12,014 related texts · Page 93 of 251
If thou lend money to any of my people (Exod. 22:24). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Well is it with the man that dealeth graciously and lendeth, that order...
And thou shalt make the altar of acacia-wood (Exod. 27:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Tell them to erect an altar for burnt offerings so that it may atone for the ...
And thou shalt command (Exod. 27:20). It is written elsewhere in Scripture: Thy head (roshekh) upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair (dalat) of thy head like the purple; and the k...
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (Exod. 29:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Forever, O Lord, Thy word standeth fast in heaven (Ps. 119:89)....
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down (Exod. 32:1). The word boshesh (“delayed”) indicates that it was the sixth hour of the day. Forty thousand people had assemb...
Hew these two tablets of stone (Exod. 34:1). When did Moses descend from the mountain? R. Judah the son of Shalum said: Moses remained on the mountain with the Holy One, blessed be...
Another comment on write thee (Exod. 34:27). Scripture states elsewhere: Let them be thine only, and not a stranger’s with thee (Prov. 5:17). What does this verse refer to? When th...
These are the accounts of the tabernacle … and the bronze of the offering (Exod. 38:21, 29). The bronze of the offering (tenufah) refers to the bronze vessels given to a bride, for...
(Lev. 8:2) “Take Aaron and his sons.” It is written (in Prov. 3:35), “The wise shall inherit glory, but fools take up shame.” This verse functioned from the beginning of the world ...
(Lev. 14:2:) “This shall be the law of the leper.” Let our master instruct us: How many people have no share in the world to come?1Numb. R. 14:1; PR 6:4; ARN, A, 36; Midrash on Pro...
(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. 15:25:) “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood for many days.” But are there not seven days in a menstrual period? So why did it call them “many days?” Simply because...
(Lev. 24:10:) “Now there went out the son of an Israelite woman, [whose father was Egyptian].” From where did he go out? R. Hiyya bar Abba said, “He went out from the Parashah on g...
(Lev. 25:25:) “When your relative becomes poor.” This is Israel, of whom it is stated (in Ps. 106:43), “so they became poor through their iniquity.” (Lev. 25:25, cont.:) “And sells...
(Numb. 1:1:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert, in the tent of meeting.” Before the tent of meeting was set up, He spoke with him in the bush, as stated (in Exod....
(Numb. 4:18:) “Do not cut off.” This text is related (to Ps. 33:18), “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him….” The text speaks along many lines of thought.121Shittim...
(Numb. 16:15, cont.:) “And he said unto the Lord, ‘Pay no attention unto their meal offering.’” Do not accept them in repentance.32Numb. R. 18:10, cont. Scripture should have said,...
R. Hanan bar Pazzi opened [his discourse] with the verse in [the context of] the parashah of the [red] heifer, which contains seven [references to] seven things:57Numb. R. 19:2, co...
(Numb. 20:14:) “Then Moses sent messengers [from Kadesh unto the king of Edom], ‘Thus says your brother Israel….’” This text is related (to Ps. 15:3), “nor takes up a reproach agai...
(Numb. 25:2:) “And they invited the people to the sacrifices for their gods.” Thus they (i.e., daughters of Moab) were going by the counsel of Balaam, as stated (in Numb. 31:16), “...
(Numb. 27:15-16:), “And Moses spoke […], ‘Let the Lord, [the God of the spirits of all flesh], appoint….’” Let our master instruct us: What blessing does one say on seeing a human ...
See I, etc. (Deuteronomy 11:26): This is what is stated in the verse (Job 36:10-12), "He opens their ear by discipline, etc. If they will listen and serve, they shall spend their d...
(Deut. 12:29:) When the Lord God has cut off the nations.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who planted a vineyard within his field, but within [that field] w...
R. Levi opened [his discourse] (with Ps. 9:6), “You have rebuked the nations; you have destroyed the wicked one”: “You have rebuked the nations.” This refers to Amalek, of which it...
(Deut. 25:19:) “And it shall come to pass when the Lord your God grants you rest [… you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek].” R. Azariah and R. Judah bar Simon said in the na...
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...
We often think of him in the Garden of Eden, or perhaps being expelled from it. But Jewish tradition holds some truly fascinating ideas about his ultimate fate. One such idea, foun...
We know King Solomon, wise and powerful, but he was also, according to tradition, a master of summoning and controlling demons. The Testament of Solomon is practically a who's who ...
In fact, the Sabbath isn't just a terrestrial observance; it's a celestial one, too. Imagine this: right after creating the Sabbath, God gathers all the angels – the angels of the ...
I'm talking about the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. We all know the story: Abraham, tested to the absolute limit, raises his knife to sacrifice his son Isaac. It's a scene that chi...
Jewish tradition envisions a future where Jerusalem isn't just a city on a hill, but a city that becomes the hill—elevated, literally, until it reaches the very Throne of Glory. Th...
(Genesis 6:4) mentions the Nefilim. That word, Nefilim, generally understood to mean “giants.” But who were they, really? And where did they come from? The Torah just kind of drops...
Jewish tradition has some pretty fascinating, and sometimes terrifying, answers. to the story of Azazel, a fallen angel whose lair is the source of some seriously dark magic. The s...
And sometimes, ancient wisdom is exactly what we need to steady ourselves.It's like getting a pep talk from a really wise old friend. "Prepare your heart and be strengthened," Ben ...
Sometimes, the ancient wisdom whispers the loudest when we finally quiet down enough to listen. Let's tune into one of those whispers today, from the book of Ben Sira. Ben Sira, al...
We've all been there. But what if the wisest course of action was simply... silence? That's the dilemma posed in the ancient wisdom of Ben Sira, specifically in chapter 6. It's a s...
The Book of Ben Sira, a text brimming with ancient wisdom, tackles this very struggle head-on. It warns us, in no uncertain terms: "Fall not into the hand of thine appetite; That i...
Ben Sira, also known as Ecclesiasticus, is a book of wisdom literature from around the 2nd century BCE – a time of huge cultural shifts and anxieties. It’s not part of the Hebrew B...
The Book of Ben Sira, a treasure trove of wisdom literature (also known as Sirach or Ecclesiasticus), certainly thinks so. It tells us plainly: "The eyes of God see his works; And ...
The ancient wisdom of Ben Sira, a sage writing over two thousand years ago, knew all about it. He understood the anxieties and struggles we still face today. to one little slice of...
Ben Sira, that wise sage from way back when, really hits on that feeling in his writings. He challenges us to be more mindful, more discerning, especially when it comes to the thin...
It wasn't just fabric and thread; it was a carefully constructed, divinely ordained manifestation of glory. Ben Sira, in his wisdom, gives us a glimpse into this splendor. He tells...
Let’s journey for a moment into the world described in the book of Ben Sira, also known as Sirach or the Wisdom of Yeshua ben Sira. It's part of the Apocrypha, writings associated ...
Sometimes, it's about being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes, it's about something more... something divinely ordained. Let's look at a couple of figures who stepped...
We know him as Moses' successor, the one who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. But did you ever stop to consider the sheer scale of the battles he faced? Ben Sira, in his ...
Ben Sira, in his wisdom, offers us a glimpse into the very heart of David's reign. "And he went against the Philistine foe, and to this day shattered their horn." It's a powerful i...
Ben Sira, in his wisdom, paints a vivid picture of this powerful figure. He writes, "Who was written truly for the time, to stop anger before the rage of God; to return the hearts ...
This tale, found in the book of Ben Sira (Sirach), one of the Deuterocanonical books, really brings home the power of faith and righteous action in the face of overwhelming odds. I...
