639 related texts · Page 7 of 14
And the answer, as we find it in the story of Balaam and his talking donkey, might just surprise you. Now, we all know the story: Balak, king of Moab, terrified of the Israelites, ...
We’re going to delve into a story where a moment of perceived justice sets in motion a chain of events leading to... Rome. Yes, that Rome. Our tale revolves around King Solomon, th...
Rabbi Yoshiyah tackled a question about the scope of the commandment of first fruits, bikkurim. (Deuteronomy 26:2) commands, "Then you shall take of all the fruits of the earth." R...
R. Yishmael says: What is written at the beginning, viz. (Leviticus 25:1-3) "And the L–rd spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying … then the land shall rest a Sabbath to the L–rd. Si...
The very first verse throws us a curveball: "These are the words which Moses spoke..." (Deuteronomy 1:1). Seems simple enough. But wait a minute. Didn't Moses write the entire Tora...
That’s the heart of bikkurim (בִּכּוּרִים), the first fruits offering, and Sifrei Devarim sheds light on its beautiful simplicity. The passage from Sifrei Devarim 297 opens with a ...
We get caught up in the daily grind, the to-do lists, the worries… and sometimes, the sheer abundance of blessings just fades into the background. But Jewish tradition reminds us—f...
The ritual of bringing bikkurim, the first fruits, required every Israelite farmer to recite a specific formula—a declaration of gratitude and remembrance. The Sifrei Devarim, a co...
It involves bikkurim (בִּכּוּרִים), the first fruits offering. Now, picture this: you're a farmer in ancient Israel. You've poured your heart and soul into your land, and finally, ...
The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a fascinating glimpse into this idea. It starts with the simple phrase: "And you shall ...
Leviticus 26 contains the blessings and curses—God's promise of abundance for obedience and a cascading nightmare for rebellion. The Targum Jonathan adds a breathtaking historical ...
Every tribe in Israel received land. The Levites received cities. Aaron and his sons received something stranger: God told them their inheritance was God Himself. The Targum Jonath...
In the days when the Israelites brought their first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem, a remarkable custom prevailed. The wealthy arrived with their offerings displayed in baskets ...
There was once a man so wicked that the entire town avoided him. He cheated in business, spoke cruelty to strangers, and mocked the sages when they tried to rebuke him. Everyone ag...
The scene opens with Balak, the king of Moab, terrified by the Israelites. He’s hired Bilam, a non-Jewish prophet known for the power of his blessings and curses, to, well, curse I...
It’s a question that’s lingered in Jewish thought for centuries, and one fascinating glimpse into it comes from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Boo...
But what does it really mean? Kohelet Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on Ecclesiastes, dives right in. It suggests that "the rebuke of a wise man" refers to those who deliver homilie...
And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son (Gen. 25:19). May it please our master to teach us why peace-offerings (sacrifices) were instituted?1There are three kinds of ...
Another interpretation: "See I" (Deuteronomy 11:26). I who have chosen goodness, see how different I am from the whole world, such that the creatures should not say, "When Moshe ca...
One figure looms large in this discussion: Satanael. In the ancient text of 2 Enoch, this was the name of the highest angel, and the story surrounding him is… complicated, especial...
The ancient texts offer tantalizing, awe-inspiring visions, and one of the most vivid comes from the story of Enoch. Enoch, as we learn from 1 Enoch, wasn't just any man. He was ri...
The Book of Ben Sira, a treasure trove of wisdom literature, gives us a glimpse into this very idea, specifically through the lens of the priesthood. It speaks of one called to "mi...
It all goes back to a rather dramatic episode after the flood, as recounted in the Book of Jubilees. Now, we know the story: Noah's son, Ham, sees his father in a… well, let’s just...
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...
We often hear about blessings, but let’s zero in on one specific instance, a poignant moment from the Book of Jubilees, chapter 27. It's a moment brimming with history, hope, and a...
And when we look at texts like the Book of Jubilees, we see just how far that went. The Book of Jubilees, considered scripture in some traditions, particularly Ethiopian, offers a ...
We all know the story of the plagues visited upon Egypt. Blood, frogs, locusts… a greatest hits album of divine retribution. But what about the behind-the-scenes details? What abou...
It all starts with preparation. And that's exactly what we see in the Book of Judith. When faced with a looming threat, what's the first thing you do? You prepare! And that’s preci...
The people are terrified. But Achior, the leader of the Ammonites, dares to speak truth to power. He warns Holofernes that the Israelites are protected by their God and cannot be d...
The text paints a grim picture. "Now these men will wipe clean the face of the earth, for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight....
The heroine of our story, Judith, had something to say about that. We find ourselves in the Book of Judith, a story set during a time of great crisis for the Jewish people. The Ass...
That’s the story of Judith. And in this moment, as we find her in the Book of Judith, she's just finished pouring out her heart to God, a plea not just for herself, but for her ent...
That’s the kind of morning the Assyrians were about to have in the Book of Judith, Chapter 14. The sun peeks over the horizon, painting the sky with the first light of dawn. But th...
We celebrate the victory, of course. But what about the practicalities? The aftermath? Well, the Book of Judith gives us a glimpse. The story's climax—Judith's daring assassination...
That’s precisely where Tobiyyah finds himself in the Book of Tobit. He needs to journey to Media – a long and perilous trip – to retrieve money owed to his father. But who will gui...
It’s a story filled with diplomacy, royal patronage, and a little bit of legend. It all starts with a king – Ptolemy Philadelphus, ruler of Egypt back in the 3rd century BCE. He wa...
This letter, purportedly written by a Greek official named Aristeas, gives us a glimpse into the creation of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. But amidst t...
Around the edge, where the surface curves upward to meet your gaze, there's a mesmerizing pattern. What is it? A series of precious stone "eggs," meticulously carved. The Letter of...
But nestled within this letter are descriptions of the Temple in Jerusalem, and some of its most magnificent furnishings. Today, we're focusing on just one small detail: a table. B...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into the Septuagint, gives us a glimpse. But within its pages, there are al...
We catch a glimpse of it, not from the Bible itself in this case, but from an ancient letter – The Letter of Aristeas. This fascinating text, though not part of the core biblical c...
That’s the kind of artistry we encounter in the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, creating what w...
It wasn't just about function; it was about honoring something bigger than themselves. Take, for instance, the description we find in the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text tha...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating historical text, gives us a glimpse into just such a moment. It recounts the story of how the Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Hebrew...
It's not just a letter, it's a window into a world long gone. The Letter of Aristeas is a fascinating document. It purports to be a first-hand account of how the Septuagint – that'...
But tucked within this letter are some intriguing observations about the land itself. One thing that really stood out to the author was the importance of population distribution. T...
These aren't just modern questions. They're the kinds of things that leaders have been wrestling with for millennia. And they're exactly the sort of questions posed in the Letter o...
Nicanor, a real thorn in the side of the Jewish people, is looking to make an example of Yoḥanan. But Yoḥanan is no fool. He knows he's walking a tightrope. According to Megillat A...
