Parshat Balak

554 related texts · Page 61 of 62

King Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel, the talking donkey, and Balaam's blessings instead of curses. Numbers 22:2-25:9.

Why Moses Blessed Israel Before and Not After Death

Other Texts Sifrei Devarim 342:7

The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrash on the book of Deuteronomy, poses a fascinating question about a seemingly simple phrase: "before his death." It appears in the co...

MosesProphecyHoly Land

Gad's Transgression

Other Texts Sifrei Devarim 355:6

The text begins with a blessing: "Blessed is He that broadens Gad." What does it mean? Simply put, the passage teaches us that the territory allotted to the tribe of Gad expanded e...

CreationAngelsAdam & EveNoah & Flood

Jacob's Promise That God Will Return You to Your Land

Other Texts Sifrei Devarim 356:9

And while definitive answers might elude us, Jewish tradition offers tantalizing hints and comforting assurances. Our exploration begins in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal an...

PatriarchsMosesKing DavidMessiah

A Prayer to End the Arrogance of Tyrants

Apocrypha Ben Sira 35:14

It 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 of the head of the p...

PatriarchsTempleProphecyHoly Land

Ben Sira in Jewish Tradition

Apocrypha Ben Sira

Jewish tradition understands that feeling deeply, and sometimes, the simplest phrases carry the weight of generations trying to break free. Take this seemingly straightforward stat...

Prophecy

The Sanctuary Rebuilt on Mount Zion

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 2:1

This ancient Jewish text, considered scripture by some but excluded from the standard biblical canon, paints a sweeping picture of history and destiny. And within its pages, we fin...

AngelsMosesTemplePrayer

Secret History

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 6:12

It's considered part of the apocrypha or deuterocanonical texts by some, and is especially important in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition. It's an ancient Jewish writing that retells th...

Prophecy

Esau Burns With Rage and Plans to Kill Jacob

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 27:1

That feeling, that burning resentment, is at the heart of our story today, straight from the Book of Jubilees, a text that expands on the stories we find in the Torah itself. We’re...

HeavenPatriarchsProphecyPrayer

Hannah Weeps as Her Son Departs on the Journey

Apocrypha Book of Tobit 5:12

It’s a feeling that resonates across generations, and it’s right at the heart of the Book of Tobit. Our story begins with Tobi, a righteous man living in exile, who is now blind. H...

Angels