2,028 related texts · Page 8 of 43
The guy who parted the Red Sea, received the Ten Commandments. But even Moses had his moments of doubt. There’s this fascinating passage in Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg, t...
According to the legends, Miriam wasn't just Moses' sister; she was a pivotal figure in her own right. She was a prophetess, a leader, and, perhaps most importantly, she was the re...
I'm not just talking metaphorically big, but physically, impossibly huge. Let's talk about Og, king of Bashan. Now, Og wasn't just tall; he was…unwieldy, let's say. Imagine someone...
Mordecai, in the Book of Esther, certainly did. He had to communicate with Esther, his niece and now Queen, without raising suspicion. So how did he do it? Well, according to Legen...
Abraham didn't just go to Egypt to escape famine. According to Josephus, he went to debate the priests. When drought struck Canaan, Abraham heard that Egypt was prosperous and deci...
We're told that this refining process, this constant work on ourselves, is the essential action for the soul while it's here. It’s the core of our earthly mission. And while there ...
In Kabbalah, the wellspring of wisdom is often described in incredibly intricate terms, a cosmic dance of energies giving rise to… well, everything. Today, we're going to peek into...
R. Eliezer says: On it they were redeemed; but they are destined to be redeemed only on Tishrei, as it is written (Psalms 81:4) "Blow the shofar (of redemption) on the month (of Ti...
Rabbi Eliezer Hamodai taught that Moses was one of four great tzaddik (a righteous person)im (the righteous) — righteous people — to whom God gave a subtle hint about the future. T...
R. Eliezer, the son of R. Yossi Haglili was wont to say (Ibid. 147:19) "He relates His statutes to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. He did not do so for any other n...
The sun beats down, the sand stretches endlessly… and you’re thirsty. Really thirsty. What would you give for a cool, refreshing drink? Well, according to tradition, the Israelites...
The text opens with a verse from Isaiah (44:26): "[God] confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers; that saith of Jerusalem: 'She shall be inh...
Jewish tradition certainly has stories like that, moments where knowledge transcends mere information and becomes something almost…divine. Let’s turn to the Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer,...
Sometimes, the answer lies tucked away in unexpected corners of our sacred literature. Take the tradition of the seven-day wedding celebration, the sheva brachot. Where did that co...
The text recounts Hagar's desperate wanderings with her son. "And she departed and wandered," the passage begins, referencing (Genesis 21:14). But Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer interprets...
Yes, you heard right. Avodah, worship, is the secret ingredient to creation itself. That’s the claim made in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, and it's a pretty bold one, isn't it? Rabbi Isa...
Names aren’t just labels; they're stories waiting to be unlocked, miniature biographies whispered from the past. Take Isaac, for example. His name, in Hebrew, is Yitzchak (יִצְחָק)...
Take the story of Laban, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, for instance. It's a family drama, yes, but also a window into ancient customs and divine compassion. We read in Pirkei DeRabbi El...
Her story, as told in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (chapter 38), takes a turn you might not expect. So, what happened to Asenath before she met Joseph? According to this tradition, Jacob...
They stretch, bend, or take on a new form entirely. It's more than just aesthetics; according to Jewish tradition, these final forms, the sofit, hold a profound secret, a key to un...
Our tradition wrestles with this too, offering some pretty powerful imagery to explain it. Consider this from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text filled with ...
Today, we’re diving into a fascinating passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, specifically section 155, which grapples with the laws surrounding a woman's vows and the power her husband or ...
Jewish tradition understands this feeling on a cosmic scale. Sifrei Devarim, a collection of teachings and interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, explores this very idea in a ...
The Hebrew Bible tells a straightforward story about Isaac digging wells in Gerar and feuding with the Philistines over water rights (Genesis 26). The Targum Jonathan transforms it...
Berachoth: Chapter One From what time on may we read the Sh'm'a of the evening? "From the time the priests enter to eat their Terumah until the end of the first watch," said R. Eli...
(15) It is said above that the school of Hillel said: "He who abounds in kindness inclines [the scale of justice] towards the side of kindness." How does He do it? R. Eliezer said:...
It wasn't just whispers and rumors. The Torah outlines a dramatic, almost unbelievable, ritual involving a priest, an oath, and... bitter water. We find the details of this in Bami...
Rabbi Zakai of She'av offers a beautiful insight. He imagines the Israelites asking God: "Master of the universe, everywhere else You call it the land of Canaan, but here, ‘the lan...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 19, poses a fascinating question: Why isn’t Moses, the leader who struck the rock and brought forth wat...
The Torah gives us hints, but it's in the rabbinic tradition where things get really interesting, where they piece together the ages and relationships to illuminate the story. (Gen...
It centers on Sarai (later Sarah) and Abram (later Abraham), a couple whose journey to parenthood was anything but straightforward. We find them facing a heartbreaking reality: Sar...
They were promised descendants as numerous as the stars, yet years went by in the land of Canaan, barren and seemingly forgotten by destiny. The Torah tells us, “Sarai, Abram’s wif...
It’s a question that's sparked debate and interpretation for centuries. Today, we're diving into Bereshit Rabbah 45, a fascinating passage from the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive c...
Specifically, we're looking at section 47, which tackles the tricky subject of God's promises to both Ishmael and Isaac. The passage centers around (Genesis 17:20), where God says,...
The verse in question is (Genesis 18:15): "Sarah denied, saying: I did not laugh, for she was afraid. He said: No, but you did laugh.” It's a simple exchange. But Rabbi Yehuda ben ...
It’s a question that the ancient rabbis grappled with, and their answers are, well, The Book of Job (23:13) gives us a starting point: "He acts through one, and who can respond to ...
In Jewish tradition, we find moments like that too, and they often lead to powerful breakthroughs. Take the story of Abraham and Sarah in the land of Avimelekh. As the Book of Gene...
The Torah tells us, "The matter was greatly distressing in Abraham’s eyes, regarding his son" (Genesis 21:11). This refers to the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. But why was Abraha...
We know the story: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Abraham, after a terrible internal struggle, obeys. At the last moment, an angel intervenes, and a ram is sacr...
The story of Abraham burying Sarah in the book of Genesis, specifically as explored in Bereshit Rabbah 58, really brings that feeling to life. "Abraham arose from before his dead, ...
The Psalmist certainly pondered this. "Even when I am old and gray, God, do not forsake me" (Psalms 71:18). A simple plea. But Rabbi Aḥa, in Bereshit Rabbah, asks a deceptively sim...
It begins, "Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household, who was in charge of everything that was his: Please, place your hand under my thigh" (Genesis 24:2). Under his...
We often focus on practicalities, but sometimes, the ancient texts remind us that there’s much more at stake than meets the eye. Take the story of Abraham sending his servant to fi...
The story begins with Rebecca, who, upon meeting Eliezer at the well, "ran and told her mother’s household all about these matters" (Genesis 24:28). Now, Rabbi Yoḥanan makes an int...
We pick up with Rebecca, about to leave her family to marry Isaac. (Genesis 24:59) tells us, “They sent Rebecca their sister, and her nursemaid, and Abraham’s servant, and his men....
He shows us that even in old age, we can still blossom and bear fruit. It all starts with a beautiful verse from Psalms (92:14-15): "Planted in the House of the Lord, they blossom ...
It’s a question that perplexed some of our sages, too. Take Ishmael, for example. (Genesis 25:12) starts out: "These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the E...
The kind that makes you want to throw your hands up and say, "Enough!" Well, pull up a chair, because the story of Rebecca and Isaac, and the mess with Esau's wives, takes family d...
