2,028 related texts · Page 12 of 43
(Exodus 18:4) "and the name of the second, 'Eliezer,' for (Moses said: 'The G–d of (Elokei) my father was my help (ezri), and He saved me from the 'sword of Pharaoh.'" R. Yehoshua ...
R. Eliezer says: The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses: I am the one who spoke and brought the world into being. I am the one who draws near and not the one who distances, viz. ...
R. Elazar Hamodai offered a different explanation for what made Yithro rejoice. It was not the manna, he argued, but the miraculous well — the portable spring of water that travele...
R. Eliezer took the debate in yet another direction. When Yithro rejoiced "over all the good," he was not celebrating manna or water. He was rejoicing over the promise of Eretz Yis...
Rabbi Eliezer transmits a teaching in the name of Abba Yossi ben Dormaskith that exposes one of the most unsettling truths about God's relationship with Israel. The verse says: "An...
R. Eliezer, the son of R. Yossi Haglili says: Whence is it derived that every one of Israel will have sons like those who left Egypt? From (Psalms 45:17) "In place of your fathers ...
Rabbi Eliezer offers a breathtaking interpretation of (Song of Songs 2:14), reading each phrase as a reference to the events at the Red Sea. The verse reads: "Show me your face, le...
Rabbi Akiva challenged Rabbi Eliezer with a question about what happened when God spoke the commandments at Sinai. Moses spoke and God answered — but what does that mean? Rabbi Eli...
The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael records a remarkable teaching from Rabbi Yehudah about the relationship between God and Moses. When (Exodus 19:24) records God saying to Moses, "Go, d...
Rabbi Eliezer offered a mordantly funny interpretation of the phrase "elohim acherim" (other gods) in the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael. He connected "acherim" not to "otherness" but t...
The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael examines the Shabbat (the Sabbath) commandment's reference to "your man-servant and your maid-servant," asking a pointed question: which servants does...
R. Eliezer says; It is revealed and known to Him who spoke and brought the world into being that a man honors his mother more than he does his father because she cajoles him with w...
R. Eliezer says: to apprise us of the exalted state of Israel. When they all stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, there were no blind ones among them, viz. "And all the peopl...
Rabbi Eliezer taught about the meaning of suffering by turning to the book of Proverbs. He cited the verse: "The chastisement of the Lord, my son, do not despise" (Proverbs 3:11). ...
Rabbi Eliezer, one of the greatest sages of the Mishnaic period, fell gravely ill. Four distinguished elders came to visit him at his bedside: Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi E...
(Exodus 21:2) "If you buy a Hebrew man-servant": Scripture here speaks of one sold by beth-din (to pay for what he has stolen), in which instance he serves both the father and the ...
R. Eliezer says: This (inclusion) is not needed. If a Jew serves, how much more so a proselyte!—But perhaps (I would say) If a Jew serves six years, a proselyte should serve twelve...
The Torah specifies that a Hebrew maidservant does not go free through the loss of "organ prominences" — external body parts like teeth or eyes that, if knocked out by the master, ...
The Mekhilta examines how the Torah's laws governing Hebrew servants apply equally to men and women. The verse states "the Hebrew man or the Hebrew woman" (Deuteronomy 15:12), and ...
The Mekhilta addresses the legal status of a Hebrew maid-servant in relation to the laws of bodily injury. The general rule in Torah law is that a servant who loses an "organ promi...
The Torah describes a young woman sold into servitude by her father and establishes the conditions under which she goes free. Rabbi Eliezer interprets the verse "Then she shall go ...
(Exodus 21:20) introduces the law of a master who strikes his bondservant: "And if a man strike his man-servant or his maid-servant." The Mekhilta explains why this verse is necess...
Rabbi Eliezer offered an additional proof that "eye for an eye" means monetary compensation. His argument is an a fortiori — a kal va-chomer — that he considered logically airtight...
