538 related texts · Page 7 of 60
(Numb. 25:2:) “And they invited the people to the sacrifices for their gods.” Thus they (i.e., daughters of Moab) were going by the counsel of Balaam, as stated (in Numb. 31:16), “...
The idea is that God wouldn't want anyone to be able to say, "Hey, you kept yourself hidden from us!" later on. So, what did God do? According to some interpretations, God gave eve...
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 105a) actually tells us that Balaam, the infamous prophet-for-hire, was one of three individuals whom God tested and who utterly failed. He's in dark company,...
The story begins with an ass – not just any ass, mind you, but one created on the sixth day of creation itself! According to Legends of the Jews, this creature was gifted to Balaam...
But the story, as always, is far more complex than it seems. Balaam, unlike some of the other characters we encounter in the Hebrew Bible, doesn't give up easily. After initially b...
The story of Bilam, found in the Book of Numbers, is one wild ride. But the real juicy stuff? It's in the Midrash, specifically Bamidbar Rabbah, which offers a fascinating peek beh...
The text opens with a powerful promise from God to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and one who curses you, I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be bles...
That’s the scene set in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Chapter 47. The text tells us that all the princes were with Moses, Eleazar, and Phineas, and together they witnessed this terrifyin...
What would you say? Would you offer blessings, warnings, or maybe even a bit of both? That's what happened with Jacob, also known as Israel, as he lay dying in Egypt, surrounded by...
