538 related texts · 3 related myths · Page 10 of 12
Jewish tradition places immense value on that, and it's reflected in some fascinating laws about boundaries. Not just physical boundaries, but also intellectual and even spiritual ...
Who gets to stay home from war, and why? The question is as old as Israel itself, and Sifrei Devarim 196, a tannaitic midrash on Deuteronomy compiled around the 3rd century CE, tak...
This verse in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, hits you right in the gut. It talks about divine vengeance, and not just a single ac...
Sifrei Devarim turns to God Came from Sinai and Shone Forth from Seir. It’s in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 33:2, part of Moses' final blessing to the tribes. The verse says, "The L-rd ca...
Remember him? Reuven, the eldest son of Jacob, who, well, didn't exactly cover himself in glory. It's a complicated story, best left for another time, but the long and short of it ...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Judah — Moses and the Patriarchs. Moses, standing before the Almighty, pleading, "L-rd of the world, whenever the tribe of Judah is in distress and prays be...
A curious absence: Why does Levi get a blessing ("And of Levi he said"), but not Shimon? The Sifrei Devarim, an early halakhic midrash on the Book of Deuteronomy, digs into this ve...
The verse says, Benjamin was uniquely blessed; he "merited that the Shechinah reside in his portion." That’s quite an honor. Now, after Joshua led the Israelites into Eretz Yisrael...
Sometimes, the most profound truths are whispered in the echoes between our words and the response of the Holy Spirit. One intriguing idea comes from (Deuteronomy 33:25): "Iron and...
Kamsa&Fall of Jerusalem. Git tin, f. 55b, 56b, 57. Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court), f. 104. Pirke de R. Eliezer, ch. 49. Tanh. Numb. Hukkat § 1. and B. ibid. p. 99. Midr. Ha...
The Prophet Elijah, who never died but was taken up to Heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), was known to appear to the righteous in moments of great need. One such visit was...
When Jacob died in Egypt and his sons carried his body back to the land of Canaan for burial, an unusual procession formed. The sons of Esau, the sons of Ishmael, and the sons of K...
Two great sages, Rav Ami and Rav Assi, sat one day in the company of Rabbi Isaac Naphcha, and the three men fell into conversation. One of them turned and said, "Rabbi, tell us a b...
The sages taught that the Land of Israel was not destroyed until seven royal courts had turned to idolatry. They counted them by name: Jeroboam son of Nebat, Baasha son of Ahijah, ...
The Midrash preserves a legend that the Tanakh only whispers at. When Isaac died, his two sons came to bury him. "His sons Esau and Jacob buried him" (Genesis 35:29), the written T...
The rabbis taught that Jerusalem was not like other cities. Ten laws applied to her alone, each one a small clue to her strange status. A mortgaged house there was never permanentl...
A well in the Negev. Seven ewe lambs set apart. In Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Genesis 21:32), the Aramaic preserves the ancient name of the place, Beira de-Sheva, the Well of the S...
The voice in the dream named itself. I am Eloha who did reveal Myself to thee at Beth El where thou didst anoint the pillar, and swear the oath before Me (Genesis 31:13). Targum Ps...
When Jacob finally yields, he does not send his sons empty-handed. He sends a basket of the land itself. "Take of the praiseworthy things of the land," he tells them, "and put them...
The plain verse of (Genesis 46:20) simply records that Joseph married Asenath, daughter of Potiphera priest of On, and had two sons, Menasheh and Ephraim. The Targum Pseudo-Jonatha...
The Song of the Sea contains a strange prayer. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan renders it: Through the power of Thy mighty arm, let the terrors of death fall upon them, let them be silent a...
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Exodus 15:27) reads the stopover at Elim as a map of Israel's constitution: And they came to Elim; and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, a fountain...
The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan marks the arrival at Sinai with three extraordinary words: "They had journeyed from Rephidim, and had come to the desert of Sinai, and Israel encamped th...
The second row of the breastplate carried three more tribes, and the meturgeman names the stones: smarag, sapphire, and chalcedony. On them were inscribed Judah, Dan, and Naphtali ...
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Exodus 40:11) turns the consecration of the bronze laver into a vision of the distant future. Anoint the laver, the meturgeman says, on account of Jehosh...
The story goes that after his less-than-amicable departure from his father-in-law Laban, Jacob found himself at the River Yabbok (Yabbok, a river in the Transjordan, now part of Jo...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to He's Journey. Seems straightforward. Tribes camping under their flags, each in their designated spot around the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. But the Rabbis wer...
It seems like such a simple detail, but the Torah dedicates a lot of space to describing the precise arrangement of the tribes around the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. And the Rabbis, n...
In the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar, we read about how the Kehatites, a family within the tribe of Levi, had the unique and profoundly important task of carrying the Ark of the Covena...
The ancient rabbis grappled with these questions constantly, searching for meaning in misfortune. One particularly fascinating exploration revolves around the affliction of leprosy...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to The Sotah's Belly Distends as a Curse and an Oath. The passage centers around (Numbers 5:21), which describes the ritual the priest performs with a woman s...
Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives deep into the prophet Amos's rebuke of those who are "tranquil in Zion" (Amos 6:1). Who are these ...
Bamidbar Rabbah opens the laws of the nazir, the person who vows to abstain from wine and grapes in order to dedicate himself to God. The text immediately connects abstaining from ...
It seems even the leaders of ancient Israel weren't immune. We find a fascinating story in Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the great collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive...
Bamidbar Rabbah turns to Tribal Princes Bring Wagons to Serve the Tent of Meeting. " The context is the dedication of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and the princes of the tribes are...
The Torah portion Naso, particularly in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, explores this very concept, using the offerings of the princes as a springboard. It's a fascinating exploration of Israe...
Sometimes, those little things hold the key to unlocking profound insights. to one such instance from Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), specifically chapter 13, and see what we can...
It all starts with Issachar. The text dives right in: "One silver dish" (Numbers 7:19), marking the offering of the prince of Issachar. But it's not just about the silverware. This...
the dedication offerings brought by the princes of the tribes. "On the third day, prince of the children of Zebulun, Eliav son of Ḥelon" (Numbers 7:24). Why, the Rabbis ask, is the...
"On the sixth day, prince of the children of Gad, Elyasaf son of Deuel" (Numbers 7:42). The text repeats. Why? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) don't th...
It's like peeling back the layers of an onion – the deeper you go, the more you discover. Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a section of the Bamidbar Rabbah, which itself is a Midrash, a collect...
Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a fascinating exploration of the offerings brought by the princes of Israel, and how those offerings connect to Jacob, Joseph, and the tribe of Manasseh. The pa...
The verse Now, three tribes were left to offer: Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. So, why Dan first? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) suggests it's all about Jacob's blessing...
Sometimes it feels like wading through ancient accounting ledgers. But hidden within those seemingly dry details are profound connections – whispers of cosmic harmony and echoes of...
Our ancestors felt that way, too. The ancient rabbis understood this, and that's why we find so much human drama, even in the most sacred texts. Take this story from Bamidbar Rabba...
The Book of Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah), in its 15th section, explores just that, using the seemingly simple instruction of crafting silver trumpets as a springboard. "Craft f...
The story goes that God tells Moses to gather seventy men to help lead the Israelites. Sounds straightforward. But Moses faces a real dilemma. "If I choose five from each tribe," h...
God Himself steps in to clarify Pinḥas's lineage. But why now? What did God see that prompted this? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 21,...
