1,423 related texts · Page 30 of 30
Some interpret this verse as God’s permission for humanity to eat meat. After the flood, the world was starting anew, and perhaps a new dietary allowance was being granted. But is ...
to a fascinating little corner of Jewish thought that wrestles with exactly this question, found in The Midrash of Philo. Philo, in this particular midrash (rabbinic interpretive c...
It's like the biblical text is hinting at something more, inviting us to dig a little deeper. Take, for example, the story of Noah and his sons after the flood. It's a well-known t...
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...
Take the covenant God makes with Abraham in Genesis 15. It's a big moment. God promises Abraham this whole huge swathe of land for his descendants. But then it gets…well, geographi...
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...
The ancient sages grappled with this very idea. They saw two paths to wisdom, two types of people who approached the divine. And Philo, that brilliant Jewish philosopher from Alexa...
The Tree of Souls tells us that these souls resided in the Garden of Eden, up above. And get this: they were all present at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai! How do we know t...
You'd expect a pretty epic location. But did you know there was a whole competition to be that mountain? The story goes that when the mountains caught wind that God was planning a ...
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 ...
And the Lord said unto Abram: “Get thee out of thy country” (Gen. 12:1). May it please our master to teach us whether an Israelite is permitted to take upon himself the yoke of the...
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 things (Gen. 40:1). May our master teach us which men are counted among the most faithful. Thus did our master teach us: There are three men who are...
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 49:28). Elsewhere it is written: Twelve princes shall he beget (Gen. 17:20). These are the number of the tribes, and the world is ar...
And he went out on the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together (Exod. 2:13). Who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram, who later said: Let us m...
And in the greatness of Thine excellence (Exod. 15:7). You have increased Your excellency against all who rose up against You. Who were those that rose up against You? They were th...
18:1). Scripture says elsewhere: Thine own friend and thy father’s friend forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity; better is a neighbor that is ...
In the third month (Exod. 19:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright, He is a shield to them that walk in integrity (Prov...
If thou lend money to any of my people (Exod. 22:24). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: He that hath an evil eye hasteneth after riches, and he knoweth not that ...
Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee (Exod. 23:20). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: But I said: “How would I put thee among the sons, and give the...
That they take for Me an offering (Exod. 25:2). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not My teaching (Prov. 4:2). R. Simeon ...
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him (Exod. 31:18). R. Simeon the son of Lakish said: This may be compared to a man whose teacher is instructing him...
And Bezalel made the ark (Exod. 37:1). You find that everything constructed for the Tabernacle was made in its proper order. First he made the boards and joined them together. Afte...
(Lev. 15:25) “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood for many days.” Let our master instruct us: Is it permitted for a menstruant to sleep in the same bed with her husband, ...
(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...
(Lev. 26:3:) “If you walk in My statutes.” This text is related (to Prov. 1:20), “Wisdom shouts for joy in the street; in the squares she raises her voice.” R. Samuel bar Nahman qu...
(Numb. 19:2:) “This is the statute of the Torah.” R. Tanhum bar Hanila'i opened [his discourse] (with Ps. 12:7), “The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings.”36Lev. R. 26:1; PRK 4:2;...
(Numb. 25:14:) “And the name of the slain man of Israel...” Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is concerned with the praise of the righteous to publicize3Rt.: PRSM. Cf. Gk.: parr...
"Lord God, You have begun" (Deuteronomy 3:24): There is a [relevant] parable: To what is this comparable? To a king that saw an orphaned woman and sought to marry her. He sent to p...
(Deut. 11:26:) “See, I [am setting before you today a blessing and a curse]. This text is related (to Jer. 21:8), “And (to) [unto] this people you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “...
These words: This is what the verse stated, "Have I not written you thirds with counsels (moatsot) and knowledge" (Proverbs 22:20). The numerical equivalent of counsels is six hund...
