3,813 related texts · Page 55 of 80
“Your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion; He will not continue to exile you. He will reckon your iniquity, daughter of Edom, He will expose your sins” (Lamentations 4:22).“You...
From the very first moment of creation, God assigned every major figure in history a specific role. Esther Rabbah preserves a remarkable list, attributed to Rabbi Berekhya, that re...
The ancient sages wrestled with this feeling too. And in a fascinating passage attributed to Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in the first century CE, we find a ...
You might recall Nimrod from (Genesis 10:8). It's a brief mention, almost a genealogical footnote: "Chus was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a giant and a hunter before the L...
And Abraham took another wife (Gen. 25:1). Scripture states elsewhere: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy end shall greatly increase (Job 8:7). This verse alludes to Moses. R....
And the time drew near that Israel must die (Gen. 47:29). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit...
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 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 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...
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 ...
And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord (Exod. 4:29). Moses began to reveal to him everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, had told him, and that he was to go perform t...
Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been seen (Exod. 9:18). Zabdi the son of Levi said: He made a mark upon the wall and...
Then the Lord said unto Moses: “Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them whet...
And Moses said unto Aaron: “Take a jar and put an omerful of manna therein” (Exod. 16:33). I would not know of what substance the jar was fashioned, whether of silver or of gold or...
And Moses said unto Joshua: “Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek” (Exod. 17:9). From this verse it is apparent that Moses treated his disciple Joshua as his equal. Thi...
18:1). Jethro was known by seven names. He was called Jethro (yitro) because he added (yater) a chapter to the law, that is, the chapter dealing with judges. He was called Hobab (h...
18:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: The wise shall inherit honor; but as for the fools, they carry away shame (Prov. 3:35). The wise shall inherit honor ref...
And Jethro rejoiced (Exod. 18:9). Do not read this word as vayihad (“and he rejoiced”) but rather vayihed (“and he became a yehudi [a Jew]”). Why did Jethro say: Blessed be the Lor...
And the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Depart, go up hence” (Exod. 33:1). This is what Scripture says in allusion to this verse: For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee ...
(Lev. 8:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses]…, ‘Take Aaron and his sons along with him, the vestments […].’” This text is related (to Ps. 65:5), “Fortunate is the one You choose...
(Lev. 8:2:) “Take Aaron and his sons.” This text is related (to Prov. 20:7), “The one who walks in his integrity is righteous; blessed are his children after him.” This refers to A...
(Lev. 8:3:) “And assemble the whole congregation.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Pay him honor in front of all Israel, in order that they may see him today when he e...
(Lev. 9:1) “And it came to pass on the eighth day….” This text is related to [the verse] (in Eccl. 8:5), “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” Who is this?...
(Lev. 9:1:) “And it came to pass on the eighth day.” This text is related (to Ps. 92:13), “The righteous one shall flourish (rt.: prh) like the palm….” This is Aaron, of whom it is...
(Lev. 11:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying […], ‘Speak unto the Children of Israel, saying, “These are the creatures that you may eat….”’” It is stated (...
(Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” It was taught in a baraita (a teaching from outside the Mishnah) in the name of R. Eliezer:37In y‘Eruv. 6:1 (31c); yGit. 1:2 (39...
(Lev. 17:1, 3:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, ‘Speak to Aaron saying, “…. If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters.”’” The holy spirit proclaims (in Mal. 1:11), ...
(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. 2:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘[The Children of Israel shall camp,] each with his standard, under the banners….’” Let our master instruct u...
(Numb. 4:17-18:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘Do not cut off the tribe of the Kohathite families [from the Levites].’” This text is related (to Prov. 22...
(Numb. 16:1:) “Now Korah […] took.” [What] he took [was] his prayer shawl and he went to get counsel from his wife.11Numb. R. 18:4. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Numb....
(Numb. 16:31:) “Then it came to pass, as soon as he had finished speaking […, that the ground under them was split apart].” [This is] to teach you He causes retribution to spring u...
(Numb. 20:12:) “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in Me.’” Why was Aaron punished?97Numb. R. 19:9, end. The matter is comparable to a creditor who ca...
(Numb. 20:25-26:) “Take Aaron [and his son Elazar] […,] And strip Aaron.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “See, you may console him that he is bequeathing his crown to ...
(Numb. 21:4:) “Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Reed Sea in order to go around the Land of Edom, but the people grew restive on the journey.” But is it not written ...
(Numb. 22:4:) “So Moab said unto the elders of Midian.” What is the relevance of [mentioning] the elders of Midian here?7Numb. R. 20:4. It is simply that they saw Israel conquering...
(Numb. 25:6:) “Just then one of the Children of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman unto his brothers [before the eyes of Moses and the eyes of the whole congregation of the ...
(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...
(Numb. 31:2:) “Exact vengeance [for the Children of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered unto your people].” R. Judah said, “If Moses had wanted to live for se...
Another interpretation (of Numb. 31:2:) “Exact vengeance for the Children of Israel.” This text is related (to Job 36:7), “He does not withdraw His eyes from a righteous person […]...
(Deut. 1:1:) “These are the words that Moses spoke….” Israel said, “Yesterday you said (in Exod. 4:10), ‘I am not a man of words.’ And now you are speaking so much?” Rabbi Isaac sa...
That's the story of Jacob and his son Joseph, as retold in the Book of Jubilees, a text considered canonical by some, like the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but not included in the st...
Jubilees, in its 40th chapter, paints a picture of Joseph that goes beyond the familiar story of the coat of many colors and the dreams. It tells us, "for he walked in uprightness,...
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text expanding on the Torah’s narratives, takes us into just such a moment with Judah, son of Jacob. It’s a raw, human story, full of mistakes a...
Years ago, you thought you'd lost your beloved son, Joseph, to a tragic death. The grief must have been unbearable. Now, after all this time, his brothers are returning from Egypt ...
Sometimes, looking to other texts can give us a fuller picture. Take, for example, this passage from the Book of Jasher. It begins with a rumble of war. Chedorlaomer, king of Elam,...
It’s a universal sting, and even Joseph, the dreamer of dreams himself, wasn't immune. Book of Jasher and see how this plays out. So, Joseph is still stuck in that Egyptian prison....
