906 related texts · Page 9 of 19
We know the story: the first murder, a brother turned against brother. But what about Cain's reaction to his punishment? It's more complex than you might think. The Torah tells us ...
The Book of Genesis (19:24) tells us plainly: "And the Lord rained down brimstone and fire upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah from the Lord, from the heavens." But the rabbis, in their e...
The story of Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, is a powerful illustration of just that – a tale of lost potential, impulsive actions, and the consequences that ripple through generations....
Specifically, how being preoccupied can cloud even the sharpest minds. We find this idea explored in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesi...
The book of Exodus and the sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explore this very idea. In (Exodus 32:7), we read, "The Lord spoke to Moses: Go descend; for your...
The text suggests that these three actions originated from Moses' own reasoning, and, remarkably, his reasoning turned out to be in sync with God's own. The first instance involves...
The verse in question, from (Leviticus 14:4), describes a ritual for purifying someone who has been healed from a skin disease: “The priest shall command, and one shall take for th...
He begins with a verse from Deuteronomy (13:5): “You shall follow the Lord your God.” But then he asks, how can mere mortals like us truly follow the Divine? After all, as the Psal...
There was an incident involving Miriam bat Baitus, whom Yehoshua ben Gamla betrothed [to him], and the king appointed him to be the High Priest.173He was appointed to this position...
There was an incident involving Miriam daughter of Nakdimon for whom the Sages alloted five hundred gold dinars for a basket of perfume each day. She nonetheless stood and cursed t...
There was an incident involving Miriam bat Baitus, the baker, who was taken captive and redeemed in Akko. They purchased a mantle for her.180The local Jewish community ransomed her...
“He burned in Jacob like flaming fire, consuming all around.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: When calamity comes, it is only Jacob who senses it. What is the source? “He burned in J...
“Princes were hanged by their hand; the elders were not shown deference” (Lamentations 5:12).“Princes were hanged by their hand.” There was a government steward who entered the cit...
“The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music” (Lamentations 5:14).“The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.” They ceased playi...
And Joseph made ready his chariot (Gen. 46:29). R. Yudan said in the name of R. Aibu: Two men were accorded more homage than any other men in all the world; they were Jethro and Ja...
And he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness (Exod. 3:1). In answer to the query Why did he go into the wilderness? R. Johanan said: He went into the wilderness becau...
Three things Moses found difficult and the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them to him with a finger and these are them: The making of the menorah, the moon, and creeping things.35...
Or Eliyahu, as he's known in Hebrew. He wasn't exactly known for his gentle touch. Ben Sira, in chapter 48, paints a picture of a man of intense zeal. “And he shattered their staff...
There are so many fascinating texts that offer different perspectives and details on familiar narratives. Today, we're diving into a chapter from one of these books: the Book of Ja...
The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle translated by Moses Gaster in 1899, preserves an unusual parallel timeline linking the rise of Rome with the suffering ...
When Amram separated from his wife after Pharaoh's decree to drown all Hebrew boys, it was his young daughter Miriam who brought them back together. The Spirit of God came upon the...
After Joshua died, Israel had no leader. The people asked God who should fight the Canaanites, and God told them to cast lots. The lot fell on Kenaz, from the tribe of Caleb, who b...
The story of Israel's return from exile reads like a cascade of empires, each rising and falling at breathtaking speed. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Heb...
The fourth beast in Daniel's vision had arrived. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle preserved by Moses Gaster in 1899, the kingdom of Rome ro...
We all know the story: Moses, the parting of the waters, a miraculous escape. But what if there was someone else there, seeing even more than meets the eye? That someone was Serah ...
According to tradition, on the second day, God brought forth four distinct creations: the firmament (rakia in Hebrew), hell, fire, and the angels. Now, the firmament isn't just the...
The story, as we find it elaborated upon in Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, takes us far beyond the spare verses of Genesis. It paints a vivid picture, filled with dialogue and em...
According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, it was the one hundred and thirtieth year after the Israelites arrived in Egypt. Pharaoh, uneasy in his power, had a distur...
Pharaoh has decreed that all Hebrew baby boys must be killed. What's a mother to do? As Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) tells us, she takes matters into her own hands. She builds an...
It’s a story ripe with tension, a hero in the making, and a glimpse into the early acts that shaped one of the most pivotal figures in Jewish history. According to Legends of the J...
Take, for example, the story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses, tending his flock near Mount Horeb, a place already imbued with a sense of holiness – even the birds seemed to kn...
We know he received the Torah, but according to some fascinating accounts, his journey didn't stop there. He was granted a glimpse into the ultimate destinations: Paradise and hell...
According to Legends of the Jews, on the second day of Creation, God didn't just whip up one thing, but four: the firmament, hell, fire, and the angels. Talk about a busy day! We'r...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, it all started 130 years after the Israelites went down to Egypt. Pharaoh, in his dream, saw an old man standing before hi...
That's the kind of dream we're talking about here. After receiving a powerful vision – we don't know the specifics, but it clearly carried immense weight – Amram, a prominent figur...
Like the universe is asking you to do something impossibly huge, and all you can think is, "Who, me?" That's precisely where Moses found himself. Imagine the scene: Moses, tending ...
It’s not just a coincidence. Jewish tradition loves patterns, and the number three seems to be deeply woven into the fabric of our story, connecting the Torah, the people of Israel...
We often picture Moses standing alone on the mountain, receiving the word of God. But what about the women? Did they play a role? And if so, what was it? According to Legends of th...
According to tradition, we’re talking about ten times total. And we’re not just talking about a quiet whisper in the wind. These are monumental, earth-shattering events. The text y...
The ancient Israelites must have felt something like that when the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, was finally erected in the desert. But according to our tradition, it wasn't just a buil...
And it plays out in a beautiful way in the story of Moses. According to Ginzberg’s retelling in Legends of the Jews, Moses, ever humble, believed his work was done once the Mishkan...
His sons, in a moment of unauthorized zeal, offered "alien fire" before the Lord and were consumed. A devastating blow. How could joy ever return? Yet, according to Legends of the ...
The story goes that after God addressed Aaron and Miriam, they started interrupting Him! Can you imagine? It's a bold move. But what's even more fascinating is God's response. Rath...
Moses, desperate, remembers a secret he learned during his time on Mount Sinai, when he ascended to receive the Torah. It's a pretty wild story, actually. Each angel he encountered...
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...
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...
Gideon, one of the Judges of Israel, certainly did. The story goes that an angel appeared to Gideon, tasking him with a monumental mission: delivering Israel from the oppression of...
Daniel was off doing who-knows-what, probably advising some other royal, and Nebuchadnezzar, in his infinite wisdom (or lack thereof), decided everyone needed to worship a giant id...
