12,014 related texts · Page 201 of 251
In (Genesis 3:22), we read, "Behold, Adam has become as one of us, to know good and evil." One of us? Who is the "us" here? It's one of those little lines that can send you spirali...
It all revolves around a single, loaded question stemming from the Book of Genesis: "I have gotten a man from the Lord?" (Genesis 4:1). Specifically, was that really what Eve said ...
The ancient sages certainly did! And they wrestled with questions that still resonate today. Philo, the 1st-century Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, Egypt, grappled with these v...
They often hold some of the biggest secrets. Take the story of Cain and Abel. We all know the basics: brothers, offerings, jealousy, tragedy. But have you ever noticed a subtle dif...
The Midrash of Philo – and when we say Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), we're talking about a way of interpreting scripture that fills in the gaps, making the stories sp...
Philo, in his writings, believed that understanding “right division” – what we might call proper order – is key to understanding… well, everything. He argued that right division an...
The ancient sages certainly did. And they found answers in the most unexpected places. Take, for instance, the story Philo, the 1st century Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, tell...
Ancient Jewish wisdom grapples with this very struggle, this internal conflict that defines the human experience. And sometimes, it gets Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher w...
It turns out, that feeling might be older than you think. to a fascinating piece of ancient Jewish thought that wrestles with just that—the heavy inheritance of sin. We're going to...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They grappled with the nature of prophecy: who gets it, and why? Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher living in Egypt in the first century CE...
It's more than just a family tree, folks. It’s a key to understanding, well, practically everything! We find this question posed directly in the Midrash of Philo. A midrash (plural...
That feeling isn't new. In fact, it's something that the ancient sages grappled with too. One particular verse that sparked a lot of discussion is from (Genesis 6:3): "My spirit sh...
These are the kinds of questions that the ancient interpreters of the Bible loved to wrestle with! And in a fascinating, though fragmented, text known as The Midrash of Philo, we f...
One such answer comes from a text attributed to Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in Egypt during the first century. While scholars debate whether he actually pen...
But maybe there's a deeper reason. Maybe the Torah, in its infinite wisdom, is trying to teach us something profound about our relationship with the world around us. Philo, the 1st...
Take Noah, for example. The world’s about to be… well, let’s just say thoroughly cleansed. And yet, (Genesis 6:8) tells us, almost as an aside, that Noah "found grace in the sight ...
The Midrash of Philo delves into this very question, picking apart the scripture and searching for deeper meaning. One passage in particular focuses on a specific verse from Genesi...
Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in Egypt during the Roman era, did just that. He delved deep into the Torah, seeking hidden wisdom and allegorical interpretatio...
It's not about bloodlines or earthly possessions, according to Philo. It's something far more profound. Philo, in his Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), tackles this very ...
The animals are all loaded, the family’s aboard… what’s the hold-up? Well, our sages pondered this very question, and, as they often do, came up with some beautiful and thought-pro...
(Genesis 7:11) isn’t messing around. Why that precise moment for the deluge to begin? It’s a question that’s kept commentators busy for centuries. Specifically, the Midrash of Phil...
The ancient stories of the flood, like the one starring Noah, resonate so deeply because they speak to that very human experience. We all know the story: God saw wickedness and sen...
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...
A dove, sure, feels right. But a raven? What's that all about?Philo wasn't just interested in the surface-level story; he was all about digging deeper, finding the hidden meanings ...
In (Genesis 7:13), when describing who enters the ark, we read about Noah and his sons first, “and after them his wife and his sons’ wives.” But (Genesis 8:18) flips the script whe...
It’s a question that's captivated humanity for millennia, and the answers are as varied as the stars in the sky. Today, we're diving into a fascinating corner of this exploration, ...
Ever stumble across a verse in the Torah that just... sticks in your craw? A line that seems simple at first glance, but the more you chew on it, the more questions it raises? That...
It’s more than just pretty colors arching across the sky. : God makes a covenant, a sacred agreement, with humanity after the great flood. And what's the sign of this unbreakable p...
It offers a reading that's surprisingly insightful, telling us it’s actually a praise of the wise person. Yes, you read that right: praise! But how can nakedness be praiseworthy? P...
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...
Let's take a detour into the world of ancient Jewish thought, specifically, a fascinating text known as the Midrash of Philo. Now, Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher livi...
That struggle, that internal tug-of-war, is something ancient thinkers grappled with too. And one place we find it explored is in the writings attributed to Philo of Alexandria. In...
Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, writing millennia ago, gives us a fascinating glimpse into this concept of divine ecstasis, or trance. He describes it as "a depa...
It’s a theme that echoes throughout Jewish tradition, doesn't it? And it makes you wonder: why that particular miracle? Well, one perspective comes to us from a fascinating text at...
This particular piece tackles the tricky subject of a virtuous man taking a concubine, even though he already has a wife. How could that possibly be seen as righteous? Well, Philo ...
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...
Like there's a surface narrative, and then... something deeper, waiting to be uncovered? That's precisely what the ancient sages believed about the Torah. They saw layers upon laye...
Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, grappled with this very idea centuries ago. In his writings, often called "The Midrash of Philo" by scholars, he touches upon the...
We're talking about life and death here, and sometimes the stakes feel… intense. Take this one, for example. It’s a verse that’s given interpreters headaches for centuries. (Genesi...
It's a practice deeply rooted in Jewish law, but when you really stop and think about it, some tough questions arise. Philo, the 1st-century Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, gra...
The creation story, as we know it, unfolds over six days. But have you ever noticed how God seems to be balancing things? Like a cosmic choreographer, making sure everything is jus...
Like there's someone... or something... watching over you? Well, Jewish tradition has a fascinating answer for that feeling: guardian angels. But these aren't the cherubic, winged ...
In the beginning God created (Gen. 1:1). May it please our master16Many yelammedenu (“may our master teach us”) passages are included in Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) ...
And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth (Gen. 6:5). Our sages taught: As punishment for lewdness (in the world) androlepsia41Reprisal taken against all m...
These are the generations of Noah. Blessed be the name of the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who chose Israel from among the seventy nations of the world, as it is wri...
A question. An Israelite is forbidden to steal from a fellow human being. No punishment for the performance of any prohibited act mentioned in the Torah is harsher than that admini...
And the sons of Noah left the ark (Gen. 9:18). May it please our master to instruct us whether man or woman is enjoined to fulfill the commandment to Increase and multiply (Gen. 1:...
And he planted a vineyard (Gen. 9:20). Where did he obtain the shoots for the vineyard? He obtained them from the grape seeds he had brought into the ark.24See Pesikta Rabbati 23. ...
