4,193 related texts · Page 86 of 88
Someone is being called out for criticizing the act of diligently seeking to understand the sacred texts. The response is sharp: "Who gave you the authority to seek and investigate...
Take those verses that seem to hint at a divine “we.” The big one, of course, is (Genesis 1:26): "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Seems pretty clear-cut. A plura...
It’s a question that’s plagued theologians and spiritual seekers for centuries. Are we addressing the Infinite, the unknowable source of all creation? Or is there… something more? ...
It's not as simple as shouting into the void, that's for sure! According to the Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah, and subsequent Kabbalistic teachings, all our service, all our ...
It’s a question that's occupied mystics for centuries, and one that leads us into some pretty fascinating corners of Kabbalah. , shall we? We begin with the words of Moses himself,...
(Genesis 2:15). But not the man created in God’s image? It’s a question that has puzzled thinkers for centuries. What’s the deal? Some folks, taking a rather literal view, suggest ...
Specifically, I’m thinking of (Genesis 2:14). It's not just that the Euphrates river is mentioned. Oh no, we also get that the Pishon "goes round all the land of Evilat," the Gihon...
It’s a question that’s nagged at theologians and storytellers for centuries. Why does Moses, in the book of Genesis, specifically call out the serpent as being the craftiest of the...
We read it, we move on. But what if there's a whole universe of meaning packed into those few simple words? That's where midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) comes in. Midras...
Philo, the 1st-century Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, grappled with this very question in his own way. In what we call "The Midrash of Philo," he argues that Adam must have be...
Turns out, there's more to it than just a quick wardrobe fix. Our sages saw layers of meaning woven into that very first act of covering up. In The Midrash of Philo, we find a fasc...
Sometimes, it's not just about what happened, but when it happened. And that order can be brimming with meaning. Take the story of the Garden of Eden. We all know the tale: the ser...
The ancient Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria grappled with this very question. Philo, living in the 1st century CE, sought to reconcile Jewish scripture with Greek philosophy...
Take the story of Cain and Abel. A foundational story. We all know it: the first brothers, the first offering, the first murder. So, why is it that in (Genesis 4:5), it says, "And ...
Philo, a Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria in the first century CE, offered a unique lens through which to view the Torah. He sought to reconcile Jewish tradition with Gre...
We read about Adam and Eve having another son, Seth, and suddenly, he's the one carrying the torch, the one from whom humanity will descend. What gives? The Midrash of Philo, a fas...
One fascinating perspective comes to us from a text known as The Midrash of Philo. Now, when we say "midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)," we're talking about a particular s...
That’s the kind of divine regret we find hinted at in (Genesis 6:7), when God says, "I am indignant that I made them." Now, hold on. Does that sound. God, feeling indignant? Isn't ...
And that's precisely the question posed in The Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations and expansions on the Torah attributed to Philo of Alexandria, the great Jewish phi...
We see potential, and we want to help it blossom. But how do you actually do it? The Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations and homilies attributed to the philosopher Ph...
It's not just a children's tale about animals two-by-two. Ancient interpreters saw layers of meaning in every detail, even the order in which people entered and exited the ark. Phi...
The text grapples with a seeming contradiction. God, knowing humanity’s propensity for wickedness from the start, initially intended to destroy the world with a flood. Yet, afterwa...
Philo grapples with this very question: Why are the names "Lord" and "God" sometimes used together? His answer? It's all about God's attributes, specifically benevolence and kingly...
They tell a story. They hint at something deeper. Take Noah's sons: Shem, Ham, and Japhet. You'd think their order would be consistent. But it's not! Isn't that peculiar? Sometimes...
The ancient sages certainly did. And sometimes, the most straightforward stories hide the deepest truths. Take the tale we find in The Midrash of Philo, for example. It seems simpl...
It all starts with the verse: "Abraham passed over and sat upon them" (Genesis 15:11). Simple enough. But what does it mean? What is Abraham sitting on? Some interpret this verse a...
Take the writings attributed to Philo of Alexandria, for example. Now, there’s some debate about whether these are actually from Philo himself, but the collection known as “The Mid...
The ancient sages certainly did. to a fascinating interpretation from the Midrash of Philo that uses geography to explain the pursuit of happiness itself. Philo, a Jewish philosoph...
Jewish tradition certainly understands that feeling. And it can be pretty direct about it, too. Take this passage from The Midrash of Philo. Now, Philo of Alexandria, he was a fasc...
He offered some truly unique insights. Philo, in his allegorical style, sees deep meaning behind seemingly simple words and numbers. In this particular passage, he examines the sig...
to a fascinating interpretation from the Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations attributed to the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. The passage in question revolve...
And the answer, again and again, comes back to this: God is everywhere. It's right there in the scriptures. As it says, "His presence fills all the earth" (Isaiah 6:3). We're not t...
We're told, in no uncertain terms, that the Land of Israel is the heart of it all. But it doesn't stop there. Jerusalem, we learn, is the heart of the Land of Israel. And within Je...
With1The prefix bet in the first word of the Torah can be translated as “with,” “in,”, “by means of,” etc. the beginning (Gen. 1:1). This is what Scripture means when it says: The ...
And the whole earth was of one language (Gen. 11:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Slay them not, lest my people forget, make them wander to and fro by Thy ...
Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred (Gen. 12:9). R. Berechiah opened the discussion with the verse: We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do...
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 Abraham took another wife (Gen. 25:1). Scripture states elsewhere: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy end shall greatly increase (Job 8:7). This verse alludes to Moses. R....
As for Asher, his bread shall be fat (Gen. 49:20). That is, his daughters shall be beautiful, as it is said: For my daughters make me happy (Gen. 30:13). Blessed be Asher above son...
Another comment on These are the names (Exod. 1:1). Scripture states: As is Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise, unto the end of the earth (Ps. 48:11). Men praise a human king as str...
And Moses was content to dwell (Exod. 2:21). The word content (vayo’el) is used with reference to an oath, as in the case of Saul: And he adjured (vayo’el) the people (I Sam. 14:24...
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (Exod. 4:29). He told them: The Holy One, blessed be He, has said: I have surely remembered ...
Another explanation of God thundereth marvelously with his voice (Job 37:5). When did the Holy One, blessed be He, perform these miracles with His voice? He did so at the time he w...
Go into the wilderness to meet Moses (Exod. 4:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each ...
And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: “I am the Lord; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob” (Exod. 6:2). May our masters teach us the punishment that is i...
And they said: “The God of the Hebrews hath met with us” (Exod. 5:3). Moses and Aaron declared: Perhaps You will say we altered Your words when we told him: “Thus said the Lord, th...
And the Lord said unto Moses: “Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven that there may be hail” (Exod. 9:22). Scripture says (elsewhere in allusion to this verse): Whatsoever the Lord ...
Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness (Exod. 10:21). Where did the darkness come from? R. Judah and R. Nehemiah discussed this question. R. Judah held: It ...
