2,273 related texts · Page 31 of 48
And they said: “The God of the Hebrews hath met with us” (Exod. 5:3). Moses and Aaron declared: Perhaps You will say we altered Your words when we told him: “Thus said the Lord, th...
See, I have set thee in God’s stead to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (Exod. 7:1). Just as the lecturer sits and lectures, and the interpreter explains his wor...
Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water (Exod. 7:14). Thus the Lord said: Through this (water) you shall cause him to know that I am the Lord. I will ...
And it came to pass in the middle of the night, that the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (Exod. 12:29). The Creator of the night divided the night precisely. The ...
And I will get me honor upon Pharaoh (Exod. 14:4). This verse tells us that whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from the nations, His name is exalted in the wo...
And he took six hundred chosen chariots (Exod. 14:7). Whose beasts drew the chariots? If you should say they belonged to the Egyptians, has it not already been said: And all the ca...
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...
(Numbers 7:54:) "On the eighth day, the prince of the Children of Manasseh." R. Abbin Berabbi the Levite said, “As Joseph was offering his praise, his master saw him murmuring with...
(Numb. 25:1:) “While Israel was staying at Shittim, [the people began to go whoring].” Let our master instruct us: By virtue of how many things was Israel redeemed from Egypt?85Num...
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...
When you go out to war and you see horse and chariot, a people more numerous than you (Deuteronomy 20:1): This is what is stated in the verse (Proverbs 21:31), "The horse is readie...
Isaac, son of Abraham, certainly knew that feeling. Our story picks up with him journeying towards Gerar, a Philistine territory, seeking refuge with King Abimelech. (Jubilees 24)....
That’s kind of where Jacob finds himself in the Book of Jubilees. Jacob, is about to leave Egypt. A pivotal moment. But before he goes, he receives a divine message, a glimpse into...
That feeling, that tension, is right at the heart of the story we find in the Book of Jubilees as Jacob, now also known as Israel, prepares to leave the familiar for the unknown. T...
While Genesis gives us the basic family tree, other ancient texts fill in fascinating details, sometimes even offering slightly different accounts. Today, we’re diving into one of ...
Today, let's talk about the number seventy. Specifically, the seventy souls of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. It's a seemingly simple statement, isn’t it? "And all the soul...
The Torah is full of these moments, these transitions, these reminders of our own mortality. And the Book of Jubilees, that fascinating text that expands upon Genesis, Exodus, and ...
We're diving into the Book of Jubilees, specifically chapter 46. Now, the Book of Jubilees isn't part of the standard Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, that you'd find in most synagogues. ...
We all know about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Ten Commandments. But what about the details that fill in the cracks, the "behind-the-scenes" momen...
Because in the Book of Judith, we stumble right into one. King Nebuchadnezzar, feeling very much like the "lord of all the earth," has just laid down the law. And let me tell you, ...
I want to tell you a story, a personal one, about a mission I undertook. It all started with a plea. I saw an opportunity to speak to the king, to advocate for the Jewish captives....
It begins with a letter. Not just any letter, but the Letter of Aristeas. Now, the actual author of this letter is debated by scholars. But for now, let's just call him Aristeas. H...
Our journey begins with a letter—the Letter of Aristeas—a fascinating, and some would say embellished, account of just how this monumental translation project unfolded. Imagine Egy...
It’s a question that weaves through history, a tapestry of voluntary migration, military service, and, unfortunately, enslavement. One fascinating, though potentially embellished, ...
It’s a question that echoes through history, and sometimes, the answer comes in the form of a royal decree. I think it's worthwhile to share a copy of this ancient decree with you,...
It’s a story filled with intrigue, royal ambition, and a touch of the miraculous. It all starts with a letter… or rather, The Letter of Aristeas. This ancient text, attributed to s...
We're going to look at the beginning of the Book of Maccabees I. Our scene opens with Antiochus. Now, this wasn't just any Antiochus; this was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a king of the...
The First Book of Maccabees, a historical text not included in the Hebrew Bible but considered canonical by some Christians, offers a powerful glimpse into this very question. It r...
It's about resilience, faith, and the courage to stand up for what you believe in, even when it seems like everyone else is against you. And Chapter 3 of the First Book of Maccabee...
It's considered Deuterocanonical, meaning it's included in some versions of the Bible but not in others. Think of it as bonus content, filling in historical gaps and adding layers ...
The story of the Maccabees is just that: a story of forging a Jewish identity amidst empires clashing and cultures colliding. Today, let's journey with Jonathan Maccabee, son of Ma...
We all know the story from Genesis 34 – how Shechem, son of Hamor, defiled Jacob's daughter, Dinah, and how Jacob's sons, particularly Simeon and Levi, exacted a brutal revenge. Bu...
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...
Chapter 57 of the Book of Jasher gives us a glimpse into a world where old rivalries simmer, erupt, and reshape the landscape. The chapter opens with a clash: the sons of Esau wage...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), fills in some of those gaps. It's like a behind-the-scenes look at the...
We know about Mount Sinai, the thunder, the lightning, the booming voice... but what about the days that followed?Book of Jasher and see what unfolded. The story picks up right aft...
We all know about the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and even receiving the Ten Commandments. But what about the nitty-gritty details of setting up their new life, their new r...
That feeling of frustration, of being turned back just as you're reaching your goal... well, the Israelites knew it well. Chapter 85 of the Book of Jasher plunges us right into a m...
Not according to some powerful Jewish legends! They paint a picture of a world created specifically for us, for the people of Israel. It’s a pretty bold claim, isn't it?According t...
So, picture this: Abraham saddles up his mule, ready to head to the local inn. This wasn't just any inn, mind you. It was the place where merchants from Fandana in Syria stayed whe...
We know that CANAAN, son of HAM, and his descendants settled in the land. But the story goes that they didn’t exactly have permission. According to Legends of the Jews, Canaan disr...
It’s a story filled with hidden beauty, shrewd bargaining, and a touch of divine protection. Our tale begins as Abraham and Sarah journey from Canaan to Egypt. According to Legends...
Even Abraham, our patriarch, wasn't immune. Imagine the scene: Abraham, fresh from his sojourn in Egypt, returns home. Life should be good. But trouble is brewing. It starts, as it...
Rebekah, wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau, certainly did. Imagine this: Isaac, old and blind, is about to bestow a blessing – a powerful, almost magical blessing – on his...
According to Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg, naturally drawing on earlier Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic sources), things were still pretty tense. See, Jacob, ever the...
See, Joseph, sent by his father Jacob, arrives in Shechem. Now, Shechem wasn't just any town. According to the legends, it was a place already steeped in bad vibes. Ginzberg, in hi...
After the whole heartbreaking ordeal of selling Joseph into slavery to the Midianites, Judah's brothers came to him with a proposition. "If things were normal," they said, "our fat...
We're diving into the Legends of the Jews, a treasure trove compiled by Louis Ginzberg, drawing on centuries of rabbinic tradition, midrash, and folklore. Get ready to meet kings y...
