3,050 related texts · Page 2 of 64
As these nations that you are, etc. (Deuteronomy 18:14): This is that which is stated in the verse (Deuteronomy 28:13), "The Lord will make you the head, not the tail; you will alw...
And when you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and address the people (Deuteronomy 20:2): And so [too] does it state (Deuteronomy 21:5) "The priests, the Sons of L...
It’s the fifth belief discussed in Da'at (Knowledge) Tevunot, a profound work of Jewish philosophy. This isn’t about making mistakes, or even just choosing a wrong path. This is ab...
Ben Sira doesn't mince words, does he? He calls him "wide in stupidity and lacking in wisdom." Ouch! Reḥov'am, was the son of King Solomon, a hard act to follow to begin with. But ...
This is the world Megillat Antiochus throws us into. The story begins with a chilling proposition, whispered amongst the advisors of King Antiochus. "Come now," they urged, "let us...
Two false prophets in Babylon, Ahab ben Kolaya and Zedekiah ben Maaseyah, used their religious authority to commit adultery and fraud. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 1...
Jewish tradition is full of stories that suggest it does. And one of the most fascinating, and perhaps surprising, examples comes from the story of the Rechabites. These weren't Is...
Like Samuel, for instance. He stands at the crossroads between the era of the Judges and the rise of the Kingdom, anointing both Saul and David as kings. But Samuel didn't just app...
We’re talking about Abijah, king of Judah. He actually spoke out against the prophet Abijah the Shilonite, calling him a "son of Belial" – a wicked or worthless person. Ouch. That ...
to the story of King Asa, son of Abijah, of Judah, whose reign is a powerful reminder of the importance of faith and humility. Asa started off strong. He was a more righteous ruler...
The story of Elijah the prophet gives us a lot to think about. Remember the story of King Ahab? He wasn't exactly known for his piety. And as the Legends of the Jews tells us, a de...
It's a story of faith, resourcefulness, and the enduring power of good deeds. We're talking about Elisha, the prophet. Like his mentor Elijah, Elisha was known for his compassion. ...
The story of Hosea offers us a glimpse into just that, a peek behind the curtain of divine communication. We're talking about the reign of Uzziah here, a time when his father Amazi...
He wasn't your typical prophet. He came after Hosea, before Isaiah, and as the Legends of the Jews tell us, he even had a speech impediment! But when God calls, you answer. So, Amo...
The story of Amos, the prophet, gives us a glimpse. He was fearless, wasn't he? But that very fearlessness, sadly, led to his demise. Legend has it that King Uzziah, enraged by Amo...
He was one of the most righteous kings of Judah, a real standout. He lived way back when—around the 8th century BCE—and he's remembered for some seriously impressive things. The Ta...
King Josiah, a righteous ruler of Judah, found himself in just that position. The prophecies were grim. Destruction loomed. And Josiah, desperate to protect his people, decided on ...
It’s a question that’s haunted humanity for centuries, and Jewish tradition grapples with it head-on. Take the story of King Josiah, a righteous ruler who met a tragic end. Josiah ...
Even though he messed up big time by breaking his oath, he was, at heart, a good and just ruler. So good, in fact, that God almost changed His mind about punishing the wicked gener...
The prophet Jeremiah certainly knew. Even as tragedy unfolded around him, he refused to sugarcoat the truth. Imagine him, standing before the king, knowing that his words could sea...
This is one of those stories. It features a king so puffed up with pride that he believes himself immortal, only to be brought crashing down to earth – quite literally! We're talki...
We often hear the story from the inside, from the Torah and the Prophets. But what about the view from outside the camp? What did the surrounding nations think of this seemingly in...
Mordecai, in the Book of Esther, certainly did. He had to communicate with Esther, his niece and now Queen, without raising suspicion. So how did he do it? Well, according to Legen...
A prophet named Jadon traveled from Jerusalem to Bethel to deliver one of the most dramatic prophecies in Israelite history—and was killed on the way home because he stopped for di...
A single prophet against four hundred. That was the lineup on Mount Carmel, and Elijah liked his odds. The backstory is bleak. King Ahab had married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, k...
King Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper chamber and was badly injured. Instead of praying to the God of Israel, he sent messengers to consult the Fly, the god of Ekron. ...
And it's one that the ancient prayers, particularly those connected to seeking blessing and abundance, address head-on. : we ask for blessing, but we also ask for protection from t...
Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, offers a fascinating, and frankly mind-bending, explanation. It involves shattering, divine light, and a cosmic repair project we’re all participating i...
Ever wake up from a dream and think, "Wait, how did that happen?" One minute you're flying, the next you're giving a presentation naked, and then suddenly you're a talking teapot. ...
It’s a question that's haunted thinkers for millennia, and Jewish mysticism, particularly in the Kabbalah, offers a stunning, mind-bending answer. An answer that involves contracti...
And the text Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah (Wisdom) offers a glimpse into this fascinating process, a kind of blueprint for understanding how the Eyn Sof (the Infinite), blessed be He, i...
According to some mystical Jewish texts, the answer is a resounding YES. Think of it as a map, revealing the hidden landscape within. The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a Kabbalistic tex...
And it's one that the Tikkun (spiritual repair)ei Zohar uses to explore the nature of divine access and spiritual authority. The Tikkunei Zohar, a later and more esoteric section o...
Before David was chosen (as king) every Israelite was kasher for kingship. Once David had been chosen, the other Israelites (i.e., those not in his line) were excluded. As it is wr...
We find there to have been three (kinds of) prophets. One claimed the honor of the Father and the father of the son; another, the honor of the Father, but not the honor of the son;...
The Mekhilta turns to the prophet Daniel's vision of the four kingdoms, focusing on the terrifying image assigned to Greece. In (Daniel 7:6), the kingdom of Greece appears as a leo...
(Exodus 15:20) introduces Miriam with a curious title: "the prophetess, the sister of Aaron." The Mekhilta immediately spots the problem. Miriam was the sister of both Aaron and Mo...
Rabbi Yossi offered a provocative comparison: just as a prophet reveals what is hidden, the manna did the same. The wordplay is built into the Hebrew—the word maggid (one who tells...
The prophet declares in (II Kings 21:12): "Thus said the L-rd, the God of Israel." The Mekhilta stops on this phrase and asks a question that seems almost impertinent. Is God only ...
Rabbi Levi suggests a difference in timing. When the Holy One, blessed be He, judges the nations of the world, it happens at night, a time when they are asleep, supposedly free fro...
But imagine that betrayal playing out on a national, even cosmic, scale. That's the drama we find ourselves plunged into in Midrash Tehillim 11, a fascinating exploration of Psalm ...
Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani kicks things off, wondering why we sweat during times of transition. He suggests it's connected to the fall of one kingdom and the rise of another. He poi...
That tension is at the heart of our story today, drawn from Midrash Tehillim 58, a beautiful exploration of Psalm 58. It grapples with a difficult question: "Do not destroy the con...
to a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms. Here, the Rabbis unpack what it means to read – or, perhaps more acc...
This midrash, a kind of interpretive commentary, opens by linking David's words in Psalm 145 – "I will exalt you, my God the King" – to the prophet Isaiah's similar declaration in ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They saw patterns, connections, and hidden meanings woven into the very fabric of time. Take, for instance, this passage from Pesikta DeRav Kahana...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea, offering a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of choosing the right way forward. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a remarkable work of ...
The sages teach that sometimes, that very position – being between two good choices – is a blessing in disguise. Think about Samuel the Prophet. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer...
