Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 76:1

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 76:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"From a thread to a shoelace" (Genesis 14:23). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "You said 'from a thread' — by your life, I will give to your children the commandment of the fringe [tzitzit], as you say, 'upon the fringe of the corner a cord of blue' (Numbers 15:38), which we translate [in the Aramaic] as 'a thread of blue.' You said 'a shoelace' — by your life, I will give to your children the commandment of the levirate widow [yibbum], as you say, 'and she shall draw off his shoe [in the chalitzah rite]' (Deuteronomy 25:9)."

Themes

AbrahamCommandmentsTorah

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Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelHere It Was Ruled by Torah Mandate, a Man MustThe Mekhilta preserves one of the most comprehensive lists of a father's obligations to his son in all of rabbinic literature. By Torah mandate, a man must do tMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelEach Revealing a Distinct Dimension of the Relationship Between IsraelThe Mekhilta takes a single Hebrew word from the Song of the Sea, "ve'anvehu". And shows how three different rabbis derive three entirely different meanings froSifrei DevarimStory of IshmaelSifrei Devarim turns to Story of Ishmael. The verse states, "and you shall go out there outside" (Deuteronomy 23:13). Seems straightforward enough. But the SifrMidrash AggadahHow Abraham Kept the Whole Torah Before It ExistedGod praises Abraham for keeping His charge, His commandments, His laws, and His teachings, and the Midrash Aggadah refuses to treat that as flattery. Each word,Yalkut Shimoni on TorahAbraham Kept the Whole Torah Before It Was GivenThe verse praises Abraham because he obeyed God's voice and kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His laws. Rav reads that pileup of words and drMidrash TanchumaThe Lord on Unto Abram Get Thee Out of Thy CountryAnd the Lord said unto Abram: “Get thee out of thy country” (Gen. 12:1). May it please our master to teach us whether an Israelite is permitted to take upon him