538 related texts · 3 related myths · Page 9 of 12
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, grapples with this very question in its ninth section. And what emerges is a powerful, and sometim...
They found layers of meaning in the words of Psalm 14, specifically the phrase, "There they feared with fear..there was no fear." (Psalm 14:5). How can fear be both present and abs...
One of those fascinating tales, a legend surrounding Judah, one of Jacob's sons, and a rather dramatic encounter with Esau. The passage we're exploring comes from Midrash Tehillim,...
Today's story from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, is all about how seemingly small acts of courage and confession can have enormo...
The story opens with a sage, simply called Rabbi, deeply engrossed in defining the precise borders of the tribe of Benjamin. Now, Benjamin was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, e...
Take Psalm 88, for instance. "And to You, O Lord, is my cry for help." Simple words. But the Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, unpac...
The familiar story is this: Moses raises his staff, the waters part, and the Israelites walk through on dry land to escape Pharaoh. But Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), ...
Where do we find this idea? It springs from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms. Specifically, it's Psalm 118 that sparks this particul...
That feeling, that sense of disorientation and wonder, is at the heart of a powerful story about Rabbi Yochanan and Honi the Circle Drawer. The story begins with a verse from Psalm...
Jewish tradition recognizes this feeling – the ache of exile, the pain of loss – and offers a powerful promise of healing and return. One particularly beautiful passage in Midrash ...
One fascinating interpretation found in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, specifically Psalm 149. The verse in question speaks of "taki...
The Pesikta deRav Kahana, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, offers a fascinating glimpse into that moment. In Pesikta deRav Kahana 12, we find...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer turns to Jonah's Miracle. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating and often imaginative work of aggadah – Jewish storytelling and folklore – fills in some of t...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, by the way, is a wonderful non-canonical Jewish text that retells and expands upon stories from the Torah. The passage begins with a teaching from Rabban Ga...
It turns out, this isn't just a modern custom. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval Jewish text, touches upon this very tradition. It points to the verse in Proverb...
Take (Psalm 60:8), for instance: "Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe;...
Well, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text filled with aggadic (story-based) interpretations of the Torah, offers a glimpse into the significance of ten in Jew...
The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an ancient text that weaves together biblical narrative, aggadah (storytelling), and mystical insights, outlines ten trials that Abraham faced. Ten mome...
The Jewish tradition teaches us that time itself can be layered, that moments can resonate across generations. is it possible that the same night, the very same 24 hours, could wit...
Tonight, It centers on Jacob, later known as Israel, and a pivotal dream he had while resting his head on a rather unusual pillow. The story goes that Jacob, in his travels, took t...
Take the story from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, chapter 38 – it really brings this concept to life. The passage begins with a stark reminder of consequences. Remember the men of Jabesh...
The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating and somewhat enigmatic work of aggadic literature, offers a glimpse into that pivotal moment. It paints a picture of the Torah's power, li...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text, dives deep into this very idea, exploring the profound impact leaders have on their communities. Rabbi Reuben puts it qui...
It’s a powerful feeling. But what happens when that zeal, that kinah, turns inward, corrupting the very people who sought to uphold justice? The tradition turns to a fascinating pa...
He’s the one who, in a moment of righteous zeal, stopped a plague by taking decisive action against public immorality (Numbers 25). It’s a complex story, filled with passion and qu...
The story of the Midianites in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, chapter 47, really dives into that urgency. It's a fascinating, and at times, unsettling account of revenge and its consequen...
They stretch, bend, or take on a new form entirely. It's more than just aesthetics; according to Jewish tradition, these final forms, the sofit, hold a profound secret, a key to un...
We see them every day, these celestial bodies that seem so constant, so reliable. But what if I told you that, according to ancient Jewish tradition, they’re not quite as static as...
Is that really true? Is there no hope for renewal, for something truly new to break through? In Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating text of Jewish legend and lore, the answer is ...
This text, a shorter and later version of the more famous Seder Olam Rabbah, attempts to create a chronological framework for biblical history. It's a bit like connecting the dots ...
This chronicle gives us a timeline, a framework for understanding a critical period: the Babylonian exile and the events leading to the Second Temple era. The Seder Olam Zutta tell...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a massive compilation of rabbinic commentary on the entire Hebrew Bible, offers a fascinating glimpse. In its section on Torah portion 405, it says something qu...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, wrestling with the nuances of laws, especially those concerning cities of refuge. The passage begins by examining the biblical command to establis...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a fascinating compilation of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, brings up an intriguing point about exile. The text references the Torah po...
It's not a glitch in the matrix, I promise! Sometimes, these repetitions are actually invitations to dig deeper, to uncover hidden layers of meaning. Take the case of the Nazir, or...
It describes the offerings brought by the leaders of Israel: "And the chiefs of Israel presented (their offerings)." Who were these chiefs? Were they just some random people appoin...
In the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), we find ourselves wrestling with just that: Who gets a share of the Promised Land? The verse in Bamidbar 26:53 states: "To these shall the land b...
It seems like a simple question, but in the world of Jewish law and tradition, even something as seemingly straightforward as who speaks to Moses first becomes a subject of deep co...
The very next verse tells us "And there were handed over… twelve thousand armed for the host, etc." So, twelve tribes, a thousand soldiers each. Simple math. Why, asks Rabbi Akiva ...
In this particular passage, The passage begins by pointing out the obvious: the flavor of fruit grown on a mountain isn't the same as fruit grown on a plain. Okay, makes sense. But...
That feeling of déjà vu, that unsettling sense that we've been here before… it's a powerful one, and it echoes through Jewish history, particularly when we Sifrei Devarim, a book o...
The answer, according to Jewish tradition, is wonderfully layered. Deuteronomy (Devarim) 12:5 tells us, "But to the place that the L-rd your G-d will choose of all your tribes…" Ok...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Temple in the Days of Moses. One verse (Deuteronomy 12:14) seems to say the Temple should be built "in the portion of one of your tribes," while another, ne...
The book of Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the book of Deuteronomy, presents us with a bit of a puzzle. See, one verse seems to say the land was purchased...
It wasn't just about grand gestures; it was also about the consistent, regular offerings. to a small but fascinating passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretati...
He points to the verse in Deuteronomy, where It seems straightforward. Don't eat blood. Rabban Gamliel, whose wisdom continues to resonate through the ages, sees something much dee...
Sifrei Devarim turns to Yaakov and the King. The book of Sifrei Devarim – a legal midrash on the book of Deuteronomy – sheds some light on this. It quotes (Deuteronomy 18:5), which...
It all starts with a verse in Devarim (Deuteronomy 18:1): "There shall not be to the Cohanim, the Levi'im, the entire tribe of Levi, a portion and an inheritance with Israel." Okay...
