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Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, certainly did. And in the Midrash of Philo, we get a fascinating glimpse into his allegorical interpretations. He reads the Torah...
Take Noah, for example. The world’s about to be… well, let’s just say thoroughly cleansed. And yet, (Genesis 6:8) tells us, almost as an aside, that Noah "found grace in the sight ...
Jewish tradition explores that feeling in a fascinating way when it discusses Noah. The world was, to put it mildly, a mess. According to the Torah, humanity's wickedness had reach...
It’s a question that has puzzled rabbis and scholars for centuries, and it's precisely the kind of textual wrinkle that the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) loves to expl...
These are the kinds of questions that our sages wrestled with, poring over every word of the Torah for hidden meanings. Let's consider Noah. We all know the story: the flood, the a...
to a fascinating interpretation found in The Midrash of Philo. Philo, a Jewish philosopher living in Alexandria in the first century CE, wasn't afraid to think outside the box. He ...
Philo, a Jewish philosopher living in Alexandria in the first century CE, offers a unique allegorical interpretation of the Torah. And in this particular midrash (rabbinic interpre...
We're talking about Noah, of course. The righteous man in a world gone completely bonkers. And just before the floodgates open, God says something really interesting: "I will set u...
The Torah tells us plainly: "Enter thou and all thy house into the ark, because I have seen that thou art a just man before me in that generation" (Genesis 7:1). But why? What made...
(Genesis 7:2) lays it out: seven pairs of every clean animal, but only one pair of unclean animals. Seems straightforward, but... why? That’s a question that’s been puzzling interp...
Take the story of Noah and the Ark. We all know the basic plot: God sends a flood, Noah builds an ark, and saves his family and the animals. But what about the deeper meaning? What...
The words that seem almost... unnecessary? Like when we read, "Noah did everything which the Lord commanded him" (Genesis 7:5). Seems straightforward. Noah was a righteous guy, God...
It might sound a bit out there, but ancient wisdom suggests there's more truth to that feeling than you might think. Philo, the 1st-century Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, saw ...
The ancient stories of the flood, like the one starring Noah, resonate so deeply because they speak to that very human experience. We all know the story: God saw wickedness and sen...
And they weren't afraid to ask the tough questions. Take this one, for example, posed in The Midrash of Philo: Why does the Torah specifically mention that God remembered Noah, the...
A microcosm of humanity, bobbing on a turbulent sea. Could you imagine the tensions? The sheer claustrophobia? It makes you wonder. The text known as the Midrash of Philo tackles t...
We all know the big picture: flood, animals two-by-two, dove with an olive branch. But what about the timing? Specifically, why did Noah wait a full forty days after the mountainto...
A dove, sure, feels right. But a raven? What's that all about?Philo wasn't just interested in the surface-level story; he was all about digging deeper, finding the hidden meanings ...
We all remember the flood, the ark, and the animals marching two-by-two. But the raven? And why did Noah send out a dove later? What's the deal? The text itself, (Genesis 8:7-8), s...
We get that the dove comes back with an olive branch, a symbol of hope. But what about that raven? It just… leaves. Never returns. What's the deal with that? The Midrash of Philo, ...
The Torah tells us (Genesis 8:10) that Noah waited seven more days and then released the dove again. But why? The Midrash of Philo tackles this head-on, asking a simple but profoun...
The Torah tells us Noah sent it out not once, but twice. The first time, it came back with an olive branch – a sign of hope! But the second time… nothing. It just... didn’t return....
But pull back for a second. A worldwide flood. The fate of humanity hanging by a thread – or rather, a wooden beam. And then… silence. The waters recede. But when they recede, and ...
The floodwaters had receded. The earth was dry. The ark door stood ajar. So, why didn’t he just… leave? That’s the question the Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations an...
Philo, a Jewish philosopher living in Alexandria in the first century CE, delved deep into the Torah, seeking wisdom and hidden meanings. And in one particular midrash – a kind of ...
In (Genesis 7:13), when describing who enters the ark, we read about Noah and his sons first, “and after them his wife and his sons’ wives.” But (Genesis 8:18) flips the script whe...
It’s a question that's resonated through generations, and the answers, like so many things in Jewish tradition, are layered and fascinating. We find ourselves pondering this very q...
Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, grappled with these questions centuries ago. And his interpretations, preserved in what we call The Midrash of Philo, offer a fas...
Take the moment after the Flood, when the world is starting over. God gives Noah and his family a new covenant, a new set of rules. And smack dab in the middle of it, we find this:...
Maybe you’re striving for perfection but keep falling short. Well, the ancient sages had something to say about that, something that resonates even today. Philo, a Jewish philosoph...
to a fascinating little corner of Jewish thought that wrestles with exactly this question, found in The Midrash of Philo. Philo, in this particular midrash (rabbinic interpretive c...
Take Noah, for example. We all know the story: the ark, the flood, the animals two-by-two. But then, (Genesis 9:20) hits us: "Noah began to be a cultivator of the earth." Okay... s...
It's more than just a tale of survival, according to the Midrash of Philo. It's a story of a new beginning, a re-creation of sorts. Philo compares Noah to Adam, the first human for...
The Torah tells us, quite simply, that "Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard" (Genesis 9:20). Seems straightforward. But this simple verse sparks a fascinatin...
(Genesis 9:21). It's a head-scratcher. What are we supposed to make of that? The question itself isn't new. Generations of interpreters have wrestled with this verse. And one fasci...
We all know the story of the Ark, but what happened after the flood? The text tells us that Noah planted a vineyard and "drank of the wine, and was drunken" (Genesis 9:21). A simpl...
It offers a reading that's surprisingly insightful, telling us it’s actually a praise of the wise person. Yes, you read that right: praise! But how can nakedness be praiseworthy? P...
It's like the biblical text is hinting at something more, inviting us to dig a little deeper. Take, for example, the story of Noah and his sons after the flood. It's a well-known t...
It's in these tiny seeming inconsistencies that some of the most fascinating interpretations are born. Take the story of Noah and his sons, for instance. We all know the story: the...
They tell a story. They hint at something deeper. Take Noah's sons: Shem, Ham, and Japhet. You'd think their order would be consistent. But it's not! Isn't that peculiar? Sometimes...
(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...
(Numb. 26:1-2:) “And it came to pass after the plague [that the Lord said unto Moses and unto Elazar ben Aaron the priest, saying,] ‘Take a census.’” Every time that they fell, the...
"To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53). And who are they? The ones standing on the Plains of Moav. And was the land not apportioned to those that left Egypt? As it is writte...
(Numb. 27:5:) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].” Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in ma...
(Numb. 27:15-16:), “And Moses spoke […], ‘Let the Lord, [the God of the spirits of all flesh], appoint….’” Let our master instruct us: What blessing does one say on seeing a human ...
(Numb. 27:16:) “Let the Lord, [the God of the spirits of all flesh], appoint….” This text is related (to Is. 45:11), “Regarding the things to come, would you question Me concerning...
(Numb. 28:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel, [and say unto them], “My offering, My bread for My fire offering….”’” Let our master instr...
(Numb 28:2:) “Guard to offer it to Me at its set time.” This text is related (to Prov. 13:25), “The righteous man eats to satiate his soul.” This is Eliezer who said to Rebekah (in...
