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Another interpretation (of Lev. 19:23), “When you come into the land.” This text is related (to Jer. 3:19), “But I said how I would put you among the children and give you a desira...
(Lev. 19:23:) “And plant [any tree for food], you shall count (rt.: 'rl) [its fruit] as forbidden (literally, as foreskin, rt.: 'rl)….” [This verse] is teaching about an infant: (i...
Remember, Tobit, a righteous man living in exile in Nineveh, had been blinded. His misfortune leads to a painful exchange with his wife, Hannah. It all starts when Tobit, thinking ...
That's the world the Maccabees faced. The Book of Maccabees I, a historical text from the Second Temple period not included in the Tanakh, paints a vivid picture. It throws us righ...
Upon entering the Holy Land, the very first thing they did was bury Joseph's bones in Shechem. Why Shechem, of all places? Well, the Talmud tells us that God Himself instructed the...
One man, Kenaz, is tasked with a monumental mission: to bring forth the truth from each of the tribes. It's a daunting task, like trying to hold water in your hands. As the story g...
That's how the legends describe Shobach's terrifying presence. He wasn't just a big guy; he was a walking, talking intimidation tactic. Now, why did Shobach think he had the upper ...
There exists a soul in every generation through whom Torah insights are revealed to the world. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov describes this soul as one burdened with suffering: "Bread w...
The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael asks a deceptively simple question: why were the Ten Commandments not placed at the very beginning of the Torah? If they are the foundation of the cov...
(Ibid. 7) "You shall not take the name of the L–rd your G–d in vain": A vain oath, too, was included in (Leviticus 19:12) "You shall not swear falsely in My name," and Scripture re...
You shall not take": What is the intent of this? (Leviticus 19:12) "You shall not swear falsely in My name" speaks only of swearing. Whence is it derived that it is also forbidden ...
The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael identifies a critical distinction in the commandment "You shall not steal." The eighth of the Ten Commandments is not about stealing property. It is a...
But perhaps the common element between them is that they are dignitaries, and it is their eminence that accounts for this, wherefore you are exhorted against cursing them—as oppose...
It’s not just about remembering a historical event; it’s about something far more profound. Midrash Tehillim 8, a commentary on the Book of Psalms, delves into the very heart of th...
It’s a question that’s been wrestled with for centuries, and the Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, offers some truly fascinating, and at t...
That tension is at the heart of our story today, drawn from Midrash Tehillim 58, a beautiful exploration of Psalm 58. It grapples with a difficult question: "Do not destroy the con...
In Jewish tradition, these questions lead us straight to the Source of all righteousness, the Holy One, blessed be He. And surprisingly, also to King Solomon. Midrash Tehillim, a c...
It’s a very human feeling. And it’s a feeling that resonates deeply within the words of the Midrash Tehillim, specifically in its commentary on Psalm 79. , shall we? The Midrash (r...
It’s a question that gets right to the heart of justice, mercy, and the very nature of repentance. (Psalm 25:8) tells us, "Good and upright is Ad-nai; therefore He shows sinners th...
The great sage Eliezer once found himself in a similar situation. We find this story in the Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating text that delves into the lives and teachings of p...
Turns out, that whale-sized miracle had some serious consequences, impacting not just Jonah, but a whole ship of sailors. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating and often imaginativ...
And Chapter 49 offers us a particularly compelling example, focusing on the story of Esther and the hidden hand of merit. Rabbi Zechariah, the sage whose words are recorded in Pirk...
The Small Letters and their Purposes The ALEPH in ויקרא And He called (Leviticus 1:1) is small, to teach that the Holy Blessed One is only revealed to the nations of the earth thro...
But Jewish tradition paints a surprisingly collaborative picture. A picture of the Heavenly Court. It's a pretty amazing concept, isn't it? The idea that even God, in all God's glo...
It’s easy to focus on the sheer scale of the destruction, but the rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those ancient interpreters of scripture, dug deeper. The...
Our ancestors wrestled with that very question. Remember the story? Jacob, after years of hard labor for Laban, decides it’s time to return to his homeland with his wives and child...
Take a look at Exodus. Right after we're told, "You shall not ascend on stairs to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed upon it," (Exodus 20:23) we suddenly read, "A...
In Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exploration of this idea, starting with the verse "These are the ordinances....
“Judah was exiled due to affliction and great enslavement. She settled among the nations, did not find rest; all her pursuers have overtaken her within the straits” (Lamentations 1...
“Also, Vashti the queen made a women’s banquet in the royal palace of King Aḥashverosh” (Esther 1:9). Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Simon began: “My people, its oppressors are babes an...
Then Judah came near (Gen. 44:18). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: My son, if thou art become a surety for thy neighbor, if thou hast struck thy hands for a s...
And the Lord said unto Moses: “Write thou these words, for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel” (Exod. 34:27). Scripture states elsewher...
(Numb. 22:2:) “Now Balak [ben Zippor] saw (rt.: r'h).” This text is related (to Deut. 32:4), “The Rock, His work is perfect, because all His ways are justice.” As the Holy One, ble...
It’s a question that's plagued humanity for millennia. And our tradition, in its beautiful, layered way, offers some fascinating, if not always easy, answers. Think about (Psalm 92...
The core of this passage revolves around the first tithe, the ma'aser rishon. This was a portion of the harvest given to the Levites, the tribe dedicated to serving in the Temple. ...
The Torah, as always, has something to say about that. to a little corner of Sifrei Devarim, a fascinating commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, and see what wisdom we can unearth...
The ancient wisdom of Ben Sira, also known as Ecclesiasticus, wrestles with these very imbalances. Ben Sira, in chapter 13, pulls no punches. He gets right to the heart of unequal ...
Ben Sira, that wise sage whose words dance between scripture and folklore, grapples with this very question. And what he offers us is both comforting and challenging. "According to...
The Book of Jubilees, a text that gives us a unique retelling of the Torah, certainly seems to think so. It’s a book overflowing with warnings and rebukes, a call to remember the c...
In this ancient text, which some consider to be part of the broader Jewish apocrypha, we find a pivotal moment concerning Abraham, his wife Sarah, and a promise that reshapes the d...
But then… a chill. An unnatural cold that seeps into your bones. That’s how Jacob discovered the death of his grandfather, Abraham. The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text from ar...
In it, we find a powerful blessing, overflowing with hope for the future. This blessing is delivered by a parent to their child, and it's rich with imagery of fertility, peace, and...
We're talking about Isaac, Rebecca, and their sons, Jacob and Esau. You probably know the basics. But the Book of Jubilees, a Jewish apocryphal text that expands on stories from Ge...
We pick up our narrative with Holofernes, the Assyrian general, riding high on a wave of conquest. The fanfare is deafening: "And all of the land all around went forth towards him ...
That feeling, that crushing weight of despair, is exactly where we find the Israelites in the Book of Judith. The Assyrian army, a seemingly endless sea of soldiers, tents, and cha...
We find them in dire straits, besieged by the Assyrian army. Despair is setting in. They're starting to lose faith. And that's when Judith steps forward, her words a beacon in the ...
It’s a question that might make you squeamish, but it also speaks to the incredible ingenuity and meticulousness of the ancient priests. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating docum...
We get a glimpse, a vivid snapshot, from the Letter of Aristeas. This letter, a fascinating document from the Hellenistic period, purports to be written by a Greek official named A...
