2,273 related texts · Page 32 of 48
So ends one era, and another begins. But let's turn our attention to Joseph, the dreamer, the provider, the once-lost brother. Can you imagine the emotions swirling within him as h...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so. It teaches us that names aren't just labels; they're prophecies, reflections of character, even echoes of history. Take the tribe of Gad, for ...
to the story of Zebulun, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, and see how his compassion became his legacy. He’s not always the first name that comes to mind when we think of the tribe...
We all know the big picture: slavery, plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the individual choices, the moral dilemmas, the moments of despair and resilience that sha...
Not the talking donkey one, though that’s the same guy! We find him popping up in all sorts of unexpected places in Jewish tradition, always stirring the pot. Here, we find him off...
We often think of Abraham as the paragon of faith, but this passage paints a picture of him as a strategist, a man who wasn't afraid to... well, let's just say "bend the truth" to ...
The ancient texts offer some fascinating glimpses. Imagine this: the young Moses, raised in Pharaoh's court, becomes a student. But not just any student. According to Legends of th...
You pour your heart into helping them, only to see them repeat the same mistakes. That feeling isn't new. It's as old as…well, as old as Moses. Imagine Moses, right after fleeing E...
The tale begins when Moses, at the ripe old age of 67, leaves Ethiopia. Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, tells us this was the moment divinely appointed to liberate Israel from th...
Maybe you're facing a challenge that seems insurmountable, a situation where you feel utterly trapped. Well, let me tell you a story about a literal pit and how someone climbed out...
According to Legends of the Jews, Jethro, Zipporah's father, gave Moses considerable wealth and his daughter's hand in marriage. But there was a condition. Jethro, a Midianite prie...
Moses, fresh from his encounter with the burning bush, is now tasked with the monumental job of leading the Israelites out of Egypt. He’s got a bit of an edge, maybe a little too m...
According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, the great leader wasn't exactly racing toward his destiny. He was accompanied by his wife and children, yes, an...
"What! Is our sorrow not great enough, burdened as we are by those who have suffered in Egypt from the very beginning? Must you add more to the land?" Can you imagine Aaron saying ...
Oh no, that would be far too simple. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, at every single entrance stood two massive lions. Lions! Terrifying. These weren't yo...
It wasn’t just a random act of divine anger. According to Jewish tradition, there was a method to the madness, a specific reason why certain plagues were assigned to certain people...
Pharaoh, true to Moses's prediction, immediately reneged on his promise to let the Israelites go. And what did Moses do? He didn't waste a second. He promptly announced the eighth ...
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...
Because, according to some traditions, even the ten plagues weren't enough to soften the hearts of the Egyptians. The oppression of the Hebrews continued relentlessly, right up to ...
It all revolves around Pesach (Passover), Passover, the holiday celebrating our liberation from slavery in Egypt. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Midrash Rabbah,...
But instead of beelining straight for the Promised Land, they wandered in the desert for what felt like forever. Why? Well, it turns out there's more to it than just getting lost. ...
But Jewish tradition paints just such a picture, with angels as powerful advocates and adversaries. : if we, as individuals, are said to have angels watching over us, guiding us (o...
I don't mean klezmer or cantorial music, but something deeper, something woven into the very fabric of our story. What if I told you that Jewish tradition speaks of nine specific s...
Behind them? Pharaoh's army, breathing down their necks. Ahead? What seems like an insurmountable wall of water. It’s a moment of absolute crisis. Now, the angels, ever-dutiful, de...
The story of that moment, of the shirah, the song, is richer than you might imagine. It wasn't just a spontaneous outburst. According to Legends of the Jews, when it came time to s...
It all started in a place called Elim. : when the world was first formed, the Almighty set up twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees there. Why those numbers? Well, they corr...
It’s more than just a day off. It’s a connection to something ancient, something profound. It’s a chance to step back and remember. But it wasn't always easy. Imagine this: The Isr...
They've just been liberated from slavery in Egypt, they're being miraculously fed with manna – that heavenly bread that just appears each day – and, according to the lore, they're ...
Our ancestors did the very same thing, as we learn from the story of Moses and the water from the rock. Imagine the scene: The Israelites are wandering in the desert, thirsty, desp...
It’s a very human thing. And according to Jewish tradition, it’s a mistake the Israelites made, with some rather painful consequences. Picture this: The Israelites are fresh out of...
No sooner did Amalek hear that the Israelites had finally escaped Egypt than he sprang into action. He raced after them, intercepting them at the Red Sea. Imagine the scene! Accord...
The battlefield was set, the armies were engaged, but the real battle, according to Legends of the Jews, wasn't on the ground at all. It was happening on a nearby height, where Mos...
Today, let's talk about Amalek. You might remember Amalek from the Bible – this was the nation that attacked the Israelites shortly after their miraculous Exodus from Egypt. It see...
Sometimes, it's not those who’ve lived with the miraculous all their lives, but rather a newcomer, a convert, who can see it most clearly. Our story begins with Jethro, the father-...
You’ve traveled with your son-in-law and the Israelites through the desert, witnessed miracles, and then… Moses sends you packing. Back home. Just before the biggest moment in Jewi...
It's not just a matter of logistics. According to tradition, the timing was absolutely crucial, divinely ordained, and brimming with meaning. : The Israelites are freed from centur...
You’re marching towards… well, you don't exactly know where, but it's away from Pharaoh! Wouldn't you expect the Divine to hand down the ultimate instruction manual right then and ...
We all know the big picture – freedom from slavery, the Ten Commandments. But what about the finer details? What was the tone, the emphasis, the heart of his message? Well, accordi...
Take the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. : accepting Judaism isn't just a declaration; it's a process. A transformational journey. According to tradition, a convert must und...
According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, that’s pretty much what happened when the Ten Commandments were given. When the first commandment, Anochi Hashe...
The Torah tells us that Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the sacred law, from God. Before he left, Moses told the people he would return in forty days with the divi...
That impatience, that void, can lead us down some unexpected paths. The story of the Golden Calf is a prime example. The Israelites, fresh out of Egypt, were camped at the foot of ...
He had to manage not only the destructive fury of the angels, but also something even more daunting: God's own wrath. Imagine the scene. God, deeply hurt by the Israelites' betraya...
The act of counting, it seems, isn't always a simple matter of logistics. Sometimes it's infused with deeper meaning, both positive and, occasionally, fraught with danger. Let’s ta...
It wasn't just a building; it was a story, a symbol, a living testament to the covenant between God and Israel. And speaking of symbols, let's zoom in on the altar. This wasn't jus...
This tribe, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, held a special place. They were the ones dedicated to the sanctuary, the ones who served God in the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and lat...
We picture this grand, awe-inspiring moment, but Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews paints a rather... different picture. Imagine this: After generations of brutal slavery in Egypt, th...
We see hints of it in the way Moses was commanded to count the Levites. : for all the other tribes, only men fit for war, twenty years old and up, were numbered. But with Levi? Eve...
