3,492 related texts · Page 46 of 73
Like the universe is saying, "Okay, sure, but are you really ready for this?" That's the kind of vibe I get from this little nugget of a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) ...
These are the generations of Noah (Gen. 6:9). R. Tanhuma the son of Abba began the discussion of this subject with the verse: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he t...
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man … Noah walked with God (Gen. 6:9). Why is Noah’s name repeated three times in this single verse? Because he was one of t...
Go forth from the ark (Gen. 8:16). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks to Thy name; the righteous shall crown th...
Another explanation of go forth from the ark. David said: Bring my soul out of prison (Ps. 142:8). Noah, while in the ark, prayed continually: Bring my soul out of prison, and it i...
And Noah, the husbandman, began and planted a vineyard (Gen. 9:20). Noah degraded himself when he began to till the soil. R. Judah the son of R. Shalum said: At first Noah was call...
And the whole earth was of one language (Gen. 11:1). What is written in Scripture before this verse? These are the families of the sons of Noah … and of these were the nations divi...
45:11). Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear alludes to Abraham. Forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house refers to the idolaters, concerning whom i...
And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine (Gen. 17:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: Thou art fairer than the children of man; grace is poured upon thy ...
A song of ascents. I will lift up mine eyes to the mountains (Ps. 121:1). Scripture alludes here to the verse Who art thou, O great mountain before. Zerubbabel? Thou shalt become a...
Another comment on These are the names (Exod. 1:1). Scripture states: As is Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise, unto the end of the earth (Ps. 48:11). Men praise a human king as str...
And Joseph died, and all his brethren (Exod. 1:6). Nevertheless, the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly (ibid., v. 7). R. Yannai declared: Each woman bore si...
Come, let us deal wisely with them (Exod. 1:9). In saying this he blasphemed against the On High. The Holy One said to them: No matter what you plan to do against Israel, it will i...
3:1). Scripture states elsewhere: Every word of God is tried; He is a shield unto them that take refuge in Him (Prov. 30:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, does not confer greatness ...
And she opened it, and saw it, even the child; and behold, a boy that wept (Exod. 2:6). The verse does not say “And behold, a child that wept” but rather a boy. This informs us tha...
And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up (Exod. 2:11). Does not everything grow up? Do not men, beasts, animals, and birds all grow up? Why, then, is this said? I...
And he went out on the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together (Exod. 2:13). Who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram, who later said: Let us m...
2:16). Was it proper for this righteous man to go to the home of an idolater? After all, since the Holy one, blessed be He, detests idolatry, why did he permit Moses to go to a pla...
And Moses was content to dwell (Exod. 2:21). The word content (vayo’el) is used with reference to an oath, as in the case of Saul: And he adjured (vayo’el) the people (I Sam. 14:24...
3:1). R. Levi stated: Everyone about whom it is written was, his beginning and his end were proper. R. Johanan said: Everyone about whom it says was, fed and sustained others. Othe...
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 he looked; and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed (Exod. 3:2). Because of this verse they held: The heavenly fire branches upwards as it burns, bu...
And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exod. 4:18). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for ...
And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exod. 4:18). Scripture states elsewhere: But he is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, ...
And the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Scripture states elsewhere For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then cons...
And Jethro said to Moses: “Go for peace” (Exod. 3:18). You find that everyone about whom it is written Go for peace departs and returns in peace, and that everyone concerning whom ...
And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass (Exod. 4:20). This is one of the ten verses our rabbis altered when they translated the Torah into Greek for King Pto...
And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass (Exod. 4:20). The singular form ass is employed here, as when a man says: “Lead out the animal” (though he may have m...
And the Lord said to Aaron: “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses” (Exod. 4:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: God thundereth marvelously with His voice; gr...
Another explanation of God thundereth marvelously with his voice (Job 37:5). When did the Holy One, blessed be He, perform these miracles with His voice? He did so at the time he w...
Go into the wilderness to meet Moses (Exod. 4:27). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each ...
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying: “Show a wonder for you” (Exod. 7:9). He will be making a reasonable request to you. You find in the case of Noah, that though He said to ...
In the tent of meeting, without the veil (Exod. 27:21). In case you are inclined to assert that He required the light, the menorah was placed before the curtain near the ark, outsi...
(Lev. 10:8-9:) “And the Lord spoke unto Aaron, [saying], ‘Drink no wine or intoxicating liquor.’” Why did He give a commandment concerning wine?13Lev. R. 12:1; cf. Numb. R. 10:2; M...
(Numb. 22:39:) “Then Balaam went unto38The Masoretic text reads both this and the following UNTO as WITH. Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-Huzoth (literally: city of markets),” wh...
It involves fallen angels, forbidden knowledge, and a whole lot of trouble. This isn't just a story of two rogue angels, Shemhazai and Azazel. According to some accounts, like the ...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, just as fish were formed from water and birds from boggy earth, mammals were formed from solid earth. And among these, we ...
According to Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, Adam wasn't just picking apples and feeling sorry for himself. He was wrestling with the big stuff – the future, his children, and the...
He wasn't just wandering aimlessly, marked by God. According to the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, Cain was acutely aware of the divine decree that his blood-guiltines...
The story of Enoch offers us a glimpse into just such an extraordinary experience. Now, Enoch wasn't just any man. The Torah tells us simply that he "walked with God, and he was no...
The stories are… well, let's just say they’re anything but ordinary. According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Louis Ginzberg, Abraham's birth was shrouded in secrecy, hidden ...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Abraham wasn't one to linger where things got… unpleasant. With Sodom a smoldering memory, and whispers about Lot's daught...
The story of Isaac blessing Jacob instead of Esau is definitely one of those moments. It’s a story filled with deception, family drama, and a bit of divine intervention, and it's f...
The story in Genesis leaves us with Esau heading off to Mount Seir, and it feels like maybe, just maybe, the brothers have finally found a way to coexist. But as we often find in t...
Today, we're diving into the final testament of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob, as recounted in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. Benjamin, at the ripe old age of one hundred an...
Let’s delve into a deeply human moment from the life of Moses, as depicted in Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg. It’s a scene filled with both profound faith and heartbreaking ...
Take Sennacherib, the Assyrian king who dared to threaten Jerusalem. His story takes a wild turn after his army's miraculous defeat. According to Legends of the Jews, Sennacherib, ...
Jewish tradition has some fascinating, and surprisingly relatable, ideas. One captivating story, found in Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) Aleph Bet (5:8-9), suggests tha...
