2,086 related texts · Page 41 of 44
The scene: the Israelites are in the desert, and something unusual is happening. Two men, Eldad and Medad, are prophesying within the camp (Bamidbar/(Numbers 11:2)7). A "youth" run...
We often think of strength, wisdom, or maybe even wealth. But what about humility? The Torah, in the Book of Numbers, specifically Bamidbar (Numbers 12:3), tells us something profo...
The passage opens with a rather startling image: "And the L-rd said suddenly." R. Shimon b. Menassia points out that Moses himself was frightened by the word "suddenly" earlier in ...
It’s a question that’s been wrestled with for centuries, and the answers are surprisingly nuanced. Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection...
Our source today is Sifrei Bamidbar, and it unveils a remarkable array of gifts bestowed upon the Cohanim – the priests. We're talking about twelve specific offerings originating "...
Today, let's look at a fascinating little puzzle found in Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Numbers. The verse we're looking at begins with a se...
In Sifrei Devarim, we find this little gem: "Much to you dwelling in this mountain." It sounds straightforward. Like a simple acknowledgement of gratitude. But, as always, there’s ...
It’s not just about divine appointment; there’s some practical, almost bureaucratic, wisdom baked in too. to a passage from Sifrei Devarim, a fascinating text that expands upon the...
Take the Israelites wandering in the desert, for example. They’d been through so much – slavery in Egypt, the Exodus, the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Yet, here they were, facing ...
The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)im on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a powerful reminder of this. When it says, "as all that He...
It's not just random! Take a look at (Deuteronomy 3:24): "O L-rd (Yod-keh-vav-keh), G-d (Elokim)." Even in just these few words, there's a depth of meaning. The Sifrei Devarim, a c...
Turns out, keeping time – especially Jewish time – is a delicate dance. Let's talk about Aviv. You know, the month we now call Nissan, the month of Passover? (Deuteronomy 16:1) kic...
The book of Deuteronomy, or Devarim in Hebrew, offers a potent reminder. Specifically, Sifrei Devarim 191 draws our attention to the verse: "Do not fear them, for the L-rd your G-d...
It's not just a historical account; it's a profound lesson about faith, resilience, and the vulnerabilities we face on our own paths. The passage in Sifrei Devarim 296, focusing on...
Like you're just... toiling? The ancient Israelites certainly did, and their story, as told in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), resonates even today. But let's not just read the ...
The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, pauses to reflect on just that. It unpacks a key verse, reminding us of the spe...
Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)im (interpretations) on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a fascinating breakdown. It suggests there...
When a human king celebrates a special occasion, like a wedding, he shares his wealth and joy. But Sifrei Devarim, in its commentary on (Deuteronomy 33:2), challenges this very hum...
The Torah, our guide to navigating life's complexities, doesn't shy away from these tough questions. And in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), we find a particularly striking examp...
We often think of death as an ending, a final curtain. But what if it's not? What if the impact of a life, especially a life dedicated to wisdom and teaching, continues to resonate...
It’s a question that’s echoed through generations, pondered in synagogues and around countless Shabbat (the Sabbath) tables. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrash (rabb...
The opening verse of Deuteronomy lists a string of place names — "in the wilderness, in the Arabah, over against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zah...
Exodus chapter 4 tells how Moses received miraculous signs to convince Israel of his mission. The Targum Jonathan transforms this chapter into something far stranger—especially whe...
The Targum Jonathan on Exodus 8 contains one of the most remarkable theological additions in all of ancient Aramaic literature: the reason Moses personally refused to bring the pla...
Amalek's attack on Israel at Rephidim is only a few verses in (Exodus 17). The Targum Jonathan expands it into an epic confrontation with backstory, supernatural geography, and a w...
In the Hebrew Bible, Jethro visits Moses in the wilderness, gives advice about delegating judges, and leaves. The Targum Jonathan on (Exodus 18) transforms this administrative visi...
The instructions for building the Tabernacle in (Exodus 25) read like an architectural blueprint in the Hebrew Bible. The Targum Jonathan adds theological meaning to nearly every m...
The standard biblical text of (Exodus 26:1-37) reads like a construction manual. Ten curtains of fine linen, fifty gold clasps, boards of acacia wood, silver bases. The ancient Ara...
The appointment of Bezalel and the commandment of Sabbath in (Exodus 31:1-18) culminate in one of the most extraordinary images in all of Targum Jonathan: the physical description ...
The golden calf episode in (Exodus 32:1-35) is already one of the Torah's most dramatic stories. The Targum Jonathan makes it wilder, stranger, and more theologically loaded than a...
The second set of tablets in (Exodus 34:1-35) carries a weight the first set never had. These were carved by human hands, not divine ones. But the Targum Jonathan adds something to...
The construction of the Tabernacle in (Exodus 36:1-38) begins with a problem no ancient building project should have had. The people brought too much. Morning after morning, they a...
Bezalel built the Ark, the Table, the Candelabrum, and the Incense Altar in (Exodus 37:1-29). The Hebrew text describes each object's dimensions. The Targum Jonathan explains how a...
The completion of all the Tabernacle's furnishings and garments in (Exodus 39:1-43) should feel repetitive. The craftsmen were building exactly what God commanded. But the Targum J...
The final chapter of Exodus (Exodus 40:1-38) is, in the Hebrew Bible, the moment God's Presence fills the completed Tabernacle. The Targum Jonathan turns this moment into a prophet...
The Targum Jonathan transforms the consecration of the Levites from a brief ritual into an elaborate purification involving specific quantities of water, a razor over every inch of...
The Targum Jonathan on (Deuteronomy 4) transforms the Sinai revelation into something far more vivid than the Hebrew original. Where the Bible says God spoke from the fire, the Tar...
And the one who offered his sacrifice on the first day was Nachshon ben Aminadab of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 7:12). Our Rabbi, the one who offered the sacrifice to the altar, ta...
When God commanded Israel to give a half-shekel for the census, Moses was confused. Not by the amount — half a shekel was nearly nothing, a laborer's loose change. What baffled him...
"And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year..." (Numbers 1:1).1Guggen...
Another Explanation "And first born of your children you shall redeem" (Exodus 13:13) Where [is this law sourced:] If his father did not redeem him, he should redeem himself. [We a...
"And the waters will came back and cover the chariot and the horsemen" (Exodus 14:26) And even Par'oh, according to Rabi Yehuda, as it says "the chariots of Phar'oh and his army" (...
“Take the staff…” (Bamidbar 20:8) This is what the scripture says “The staff of your might the Lord will send from Zion…” (Psalms 110:2) This is the staff which was in the hand of ...
When Moses ascended to heaven to receive the Torah, the angels were furious. According to Shabbat 88b, they confronted God directly: "What is a human being doing among us?" God tol...
The full scope of Moses's argument against the angels is recorded in Shabbat 89a, and it is a masterclass in turning your opponent's own premises against them. Moses went through t...
The Hebrew Bible says Moses came to "the mountain of God" at Horeb (Exodus 3:1). Targum Onkelos specifies: "the mountain on which the Glory of God was revealed." The mountain is no...
The Hebrew Bible says God "descended upon" Mount Sinai in fire (Exodus 19:18). Targum Onkelos will not allow God to descend. He writes: "God became revealed upon it in fire." The m...
The Hebrew Bible says Moses, Aaron, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy elders "saw the God of Israel" (Exodus 24:10). This is an extraordinary claim—direct visual perception of the divine. ...
