644 related texts · Page 6 of 14
After Aaron died, the protective Cloud of Glory vanished. Amalek, who had disguised himself by taking the throne of Arad, saw his opportunity. The Targum's version of (Numbers 21) ...
(8) With whose opinion does our Mishnah (the earliest code of rabbinic law) agree? Neither with that of R. Maier, nor with that of R. Juda, nor with that of R. Jose, nor with that ...
It was taught in the school of R. Ishmael that He pardons one sin after the other before they are put on the scales; and this is the divine custom." "Nevertheless," remarked Raba, ...
The daughter of the Emperor said to Rabbi Joshua: “Your God is a builder, so let Him build a tent here." She became leprous and had to be placed in a tent as they do in Rome. She a...
The Emperor asked Rabbi Joshua whether the dead came to life and being dust, how could dust live ? The daughter of the Emperor replied: “There are two makers of things in our place...
A Matrona asked Rabbi Joshua what God has been doing since Creation. The reply was: “He pairs people.” The Ma- trona then ordered a number of male slaves to marry female slaves, th...
In the dark years of Roman persecution, when teaching Torah was a crime punishable by death, two students of Rabbi Joshua went into hiding. They disguised themselves and moved care...
The Romans were not fools. They knew that the Jewish sages wielded enormous influence over their people — more than any general or governor could match. So when the empire wanted t...
The students of Rabbi Joshua were traveling between cities when night overtook them. They found lodging at an inn run by a man whose appearance was deeply off-putting — ugly, unkem...
Joshua v. Levi & Prophet Elijah. Pesikta, f. 36 a. Nissim, f. 4 b. Maase Hashem, f. 41a to 43 a. Eliah Cohen, Meil Se- daka §439. Heilperin, Seder Hado- rot, s. v. Joshua b. Levi. ...
The Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, explores this very idea through a verse from Job: "Who preceded Me, that I should repay? Everything ...
The verse from Proverbs (26:6) sets the stage: “One who sends things by the hand of a fool cuts off his feet and drinks rancor.” Ouch. Strong words. But here's the puzzle: were the...
The story of the spies sent to scout the Land of Canaan in the Book of Numbers is a powerful example of how fear and negative speech can derail even the most promising journeys. Th...
We find ourselves in a similar place in Bamidbar Rabbah 16, grappling with the aftermath of the Israelites' lack of faith and their subsequent punishment of wandering the desert fo...
That’s kind of the situation the Israelites found themselves in after the sin of the spies. They'd just heard a terrifying report about the Land of Israel and, gripped by fear, the...
The passage begins with the famous verse from (Numbers 15:38), commanding us to wear tzitzit (ritual fringes worn on garments), fringes, on the corners of our garments, including a...
It all starts in (Numbers 16:1): “Koraḥ, son of Yitzhar son of Kehat son of Levi, and Datan and Aviram, sons of Eliav, and On, son of Pelet, sons of Reuben, took…” Took what, you a...
It all begins with the tzitzit (fringes) on a garment. The Torah tells us, "They shall make for themselves a fringe [tzitzit]" (Numbers 15:38). Now, Korah, ever the instigator, see...
Our stories are woven into our lineage, and sometimes, those threads get tangled. to a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of N...
We often read the Creation story in Genesis and think we understand it. But what if there's a deeper layer, a secret code waiting to be unlocked? Let's look at the verse, "And to r...
Jewish tradition is full of stories about individuals who stood out, who were exceptional even when surrounded by… well, less exceptional company. Rabbi Simon starts us off with a ...
We often think of God as all-knowing, all-seeing, but the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of early Jewish interpretations of Genesis, dare to imagine a divine experience of...
Even King David, the sweet singer of Israel, felt that way sometimes. And the ancient rabbis grappled with this very question too. In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homi...
The Torah is brimming with them, and Jewish tradition loves to unpack their layers of meaning. Take the dream of the chief butler in the Joseph story. In (Genesis 40:9), he recount...
The passage opens with the phrase, "At that time." But what time are we talking about? The Rabbis tell us it's the moment Joshua is appointed as Moses' successor. As (Deuteronomy 3...
Turns out, there was a surprising amount of "calling for peace" involved. (Deuteronomy 20:10) tells us, "When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for p...
Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homiletic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a powerful and surprising answer, focusing on God's relationship with the Israelites during t...
But in Jewish tradition, we find a fascinating story in Devarim Rabbah that touches upon just such a concept when it comes to the death of Moses. The text starts by asking, "What i...
The verse in question: "Moses emerged from the city, from Pharaoh, and spread his hands to the Lord; the thundering and hail ceased, and the rain did not pour upon the earth" (Exod...
Eleven! As it says, "From Egypt to the Land of Israel there are eleven journeys, which can be conducted in eleven days." (Shemot Rabbah 20). So, why did it end up taking them forty...
But the Torah tells us, "God did not lead them [naḥam]" that way. (Exodus 13:17). So, what gives? There's more to this story than meets the eye. The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic...
A single event, a powerful moment, that resonates far beyond its origin. The Book of Exodus, or Shemot in Hebrew, tells us that "Yitro heard..." (Exodus 18:1). But what exactly did...
He was trying to save the Israelites from destruction, and the story goes something like this… God, seeing the Israelites’ transgressions, essentially challenges Moses. "Find me te...
It's not just a love poem, you see. It’s an allegory, a conversation between God and the people of Israel. Rabbi Berekhya paints a powerful picture. He says the congregation of Isr...
The mystics of old certainly did. to a fascinating interpretation of a verse from the Song of Songs, a book overflowing with symbolism and hidden meanings. "Your branches [shelaḥay...
In Vayikra Rabbah 37, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) explores this idea through a fascinating lens: vows. Specifically, it looks at instances where individuals made...
Something went terribly wrong in the early days of the world. According to the Book of Jubilees, a group of ancient texts dated to approximately 160-150 BCE, the children of men mu...
to a fascinating, if troubling, passage from the Book of Jubilees. Now, the Book of Jubilees isn't part of the standard Jewish biblical canon, the Tanakh. But it's a hugely importa...
Around the edge, where the surface curves upward to meet your gaze, there's a mesmerizing pattern. What is it? A series of precious stone "eggs," meticulously carved. The Letter of...
Within its pages, we find a glimpse of the artistry involved in constructing the vessels of the Temple. One small detail in particular catches our eye, an ornate foot that supports...
We're in the thick of the story leading up to Hanukkah, diving into the Books of Maccabees. Specifically, let's look at the first book, 1 Maccabees 3. While not included in the Tan...
Today, we're diving into one of those fascinating, lesser-known works: the Book of Jasher. Now, it's important to understand that this isn't part of the Tanakh. Its authenticity an...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers some pretty fascinating, and sometimes unsettling, glimpses.. The chap...
After Joshua died, Israel had no leader. The people asked God who should fight the Canaanites, and God told them to cast lots. The lot fell on Kenaz, from the tribe of Caleb, who b...
"Now look again in the picture," God said. "See who it is that seduced Eve and what is the fruit of the tree. You will know what shall be and how it shall be for your seed among th...
The Legends of the Jews, that incredible collection of stories and midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)im compiled by Louis Ginzberg, opens a portal to just such mysteries. C...
You know the story: Abraham, victorious in battle, refuses to take any spoils. Not a single thread. Not even a shoe-latchet. A tiny thing. But according to the Legends of the Jews,...
We know the story of the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Torah at Sinai. But what about those missing years? Jewish tradition is filled with fascinating s...
