10,602 related texts · Page 165 of 221
That feeling is at the heart of this story, a real-life exchange steeped in tradition and faith. It comes from a fascinating text called "The Wars of God," and it lays bare a disag...
The text we're looking at speaks to just that – a world where falsehood reigns and those who uphold Torah are scorned. It's a harsh indictment, a cry of pain from someone who feels...
It's a harsh rebuke, a stark reminder of the damage that lashon hara – evil speech – can inflict. The writer directly confronts his friend, accusing him of believing falsehoods wit...
Isn't it astonishing how different interpretations can arise, even when dealing with texts we hold sacred? We're left scratching our heads, honestly, reading your words. Are you su...
Isn't it frustrating when someone twists your words, puts ideas in your mouth, and generally acts in bad faith? That's the vibe I get from this next section of "The Wars of God." S...
The Zohar, that mystical cornerstone of Kabbalah, gives us a glimpse into their inner world. In Parashat Bereshit, 34a, it speaks of God’s reign in layered terms: "The Lord is King...
How did they know which aspect of God they were connecting with? It's a profound question that touches on the very heart of our faith. to a fascinating passage from the tractate Me...
The book "HaB'rit," in a chapter written by the author of "Ma'amar Kuf" in "Yashar Levav," touches on this very idea: that the very name of God is ever-present on our lips. When we...
Oy vey! Have we, in our zeal for hidden wisdom, inadvertently stumbled into idolatry? It's a question that weighs heavily, especially when considering the influence of the Zohar an...
a passage that offers a rather… pointed perspective. The Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations attributed to Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher from the 1st cent...
It’s a question that’s haunted philosophers and theologians for millennia, and it surfaces in some truly fascinating ways in ancient Jewish thought. to a snippet from The Midrash o...
Philo, in his writings, believed that understanding “right division” – what we might call proper order – is key to understanding… well, everything. He argued that right division an...
It's more than just annoying; some ancient wisdom traditions see it as a dangerous imbalance, a distortion of the very self. Philo, a Jewish philosopher living in Alexandria in the...
This particular piece tackles the tricky subject of a virtuous man taking a concubine, even though he already has a wife. How could that possibly be seen as righteous? Well, Philo ...
But stick with me. We find a fascinating idea tucked away in the Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations attributed to the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. It's al...
That image – of falling on one's face – becomes incredibly potent when we explore the story of Abraham. The Midrash of Philo, an ancient commentary attributed to Philo of Alexandri...
And I will bless thee and make thy name great, and be thou a blessing (Gen. 12:2). And I will bless thee implies: I Myself will bless thee. I will make thy name great indicates tha...
And it came to pass after these words that God did prove Abraham (Gen. 22:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Forasmuch as the king’s word hath power; and wh...
And the Lord saw that Leah was hated (Gen. 29:31). May our master teach us: May a man pronounce a blessing over the fragrance of spices employed in idolatrous worship? Our masters ...
And the Lord said unto Jacob: “Return unto the land of thy fathers” (Gen. 31:3). May it please our master to teach us whether an Israelite may light a candle with another candle up...
And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see (Gen. 34:1). Was she not also Jacob’s daughter? Indeed, but Scripture associates her name with that of her mother. Leah’s daughter ...
And Joseph was brought down into Egypt (Gen. 39:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Come and see the works of God; he acts circuitously in His doings toward ...
Another comment on Then Judah drew near unto him. He came near him and said huskily; “Oh, my lord, do not transgress the laws of justice because of us. Let thy servant, I pray thee...
And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: The envy also of Ephraim shall depart … Ephraim shall not envy Judah (Isa. 11:13)....
And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Jacob sent Judah before him to establish an academy wherein he might teach the Torah as he had previously done for the tribes. You know t...
Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea (Gen. 49:13). Zebulun was mentioned before Issachar even though Issachar was the elder. Why? Zebulun was engaged in commercial activity,...
1:1). Scripture states (elsewhere in allusion to this verse): He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chastiseth him betimes (Prov. 13:24). Normally, if a ma...
Who came into Egypt with Jacob (Exod. 1:1). Did they actually enter Egypt on that very day? Had not many days passed by since their arrival? (This informs us that) as long as Josep...
See, I have set thee in God’s stead to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (Exod. 7:1). Just as the lecturer sits and lectures, and the interpreter explains his wor...
And I will get me honor upon Pharaoh (Exod. 14:4). This verse tells us that whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from the nations, His name is exalted in the wo...
The deeps were congealed (Exod. 15:8). He fashioned them into a kind of vault. In the heart of the sea (ibid.). Where is a man’s heart located? It is located just above two thirds ...
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb (Exod. 17:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Wherever you find the imprint of a man’s foot, there I stand b...
In the third month (Exod. 19:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Have I not written unto thee excellent things (shilshom) of counsels and knowledge (Prov. 22:20...
If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge (Exod. 22:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: How guilty are your sins before Me, yet I have been patient with you. And...
This is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, etc. (Exod. 25:3). The gold corresponds to the kingdom of Babylon, as it is written concerning her: Thou art the head of gol...
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (Exod. 25:8). On which day did He relate to Moses the portion relating to the Temple? It was on the Day of Atonement. ...
And thou shalt command the children of Israel (Exod. 27:20). If the lamp which is not for the purpose of eating requires pure olive oil, should not the meal-offerings, which are fo...
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel according to their number (Exod. 30:12).14Pesikta de Rav Kahana, Shekalim, p. 156. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Ta...
This they shall give, everyone that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel (Exod. 30:13). Because they had sinned at the sixth hour,16Word-play reading the word boshet...
And Moses said unto the children of Israel: “See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri” (Exod. 35:30). May it please our masters to teach us: How far must a person g...
See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel (Exod. 35:30). Scripture says elsewhere: To whom then will ye liken Me, that I should be equal? saith the Lord. Lift up your eyes on high ...
The tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). This refers the Torah in which they labored. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Because of the Torah and the sacrifices, I will rescu...
(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings." When they offered the sacrifice of the peace offerings, the Holy One, blessed be He, would lift up His face to ...
(Lev. 16:1:) “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death [of Aaron's two sons].” This is what Elihu said (to Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps.” Elihu was obs...
(Lev. 17:3:) “If any single person from the House of Israel.” This text is related (to Ps. 51:20–21), “Make Zion prosper in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then...
R. Tanhuma opened [his discourse] (with Job 41:3), “Who has advanced Me anything that I shall repay him; everything under the heavens is Mine.”40Lev. R. 27:2; PRK 9:2. This refers ...
(Lev. 22:27), “And from the eighth day on [it shall be acceptable for an offering by fire to the Lord].” So that your [evil] drive not lead you astray by saying that there is eatin...
(Numb. 4:17-18:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘Do not cut off the tribe of the Kohathite families [from the Levites].’” This text is related (to Prov. 22...
