2,028 related texts · Page 24 of 43
Rabbi Levi starts us off with a parable. Imagine a king who owns a beautiful orchard. Now, in this orchard, he plants not only fruit-bearing trees – the kind that give you deliciou...
Take the story of the plagues in Egypt. It's not just about showing off God's power; it's a complex tapestry woven with themes of justice, redemption, and even a little bit of…well...
The Book of Exodus gives us a powerful example in the story of Yitro, Moses' father-in-law. And the midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, offers u...
It’s not just about giving what you have, but about how you give it. In the book of Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a powerfu...
It goes all the way back to Mount Sinai, according to the ancient Rabbis. Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, dives into a fascinating interpretation of the ...
The ancient rabbis certainly thought about this, especially when it came to how we talk about each other – and about the Jewish people as a whole. We find ourselves in Shir HaShiri...
It all comes down to the Sanhedrin, the ancient Jewish high court. The Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic commentary on the Song of Songs, offers ...
The Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim in Hebrew, is filled with that kind of raw, powerful emotion. It’s a love poem, yes, but according to Jewish tradition, it’s also a profound all...
The Book of Proverbs tells us, "A man's giving expands him" (Proverbs 18:16). But what does that really mean? Well, Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the ...
Jewish tradition certainly does, especially when it comes to oaths. In fact, the Rabbis saw the misuse of oaths as so serious that it could literally bring down the house! Vayikra ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. to a fascinating story from Vayikra Rabbah, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic collection that explores the Book of Leviticus, and see...
Specifically, we're looking at section 20, which touches upon a delicate matter: when is it okay for a student to start making their own rulings on halakha – that is, Jewish law? R...
It's not just about cleanliness, friends. It’s about something far deeper: our relationship with the Divine. Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on...
And according to the ancient rabbis, there's a profound reason why. Rabbi Yitzḥak opens Vayikra Rabbah 31 with a powerful image, quoting (Psalms 119:140): “Your saying is exceeding...
Jewish tradition grapples with this tension constantly, especially when it comes to giving to the poor. And sometimes, the answers we find are… well, unexpected. to a fascinating, ...
“The Lord vented His fury; He poured out His enflamed wrath. He ignited a fire in Zion, and it consumed her foundations” (Lamentations 4:11).“The Lord vented His fury; He poured ou...
“…who reigned from India to Kush, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces.” Rabbi Eliezer in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: Are there not two hundred and fifty-two provinces in the world...
The animals are all loaded, the family’s aboard… what’s the hold-up? Well, our sages pondered this very question, and, as they often do, came up with some beautiful and thought-pro...
Take Noah’s blessing of his sons after the flood. It's a doozy. Specifically, let's zoom in on Japhet. Noah says, "God shall enlarge Japhet, and bid him to dwell in the house of Sh...
Our ancestor Abraham knew that feeling well. We find him in a fascinating moment in the Midrash of Philo, grappling with hope, faith, and the very definition of a "blessing." Philo...
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...
When thou takest the sum (Exod. 30:12).11This entire section is to be found almost verbatim in Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, pisha 2:4–5. R. Jonah began to discuss the verse For God is ju...
(Numb. 7:1:) “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” R. Judah bar Simon said, “On the day that the Tabernacle was erected, Moses entered and heard a majestic voice...
(Numb. 21:17:) “Then Israel sang.” For what reason is Moses not mentioned there?136Numb. R. 19:26. For the reason that he was being punished because of the waters; and no person pr...
(Numb 28:2:) “Guard to offer it to Me at its set time.” This text is related (to Prov. 13:25), “The righteous man eats to satiate his soul.” This is Eliezer who said to Rebekah (in...
(Deut. 3:23:) “I besought the Lord.” This text is related (to (Job 9:2)2), “It is all one; therefore, I say, ‘He destroys the innocent and the wicked.’” Moses said, “Master of the ...
(Deut. 14:22:) “You shall surely tithe.” This is related to the verse (in Dan. 9:7) “With You, O Lord, there is righteousness, but there is a shameful face with us, to this very da...
(Deut. 16:18:) “You shall appoint [judges and law officers] for yourselves”; and not for the peoples of the world. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:18), “You shall appoint [judg...
(Deut. 16:19, cont.:) “You shall not take a bribe.” When the judge sets his heart on a bribe, he becomes blind to justice and he is unable to judge [a case] honestly. R. Eliezer sa...
When you go out to war, etc. (Deuteronomy 20:1): What is written above the matter? "And the judges shall make a thorough investigation" (Deuteronomy 19:18). From when the judges ex...
One such story, preserved in Vita Adae et Evae (The Life of Adam and Eve), tells of a remarkable vision. It's a bit obscure, not as well-known as other heavenly journeys like Enoch...
We often think of Mashiach – the Messiah – as a future figure, the one who will usher in an era of peace and redemption. But what about now? Where is he? What’s he doing? Jewish tr...
It involves fallen angels, forbidden knowledge, and a whole lot of trouble. This isn't just a story of two rogue angels, Shemhazai and Azazel. According to some accounts, like the ...
That’s the feeling I get when I read passages like this one from the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, sometimes called Lesser Genesis, is an ancient Jewish religious work. I...
That's the scene set for us right at the beginning of Jubilees. God commands Moses, "Write down for thyself all these words which I declare unto thee on this mountain, the first an...
The Book of Jubilees, also known as Lesser Genesis, is an ancient Jewish religious work of 50 chapters, considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as Ethiopian J...
But the Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the stories we find in Genesis and Exodus, really emphasizes this point. It paints a picture of creation itself as ...
Think of it as a really old "director's cut" of the Bible. Specifically, we're looking at Jubilees 6. The passage is talking about a particular festival. What festival? Well, that’...
We catch glimpses of it in the text, but sometimes, we need a little help filling in the blanks. That's where texts like the Book of Jubilees come in. The Book of Jubilees, sometim...
There’s this fascinating ancient text, the Book of Jubilees, a work that retells the stories of Genesis and Exodus but with a very particular slant. It’s not part of the Hebrew Bib...
The Book of Jubilees, a text not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered scripture by some, pulls back the curtain on some pretty intense family drama, and the consequences of not...
We often think of the Torah as the ultimate source, and of course, it is foundational. But there are other ancient texts, bubbling with stories and traditions, that shed even more ...
The Book of Jubilees, a text revered by some ancient Jewish communities but not included in the standard biblical canon, gives us a glimpse behind the curtain of one of the most ch...
Jubilees, considered scripture by some and an important historical text by others, paints a picture of Abraham's unwavering faith in the face of, let’s just say, a lot of challenge...
And He said, "Because thou hast obeyed My voice, and hast not withheld thy son, thy first-born, but hast offered him up to Me, in order that I might make a great nation of thee, an...
We all know the story of the Akeidah, the Binding of Isaac, from Genesis 22. But other ancient texts offer us glimpses that fill in the emotional landscape, adding layers of meanin...
In the Book of Jubilees, we get a peek into just such a moment. Think of it as a sort of ancient family drama, playing out with eternal consequences. We're eavesdropping on a conve...
We're going to peek into the Book of Jubilees, a text considered scripture by some, a fascinating piece of Jewish history by others. It’s a retelling of Genesis and Exodus with som...
