605 related texts · Page 18 of 68
The Sefer Yetzirah, or Book of Formation, one of the foundational texts of Jewish mysticism, dives right into that question. We’ve talked about the Sefer Yetzirah before, exploring...
Jewish mystical tradition has a powerful image for that: a defective knife. The Tikkunei Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah and a companion to the better-known Zohar, speaks of this...
It wasn't all smooth sailing, that's for sure. In fact, according to some fascinating threads in Jewish tradition, there was a bit of a rebellion right at the start. You see, the s...
It turns out, according to some traditions, the Earth wasn't exactly innocent in the whole affair. God commanded the Earth to bring forth "tree of fruit" on the third day of creati...
Our story begins with Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and Shechem, son of Hamor, a prince of the Hivites. Shechem, captivated by Dinah, takes her – a violation that sets in motion a chain...
The sages tell us that Jacob made a vow at Beth-el (the House of God) long ago. But he didn't fulfill it promptly. And according to the legends, this had dire repercussions. The ra...
The story goes that Anah, son of Zibeon, had an encounter that left him shaken to his core. The text simply tells us, "When Anah saw all this, he was exceedingly afraid on account ...
We often think about actions, the concrete things we do (or don't do). But what about those times when we meant to do something good, even if it didn't quite pan out? The Jewish tr...
We all know the story: Joseph, the favored son, flaunts his special coat, stirs up jealousy, and ends up thrown into a pit by his brothers. But have you ever stopped to imagine the...
