2,273 related texts · Page 10 of 48
Take the ancient Egyptians and the Israelites, for example. Their story is filled with power struggles, cultural clashes, and some serious finger-pointing. Josephus, in his work Ag...
to a bit of ancient Egypt as seen through the eyes of Flavius Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar, as he confronts some pretty wild accusations leveled against the Je...
Our story comes to us, indirectly, from Flavius Josephus, the 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian. In his work Against Apion, Josephus is defending Judaism against its detractors. ...
We're diving into the writings of Manetho, an Egyptian priest and historian, and specifically, his account of the Exodus. Now, Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, wasn’t ...
It concerns Moses, the ultimate liberator, and some truly wild accusations leveled against him. Now, Josephus, in his work Against Apion, addresses these very claims, specifically ...
We've been looking at how different writers tried to explain the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt. Last time, we dug into Manetho's version, and now we're going to look at Che...
Remember that feeling when someone tells you something so outrageous, so demonstrably false, that you almost don't want to dignify it with a response? But then you realize, silence...
Our guide for this adventure is Flavius Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar and historian, and the story comes from his work, Against Apion. This book is essentially ...
Apion was an Egyptian, and he spun a wild yarn about the Jews' exodus from Egypt. Josephus calls it a "novel account," which is a polite way of saying it was complete fiction. But ...
It points out that throughout history, moments of perceived progress, of tikkun (repair) have often been limited in scope. They primarily benefited Israel, while the rest of the wo...
Jewish tradition offers a powerful image for understanding this struggle, and a path towards liberation. It all revolves around the idea of "fifty gates of freedom." Where does thi...
It begins with a pretty stark claim: when the actions of the people of Israel became corrupt, a new king arose over Egypt – Pharaoh. Sound familiar? But here's where it gets really...
Jewish mysticism, particularly in the Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar, uses the image of a giant fish to explore just that feeling. The Tikkunei Zohar, a companion volume to the ...
Joseph made his brothers swear a solemn oath, and the Mekhilta records the exact logic behind his request. He said to them: "My father went down to Egypt of his own free will, and ...
Specifically, we're looking at Midrash Tehillim 42. It's a plea, a challenge, almost a demand, directed at God. The speaker in this Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) begin...
The story of Joseph in Egypt resonates so deeply because it touches on this universal human experience. And Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book o...
We often hear the story, but sometimes the sheer impossibility of it all gets lost. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, gives us some ...
We all know the story: Moses raises his staff, the waters part, and the Israelites walk through on dry land to escape Pharaoh. But Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that ...
Not just for a little while, but potentially… forever. What would you do? How far would your trust in the divine stretch? That’s the kind of situation Abraham faced, according to P...
Jewish tradition has a fascinating way of showing us that sometimes, just sometimes, we need a little divine… addition. Let’s turn to a text called Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a wonder...
The text tells us that Rabbi Ishmael reflects on a very specific moment. Ten times, the sons of Jacob addressed Joseph as "thy servant, our father." Ten times they repeated this st...
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...
The Jewish tradition is full of surprising answers, and today we're diving into one of the most unexpected: the story of Pharaoh's repentance. Now, when we think of Pharaoh, images...
We read the story every Passover, we sing the songs, but sometimes the sheer horror of it can get lost in the ritual. Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure in Jewish tradition, pulls no p...
The passage begins with a seemingly innocuous statement: "And Solomon became allied by marriage to Pharaoh king of Egypt..." (Melachim I 3:1). But this simple line opens a floodgat...
It seems the Israelites did just that after their exodus from Egypt. In the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), chapter 11, verse 5, we hear them complaining, "We remember the fish that we...
Why all this talk of "going up"? It's not just poetic license. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, points to a fasc...
Let me tell you, they were masters of textual jujitsu, turning verses inside out to reveal hidden meanings. And sometimes, they got into arguments that sound, well, a little… stran...
But like so many things in Jewish tradition, the answer, or rather the layers of answers, are richer and more meaningful than you might expect. R. Shimon, in Sifrei Devarim, tells ...
It's all about rejoicing – simchah – and how it manifests on various holidays. The passage highlights three types of offerings or celebrations: re'iah, chagigah, and simchah. A re'...
It uses the phrase "on the way" from Deuteronomy to describe precisely such a time: "at the time of your being tossed about." Imagine the Israelites wandering in the desert, facing...
Take the story of Amalek. It’s a name that echoes through Jewish history, a symbol of unprovoked hatred and aggression. We're commanded in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 25:17 to remember w...
Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)im (interpretations) on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a fascinating breakdown. It suggests there...
Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Sifrei Devarim 352, which explores this concept through the story of the tribe of Benjamin and a mysterious plot of land in Jeri...
It turns out, quite a few times. And each counting, each census, seems to carry its own weight, its own story. Our springboard is the verse in Numbers, 2:32: "These are those who w...
Sometimes the pieces don’t quite fit at first glance. Take, for instance, the tribe of Levi. In the Book of Numbers – Bamidbar in Hebrew – we find two seemingly opposing instructio...
to a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 14, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretation, on the Book of Numbers, that explores this very tension. The pass...
The book of Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, sheds light on this very question. We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in the Israelites' ...
Believe it or not, there's a story about that – a powerful one, drawn from Bamidbar Rabbah, specifically section 16. It's a tale of complaining, consequences, and a little bit of d...
We often hear about its benefits, but Jewish tradition also explores its potential pitfalls, especially when it comes to spiritual well-being. Rabbi Elazar, commenting on the verse...
The book of Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Genesis, makes a fascinating claim. It says that there have been ten famines throughout...
Sometimes, it's in those very details that the most fascinating stories are hidden. Take the moment in (Genesis 33:5) when Jacob, after years of estrangement, finally meets his bro...
Take the story of Joseph, sold into slavery by his own brothers. We all know the story. Jealousy, betrayal, a coat of many colors… but what about the aftermath? (Genesis 37:28) tel...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so, and there's a fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah), a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis...
You're reading one story, and suddenly – BAM! – we're in a completely different time or place. It can feel a little jarring. Well, the ancient Rabbis noticed this too, and they dov...
This particular passage, from section 88, tells us about the downfall of two unfortunate souls: the butler and the baker of the Egyptian Pharaoh. What did they do? Were they plotti...
The book of Genesis tells us, "It was at the conclusion of two years, and Pharaoh was dreaming: and, behold, he stood at the Nile" (Genesis 41:1). But Bereshit Rabbah, that incredi...
We get a glimpse into just how crazy things were from the ancient collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah. Specifically, Bereshit Rabbah 90 r...