"the eye of his man-servant": I might think (that he goes free) even if it developed a leucoma; it is, therefore, written "and he destroy it." Only a blow that causes destruction (...
Rabbi Yishmael taught a sobering principle about Canaanite bondservants: a Canaanite bondservant can never be redeemed by an outside party. The only path to freedom is the master's...
The Torah says the ox gored "a man-servant or a maid-servant." The Mekhilta asks: which kind of servant? This must refer to a Canaanite bondservant, not an Israelite one. The proof...
When fire spreads from one person's property and damages a neighbor's field, how far does liability extend? The Mekhilta records a three-way debate among the sages that reveals jus...
"The oath of the Lord shall be between the two of them" — the Mekhilta focuses on the divine Name used in this verse. The oath is described as "the oath of the Lord" — using the Te...
(Exodus 22:10) states: "The oath of the Lord shall be between the two of them." The Mekhilta extracts four separate legal principles from this single phrase, each based on the word...
"And there be refreshed the son of your maid-servant" — this verse about Sabbath rest mentions a "maid-servant's son." The Mekhilta identifies this as an uncircumcised Canaanite se...
(Exodus 35:3) commands: "You shall not light a fire in all of your dwellings" on the Sabbath. The Mekhilta connects this verse to a completely different discussion about the shemit...
The Talmud tells us a wild story about Rabbah bar Bar Hannah, a figure whose legendary travels are filled with unbelievable encounters (B. Bava Batra 73a). On one of these journeys...
We all know the story: Abraham, tested by God, is commanded to sacrifice his beloved son. But what happened to Isaac in those heart-stopping moments? The familiar Genesis account l...
But there’s so much more to it than just a spiritual "reset" button. on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, tradition tells us that God sits in judgment of everyone. Then, on Yom K...
The Torah tells us a story about just that. It's a scorching day, and Abraham is sitting at the entrance to his tent, near the terebinths of Mamre. Suddenly, he looks up and sees t...
Ever stumble across a name in the Bible and wonder, "Who was that person?" The Torah is full of these little mysteries! Let's talk about one that always gets my attention: Iscah. Y...
(Genesis 24:1) tells us that in his old age, God blessed Abraham in all things. We usually think of that in terms of wealth and a long life. But what if there was more? What if "al...
The Jewish tradition has a lot to say about the Olam Ha-Ba, the World to Come. And some of it might surprise you. One image, found in Eliyahu Rabbah, paints a pretty cozy picture. ...
Who shall sojourn in Your holy mountain?" It’s a question that’s echoed through the ages, prompting deep reflection on what it means to be worthy of divine intimacy. The Talmud in ...
The verse we're focusing on is "Arise, O Lord." It's a plea, a call to action. But according to the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), it's also a reminder. A reminder of ...
The ancient texts offer some pretty fascinating clues, particularly in how they describe the transformation that comes with repentance. Take Midrash Tehillim, for example, a collec...
The ancient rabbis knew that feeling well. And they found solace, not in denying the reality of loneliness, but in recognizing that even in the most desolate places, God is present...
They turned to midrash, a method of interpreting scripture that fills in gaps, answers questions, and breathes life into the text. Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage fr...
Psalm 91 is all about that feeling, and Midrash Tehillim—an ancient collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms—dives deep into its meaning. The verse declares, "I...
The verse "These are the servants of the Lord" might seem simple. But the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) sees something deeper. It connects this phrase directly to the ...
In fact, it teaches us that it's really not fitting to sing your own praises… unless someone else steps up to vouch for you. But then, who vouches for God? That's the question pose...
The sages of old certainly did. A fascinating story unfolds in the Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of homiletical teachings, that explores this very question. It all starts with...
His father, Hyrkanos, a wealthy landowner, has him toiling away on a rocky, unproductive patch of land. Eliezer sits down and weeps. "Why are you crying, my son?" Hyrkanos asks. "A...
