2,273 related texts · Page 41 of 48
Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth (Gen. 49:27). Scripture states elsewhere: For the Lord will do nothing, but He revealeth His counsel unto His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). At ...
And he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness (Exod. 3:1). In answer to the query Why did he go into the wilderness? R. Johanan said: He went into the wilderness becau...
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (Exod. 4:29). He told them: The Holy One, blessed be He, has said: I have surely remembered ...
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go (Exod. 13:17). The word let go (shallah) indicates “to escort,” as in the verse Abraham went with them to bring them (leshal...
And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses (Exod. 39:32). It is written elsewhere in reference to the verse: He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous; but with kings upon the...
(Lev. 15:25:) “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood for many days.” But are there not seven days in a menstrual period? So why did it call them “many days?” Simply because...
(Numb. 1:1:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.” This text is related (to Jer. 2:31), “0 generation, understand the word of the Lord, ‘Have I been a desert for Is...
(Numb. 7:48:) “On the seventh day it was the prince of the Children of Ephraim.” This text is related (to Ps. 60:9), “Gilead is Mine and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is My chief ...
(Numb. 25:16-17:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses], saying, ‘Harass the Midianites […].’” Why?5Numb. R. 21:4. (Numb. 25:18:) “Because they are harassing you.” Hence the sages have...
(Numbers 35:11:) “You shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge.” And it is written (in (Numbers 35:13-1)4), “six cities of refuge shall there be for yo...
The Book of Jubilees, a text considered canonical by some but excluded from the Hebrew Bible, gives us a glimpse into just such a time of profound loss for Jacob. It's a raw, emoti...
It wasn't always about grand gestures and sacrifices. Sometimes, it was about simple, annual reflection. The Book of Jubilees, a text considered scripture by some ancient Jewish gr...
We all know the story of the plagues visited upon Egypt. Blood, frogs, locusts… a greatest hits album of divine retribution. But what about the behind-the-scenes details? What abou...
We all know the story: the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the Israelites' triumphant escape from Egypt. But what about the behind-the-scenes cosmic drama? The Book of Jubilee...
That’s kind of the vibe as we jump back into the Book of Judith. Remember Nebuchadnezzar? Still king, still convinced of his own divine status, and still not thrilled that some nat...
The people of Bethulia certainly did. Their city was under siege, their water supply dwindling, and their morale...well, let's just say it wasn't great. But in the midst of this de...
That’s precisely what happened back in the 3rd century BCE, according to the Letter of Aristeas. This fascinating text, attributed to a courtier named Aristeas in the service of Eg...
There are so many fascinating tales tucked away in Jewish tradition, just waiting to be discovered.It’s a lesser-known account of the events surrounding Hanukkah, offering a unique...
This is the world Megillat Antiochus throws us into. The story begins with a chilling proposition, whispered amongst the advisors of King Antiochus. "Come now," they urged, "let us...
Antiochus, king of the Seleucid Empire, knew that feeling all too well. Imagine this: you're a powerful ruler, used to getting your way. Then you hear the news: your viceroy, Nican...
We read about the conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua, but the story doesn't quite end there. The Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that fills in some of the gaps in...
Naphtali, eighth son of Jacob, born of Bilhah, was dying in his hundred and thirtieth year. His sons gathered on the first day of the seventh month. He was still in good health. He...
Gad, ninth son of Jacob, born of Zilpah, spoke to his sons in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life. He had been valiant in keeping the flocks, guarding them at night. When...
Let’s delve into a fascinating encounter in the lives of Abraham and Abimelech and see what we can uncover. Remember the story? Abraham, fearing for his life in Gerar, tells everyo...
It might have something to do with a blessing – or the lack thereof. to a story from Legends of the Jews, specifically about Isaac, Esau, and a fateful Passover eve. It's a moment ...
It's a painful scene. The text tells us he was in tears, his body bowed with the weight of it all. He didn’t want to do it! But Rebekah, driven by her own convictions, was insisten...
According to Legends of the Jews, he was just waiting for Joseph to be born so he could finally head home. Why? Because Jacob had a sense – a ruach (spirit) hakodesh, a holy spirit...
We know from the Torah that Jacob took precautions, dividing his family and possessions. But Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, paints a more vivid picture of Jacob’s strategic, alm...
The story of Rachel's burial offers a powerful glimpse into this very idea. The Torah tells us simply that Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin and was buried on the road to Ephrat...
The Torah, in the story of Joseph, doesn’t shy away from those very human emotions. In fact, it puts them front and center. The brothers of Joseph, were seething. And it all starte...
The story of Joseph, or Yosef as he's known in Hebrew, is a timeless tale of jealousy, brotherhood, and ultimately, redemption. And it begins with a terrifying moment. Imagine the ...
We often think about actions, the concrete things we do (or don't do). But what about those times when we meant to do something good, even if it didn't quite pan out? The Jewish tr...
The jealousy, the betrayal, the selling into slavery. But what about the moments in between? Were they all heartless? Well, according to Legends of the Jews, not entirely. Imagine ...
The Torah tells us of Jacob's deep love for Joseph, a love that perhaps bordered on favoritism. So, picture Jacob, now alone, consumed by grief. The text says that while his sons w...
It wasn't just the unbearable pain of losing a child. Jacob's situation was, as these stories often are, layered with complexities, with promises and spiritual anxieties. See, Jaco...
It's easy to get lost in the big stories, the sweeping narratives, but sometimes the most fascinating details are tucked away in the smaller, more intimate moments. Take Zebulon, f...
That's the scene we encounter in the story of Zuleika and Joseph, a tale brimming with passion, temptation, and unwavering faith. The story, as retold in Ginzberg's Legends of the ...
We’re talking about Jacob, of course, and his son Levi. Jacob, nearing the end of his life, was deeply concerned about the future of his family, his tribe, his legacy. According to...
That’s the scene we find ourselves in, as we eavesdrop on the final moments between Jacob and his eldest son, Reuben. Jacob, on his deathbed, addresses Reuben. "Reuben, thou art my...
And sometimes, the stories we tell about those moments, those final farewells, reveal even more about the living than they do about the dead. Take, for instance, the story of Jacob...
And it's not a new phenomenon, not by a long shot. Let's turn to the story of Simon, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, and his struggle with envy. Imagine the scene: Simon is on his...
The tradition is rich with details, offering us glimpses into their lives and legacies. Let's turn our attention to two of Jacob’s sons: Issachar and Zebulon. Imagine the scene: Is...
The story goes that after saying all he needed to say, Dan breathed his last. His sons, as was custom, placed him in a coffin and carried him to Hebron to be buried alongside his a...
Reuben admits, "Now I confess my sin, that ofttimes I longed to kill him, for I hated him from the bottom of my heart… and I desired to destroy him from off the land of the living....
I'm talking about the midwives who, at great personal risk, chose compassion over compliance. Pharaoh, in his paranoia, sought to control the burgeoning Israelite population by ord...
It’s a scene ripe with drama, intrigue, and conflicting advice. The story begins, as many of the best stories do, with a betrayal. Jethro, also known as Reuel—later to become Moses...
According to Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews, the Egyptians didn't just use brute force to control the Hebrews. They were clever. Insidiously so. They started with tempting promises...
Sometimes, it's in the most unexpected places, like a marriage built on shared destiny and defiance. Amram, a name whispered with reverence in Jewish history, chose as his life par...
