4,670 related texts · Page 12 of 98
We often think of poverty in terms of money, or the lack thereof. But what if poverty could also mean a lack of knowledge, a lack of connection, or even a lack of generosity? Vayik...
This question, believe it or not, has occupied Jewish thinkers for centuries. And it all stems from a seemingly simple verse in Leviticus (26:42): “I will remember My covenant with...
“The adversary extended his hand over all her delights; for she saw the nations entering her Sanctuary, whom You had commanded that they should not enter Your assembly” (Lamentatio...
They dared to ask: Who really governs all those hidden worlds the Kabbalists only hinted at? : If Zeir Anpin, the "Small Face" – a Kabbalistic term for one of the configurations of...
Throughout Jewish history, there have been moments of tension between established teachings and emerging ideas. One such point of contention revolves around the Kabbalah (Jewish My...
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 recurring theme in Jewish thought, this tension between reason and revelation. The Kabbalists, those mystics who plumb the depths of Jewish esotericism, they didn’t hold bac...
The Torah tells us Noah sent it out not once, but twice. The first time, it came back with an olive branch – a sign of hope! But the second time… nothing. It just... didn’t return....
Sometimes, it feels like there's a whole hidden world waiting to be unlocked. Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in the first century CE, was absolutely convinced ...
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...
We often stumble upon verses that seem straightforward but hint at something profound, something beyond the literal. Take (Genesis 17:4), where God says to Abraham, "And I, behold,...
He’s just received the earth-shattering news that he, in his old age, is going to have a son with Sarah. A son who will carry on the covenant with God. It's huge! But then comes th...
(Lev. 19:23:) “When you come into the land and plant.” This text is related (to Eccl. 2:5), “I made gardens and orchards for myself, and in them I planted every kind of fruit tree....
That's the razor's edge Judah found himself walking in the Book of Jubilees, chapter 43. It all revolves around a cup. Not just any cup, mind you, but a cup that Joseph, disguised ...
Specifically, we're looking at Tobit chapter 12. Here, Tobit, blind and weary, is overflowing with thankfulness. His son, Tobiyyah, has just returned from a long and perilous journ...
The Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into the Greek Septuagint, touches on just that question. And it does so in a ...
Abraham laughed in his mind and sighed in the grief and anger of his soul. "How can something manufactured by my father be his helper? Should the body be subject to its soul, and t...
Enoch, as we find in Legends of the Jews, wasn't just any guy. He lived in a time when, according to Rabbi Ishmael (as told by Enoch himself!), humanity had really messed things up...
That’s the feeling I get sometimes when I read certain passages in Jewish lore. Take this little gem from Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews. It's a tiny moment, a snapshot really, but...
We know the story of the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Torah at Sinai. But what about those missing years? Jewish tradition is filled with fascinating s...
According to the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, it wasn't all doom and gloom. Even in the depths of oppression, the children of Israel held onto certain virtues, spark...
Right there, in front of everyone, Aaron and his sons were chosen, set apart for the holy task of serving as priests. Immediately following this ceremony, Aaron and his sons went i...
We pick up the story with Joab, commander of King David’s army, after he's already spent ten days resting and recuperating with his hosts. Refreshed, he sets out again to wage war ...
Now, you might remember that Nebuchadnezzar looted the Temple in Jerusalem, taking sacred objects back to Babylon. According to Legends of the Jews, one day Darius—perhaps a succes...
Elisha inherited Elijah's mantle and immediately proved he was no lesser prophet. His miracles were stranger, more varied, and sometimes more violent than his master's. A widow of ...
It’s a question that’s captivated mystics for centuries, and the ancient text, Sefer Yetzirah, the "Book of Formation," offers a fascinating, if cryptic, answer. We’re diving into ...
The Idra Zuta, that profound text within the Zohar, whispers a secret: it all hinges on the presence of a truly righteous soul, a tzaddik, a "lover of the Holy One." When such a pe...
The Idra Zuta, part of the Zohar, gets right into it. It poses the question: what exactly is a watcher? And then it answers it, drawing on the Book of Samuel. The explanation links...
That's the scene we encounter in the Idra Zuta, a profound text within the Zohar, the central work of Kabbalah. The passage opens with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a towering figure in...
The Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, a mystical companion to the Zohar, delves into precisely that feeling. It explores the idea that even the Holy One, blessed be He, can be, in...
Jewish tradition is full of stories about overcoming impossible odds, and today, we're diving into one of those stories, found within the mystical depths of the Tikkun (spiritual r...
The Torah records a remarkable exchange in (Genesis 10:15): "And Canaan begot Tziddon, his first-born, and Cheth." Generations later, the sons of Cheth — the Hittites — encountered...
Rabbi Nechemiah painted a vivid picture of the chaos that engulfed the Egyptian army at the Red Sea. When God unleashed thunder from the heavens, the physical world below shattered...
The Mekhilta presents a beautiful declaration in which Israel — personified as a bride — proclaims her lineage before God with joyful pride: "I am a queen, the daughter of kings; a...
The Mekhilta offers a parable about a mortal king going to war. When a king of flesh and blood prepares for battle, emissaries from neighboring lands come to him requesting sustena...
The Mekhilta makes a striking observation about the phrase "in the mountain of Your inheritance." The Temple is beloved by God in a way that surpasses even creation itself. How? Th...
(Exodus 17:16) preserves a cryptic declaration: "For the hand is by the throne of Kah: the L-rd is at war with Amalek from generation to generation." The Mekhilta, through Rabbi Ye...
Abba Chanan said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: "Do not honor a poor man in his quarrel" actually refers to the agricultural gifts owed to the poor — leket (gleanings), shikchah (for...
This ancient text, a treasure trove of aggadic (interpretive) narratives, offers a unique lens through which to view familiar biblical tales. Our story centers on a woman, unnamed ...
Jacob certainly did. Imagine this: He's returning home after years away, and he knows his brother Esau – the very brother he tricked out of his birthright – is coming to meet him. ...
One intriguing explanation offered in the Yalkut Shimoni on Nach 653 suggests that certain aspects of divine knowledge were given "in secret due to the accuser" – that is, Satan. N...
Take the mitzvah of challah, the portion of dough we separate as an offering. We find it in Bamidbar, the Book of Numbers, chapter 15. But a close look at verses 20 and 21 reveals ...
Our tradition understands this deeply. It recognizes that certain events, especially those marked by sorrow or loss, leave an indelible mark, not just on individuals, but on the ve...
We find this intriguing exchange in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. The tale begins with David pleading with the Ho...
Jewish tradition actually has some pretty specific ideas about how to deal with buildings that have been used for… less-than-holy purposes, specifically idolatry. The Sifrei Devari...
But hidden in these details are profound ideas about community, ownership, and our obligations to each other. to a passage from Sifrei Devarim 282, a portion of the ancient comment...
Today, let's talk about forgotten harvests, generosity, and oddly specific measurements. We're diving into Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations tied to the Book of...
We mortals are bound by seconds, minutes, years. But what about the Holy One, Blessed be He? The Sifrei Devarim offers a glimpse into this very question, revealing a profound diffe...
