely what we find in the words attributed to Ben