712 related texts · 8 related myths · Page 12 of 15
All this, until they entered Eretz Yisrael. Whence do I derive the same for (the period) after they entered Eretz Yisrael? From (I Kings 6:1) "In the four hundred and eightieth yea...
Rabbi Eliezer transmits a teaching in the name of Abba Yossi ben Dormaskith that exposes one of the most unsettling truths about God's relationship with Israel. The verse says: "An...
Throughout the book of Exodus, whenever the Israelites traveled, the Torah uses the plural form, "they journeyed," "they encamped", because the people moved in discord and settled ...
The kind that make you tilt your head and think, "Wait, did I read that. " One of those moments, right up there with the parting of the Red Sea, is the story of the sun standing st...
Jewish tradition has a way of making the immense feel intimate. Take the idea of heaven itself. It’s not some distant, cold abstraction. Instead, picture this: Heaven, according to...
It even shows up in our ideas about Gehenna. Gehenna. It’s a loaded word. Often translated as "Hell," it’s really more complex than that. It’s a place of purification, of reckoning...
Midrash Konen turns to The Gates Of Gehenna. Gehenna, sometimes translated as Hell, isn't exactly a picnic. It's described as being in the north of the world, in what Midrash Konen...
Yalkut Shimoni turns to The Ninth Of Av In The Future. We remember the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem on this day. Not just that, but a whole string of tragedies tha...
Talmud Bavli, Chagigah turns to The Image Of Jacob Cast Down From Heaven. Tradition tells us that in the lead-up to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, a profound sense of ...
The sun beats down, the sand stretches endlessly… and you’re thirsty. Really thirsty. What would you give for a cool, refreshing drink? Well, according to tradition, the Israelites...
When Noah was loading up the ark, Og made a deal. He swore to Noah and his sons that if they’d let him come along, he’d be their servant forever. Space on the ark was tight, to say...
(Proverbs 23:5) speaks to this feeling, saying, "When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings." But what does this really mean? One fascinating...
Midrash Tehillim turns to Adam and the Patriarchs. Our journey begins with Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Psalms. It opens with a fascinating tho...
The ancient sages did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, they confront this very question, particularly in relation to the se...
King David knew that feeling well. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into the context and meaning behind David's songs. A...
Ever find yourself reading the Psalms and wondering, "What's really going on here?" We do too! to a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretati...
The Book of Psalms certainly does. And the Midrash, the ancient rabbinic commentaries, dives deep into these very questions. Midrash Tehillim 5, a fascinating exploration of wicked...
Why we don't have all the answers, especially when it comes to the big questions like, "What's the ultimate reward for doing good?" Midrash Tehillim 9, a beautiful exploration with...
King David knew that feeling. Midrash Tehillim, an ancient collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a glimpse into David's heart, revealing a profound sense of h...
Rabbi Simon, in the ancient collection of homiletic interpretations known as Midrash Tehillim, illuminates this very idea. He suggests that simply reciting poetry doesn't make one ...
One of those fascinating tales, a legend surrounding Judah, one of Jacob's sons, and a rather dramatic encounter with Esau. The passage we're exploring comes from Midrash Tehillim,...
It all starts with a verse from (Psalm 21:2), "You have given him the desire of his heart." But what is the desire of his heart? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) asks...
The Midrash Tehillim, an ancient collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, grapples with this very question. Specifically, it reflects on (Psalm 26:5), "I hate the congr...
There’s this beautiful passage in Midrash Tehillim (Commentary on Psalms), specifically on Psalm 27, that offers a powerful image of refuge. It says, "For He will hide me in His ta...
Midrash Tehillim turns to What Happened to Korah's Sons After They Repented. It all begins with a verse from Proverbs (15:24): "The path of life leads upward for the wise." What do...
It starts with a chilling image: the righteous, the truly good people, terrified because they saw Ahithophel in Gehenna – that's the Jewish concept of hell, a place of fiery purifi...
It might sound audacious, but our tradition actually suggests there are times when the "lower court" – that's us, down here – and the Holy One, blessed be He, are in a bit of a… di...
Midrash Tehillim turns to Manna from Heaven of Shimon. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) paints a vivid picture. Remember the story of Moses striking the rock to bring...
Midrash Tehillim turns to Did Moses Serve as a Priest Before Aaron. It’s a fascinating idea, isn’t it? To picture Moses, not just as the lawgiver and prophet, but also performing t...
The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating perspective on these qualities, especially in relation to God, and how t...
The Psalms, those ancient songs of the soul, speak to this feeling with raw honesty. Psalm 107, in particular, sings of God's goodness, even – or especially – when we're scattered ...
Ever hear a story so wild, so larger-than-life, that you just have to lean in and ask, "Wait, really?" Well, buckle up, because We're exploring a passage from Midrash Tehillim, spe...
Jewish tradition, in its beautiful complexity, actually has something to say about that feeling – about being an outcast, and even more surprisingly, about the possibility of retur...
There's this story in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early collection of Jewish stories and traditions, that gives us a glimpse into his life and the esteem in which he was ...
The ancient text Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of stories and interpretations, suggests that there just might be. The text draws our attention to the fifth day. ...
It’s a profound connection to the very act of creation, a weekly reminder of God's rest, and our own. The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text, offers a powerf...
The familiar story is this: Noah, his family, and a boatload of animals. But Jewish tradition sometimes offers surprising twists, doesn't it? The Book of Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a ...
This particular passage, from Chapter 26, gives us a glimpse into Sarah's encounters with powerful rulers and the surprising twists that shaped her journey. It all starts with Phar...
The familiar version gives us it's a fundamental ritual in Judaism, a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. But what about the times when it wasn't done quite. The Pirkei D...
Hagar's desperate wanderings with her son. "And she departed and wandered," the passage begins, referencing (Genesis 21:14). But Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer interprets "wandering" here ...
It's a story of hope, of revival, and a reminder that even in the darkest valleys, life can spring anew. Rabbi Joshua ben Ḳorchah, a sage whose words echo through time, paints a vi...
It's a wild ride through sin, repentance, and the surprising grace that might just be waiting on the other side. Our first stop is the story of Achan. Remember him? He's the guy in...
He paints a picture, a truly awe-inspiring one, of Moses standing on the mountain. But here's the thing: only his feet were actually on the ground. The rest of him? According to Ra...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text, dives deep into this very idea, exploring the profound impact leaders have on their communities. Rabbi Reuben puts it qui...
The Israelites are wandering in the desert, fresh from their miraculous escape from Egypt. They’re under divine protection. A pillar of cloud surrounds their camp, shielding them. ...
That feeling, that connection, it's at the heart of this story from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Chapter 44. The Israelites are facing a fearsome foe: Amalek. Moses, wise and divinely c...
It wasn't exactly a quiet retreat for the Israelites down below, that's for sure! According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of stories and interpretations, thin...
The ancient Israelites certainly did. And sometimes, their reactions… well, let's just say they weren't always their finest moments. We find a particularly vivid example of this in...
