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In the ancient world, and even described in the Torah, there was a system in place to offer refuge. We're talking about the cities of refuge, places of sanctuary for those who unin...
Let our master instruct us: When a person is being pursued by troops and brigands,1Gk.: lestai. is it permissible for such a one to profane the Sabbath? Thus have our masters taugh...
(Numb. 33:1:) “These are the stages of the Children of Israel.” [The matter] is comparable to a king whose son was ill.4Numb. R. 23:3. He brought him to a certain place to heal him...
It is written (in Josh. 7:19), “Then Joshua said unto Achan, ‘My son, please give glory [to the Lord God of Israel and make a confession to Him; please tell me what you have done, ...
(Numb. 34:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel and say unto them, “When you come into the land of Canaan.”’” Let our master instruct us: B...
"Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 34:2:). This is what is stated in the verse (in (Numbers 23:1)9), "God is not a man to be deceitful," [meaning] a man will not make God de...
(Numb. 34:2:) “When you come into the land.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 33:52)? “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you.” This text is...
(Numb. 34:2), “This is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance.” What is the meaning of “to you?” To you it is fitting.29Numb. R. 23:11. [The matter] is comparable to a k...
It all revolves around light – not just any light, but the divine light, the very essence of creation. And the key, according to the Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah (Wisdom), is that no li...
Jewish mysticism, particularly the Kabbalah, often describes the divine flow of energy in ways that can feel just like that—a shimmering, indirect path. Take, for example, the conc...
The Torah, in the book of Numbers (Bamidbar), actually grapples with this very human dilemma. Specifically, it deals with the complex situation of accidental manslaughter and the c...
We’re looking at the verses dealing with the arei miklat, the cities of refuge. These were designated places where someone who accidentally killed another person could flee and fin...
The Targum transforms the Torah's bare itinerary of Israel's wilderness journeys in (Numbers 33) into an annotated guide of miracles and disasters. Every campsite gets a story, a n...
The standard text of (Deuteronomy 1) opens with Moses speaking to Israel "beyond the Jordan." But the Targum Jonathan, an ancient Aramaic translation composed between the 1st and 4...
Parashat Masei These are the journeys of the children of Israel. The Lord said to Moses, "Write down the journeys that the Israelites have taken in the wilderness, so that they may...
The Torah portion describes the offerings brought by the leaders of the tribes of Israel at the dedication of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Each day, a different leader brought the ...
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba (Gen. 28:10). May it please our master to teach us where a man who has unintentionally taken the life of another man may take refuge. Thus do our...
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 ...
That sense of belonging – or not belonging – is at the heart of a fascinating, and often overlooked, passage from the Book of Jubilees. Now, if you haven’t heard of the Book of Jub...
Our scene opens with a figure named, well, he’s not named in the text. But he's in a tight spot. He's just heard some pretty bad news. He’s "confounded and discouraged," as the tex...
That’s the essence of what we find in the Book of Maccabees, and specifically here in 1 Maccabees 5. Imagine the scene: Judas Maccabeus, the hammer of God, the leader of the rebell...
We often focus on the oil lasting for eight nights, and rightfully so. But behind that miracle, there were real people, real battles, and real decisions that shaped the course of J...
That’s the situation facing Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan in the Book of Maccabees. We pick up their story in 1 Maccabees 5 as they venture east, across the Jordan River...
The ancient Israelites knew that feeling all too well. to a story from The Book of Maccabees I, a historical account not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered scripture by some....
It's a raw, unflinching glimpse into the aftermath of conflict. The text tells us that the victorious forces "slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and raised the city, an...
It’s a powerful feeling, one that can drive us to great heights... or lead us to stumble. Our story today comes from The Book of Maccabees I, a historical account filled with brave...
They've got you pinned against the Yarden – the Jordan River. Surrounded. What do you do? That's the situation we find ourselves in at the beginning of the ninth chapter of the Fir...
The kind of idea that fuels revolutions and inspires hope. That very concept is at the heart of a fascinating passage in the First Book of Maccabees. We're talking about a time of ...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers a fascinating account. .. The scene opens with Isaac, Abraham's...
The Book of Jasher, a fascinating and controversial text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers a compelling narrative. Chapter 65 plunges us rig...
We know the big story: the plagues, the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the nitty-gritty details of those first few days of freedom? The Book of Jasher, a text m...
The story continues, of course! And today, we're diving into Chapter 88 of the Book of Jasher to see what happened as the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land under the lea...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13, (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers some fascinating glimpses.. The chapter opens by setting the stage: It's ...
Before the third day, the earth was a watery expanse. Then, God commanded, "Let the waters be gathered together," and suddenly, mountains and hills burst forth, creating basins for...
His story, often overshadowed, takes some fascinating turns, especially concerning his wives. According to Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbinic lore by Loui...
Sometimes, the stories behind the stories are the most fascinating of all. Take, for instance, the tale of Adam and his encounter with Satan after, well, the incident. Imagine Adam...
According to Legends of the Jews, this departure had a pretty serious consequence, setting the stage for a major war. Lot wanted to settle in the lush kikkar ha-Yarden, the well-wa...
Jacob certainly did. Imagine this: Esau, his twin brother, is not happy. Jacob just received the blessings meant for him, and Esau is out for blood. He's not just passively angry; ...
The story of Jacob arriving in Shechem in the Book of Genesis (Gen. 33:18-20) gives us a glimpse into that idea. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, expanded the narrative in...
We know so much about their journeys, their struggles, their revelations... but how did they actually go? Let's turn our attention to the passing of Isaac. Ginzberg, in Legends of ...
It's far more than just a tale of sibling rivalry and Egyptian intrigue. According to the Legends of the Jews, compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, Jacob endured the hardships of his ...
You know, the one with the coat of many colors? We're past the coat now, past the jealous brothers, and right into his new life in Egypt. He's working in the house of Potiphar, an ...
But there's a problem. A big one. Sacrifices, especially the Passover sacrifice, the korban (a sacrificial offering) Pesach (Passover), can only be eaten within the boundaries of t...
You’d think they'd be throwing stones, not gifts. But the story, as it's told, is far more nuanced, and frankly, a little bit strange. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends ...
It wasn't exactly a picnic. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) paints a picture of intense anticipation, mixed with a healthy dose of terror. From the moment the Israel...
The offerings each tribe brought to the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, give us some fascinating clues. Take the tribe of Gad, for instance. Remember Simeon, sword in hand, battling to de...
They’re often more than just labels; they’re little prophecies, echoes of divine favor, or even warnings. Take the story of the tribe of Gad, for instance. Their prince was named E...
Believe it or not, Moses himself had to deal with that! It wasn't just grumbling in the desert, either. It was a full-blown rebellion. And at the heart of it? A man named Korah. Bu...
