3,050 related texts · Page 3 of 64
Our tradition explores this feeling in a powerful way, connecting it to the very land we inhabit. Let's look into it. The text we're diving into comes from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, ...
Our story takes us back to the time of Saul, the son of Kish, the first king of Israel. He was a complex figure, to say the least. The text, from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 33, paints ...
Let's take a journey through one particular section of that royal lineage, as recounted in the Seder Olam Zutta, a shorter, later chronicle that builds upon the better-known Seder ...
Jewish tradition offers a beautiful, hopeful counterpoint to that feeling, especially when it comes to our connection to the land of Israel. to a teaching from R’ Yochanan, as reco...
Today, let's look at a fascinating little puzzle found in Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Numbers. The verse we're looking at begins with a se...
We usually think of it as a place, a country known for its cedars. But what if it’s more than that? Our sages in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretation...
Our tradition has words for that feeling, and they're not always easy to hear. The text paints a stark picture, beginning with the land itself turning against us. It says, "and the...
Maybe they gave you bad advice, or maybe they completely changed their tune on something important. How do you know who to trust, especially when it comes to matters of faith? The ...
We’re talking about the verse, "to him shall you hearken" (Deuteronomy 18:15). Simple enough. Listen to the prophet. But Sifrei Devarim 176 throws a curveball. It suggests this obe...
The ancient texts are full of surprising takes.It tackles the complex and often painful topic of divorce and remarriage. The text states, "for she (a returned divorcée) is an abomi...
It’s a deeply human feeling, and one that our ancestors grappled with too. The ancient texts, like Sifrei Devarim 318, explore this very idea, but from a divine perspective, lookin...
In Jewish tradition, this isn't just a feeling; it's sometimes a calling. Sifrei Devarim, in its unique way, shines a light on the incredible self-sacrifice of Israel’s great leade...
The Hebrew Bible says God opened the mouth of Balaam's donkey, and it spoke (Numbers 22:28). Targum Onkelos translates this miracle without flinching. The donkey talks. No metaphor...
The prophet Elijah — who never died but was taken alive to heaven (2 Kings 2:11) — appears throughout rabbinic literature as a mysterious figure who walks the earth in disguise, te...
FalseProphets in Babylon. Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court), f. 93 a. J. Sanhedrin, XI, 5. Pesikta, f. 164b—165a. Pirke de R. Eliezer, ch. 33. Tanh. Levit. Vayyikra, § 6 and B...
When the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem and stormed the Temple, they found something in the courtyard that stopped them cold. A pool of blood. Bubbling. Boiling. Churn...
These little anomalies, these extra strokes of ink, are rarely accidents. They're often seen as whispers, hints of deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface of the text. Take the w...
The text opens with a quote from (Numbers 22:2): "Balak son of Tzipor saw all that Israel had done to the Emorites." This sets the stage for a larger discussion about divine justic...
Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Genesis, offers us a fascinating glimpse into their perspective. Specifically, in section 12, we ...
It wasn't just about seeing the future; it was about holding life and death in their hands. to a fascinating little story from Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretat...
And it turns out, even Moses, the greatest prophet of them all, knew what that was like. Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, explores thi...
It’s a question that comes up right at the beginning of Kohelet Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes. It kicks off by asking about the opening line: ...
The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet in Hebrew, grapples with this very question. And in Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of Rabbinic interpretations on Ecclesiastes, we find some fasc...
"What was is what will be," it says, "and what was done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). But is that really true? Are we just doome...
Kohelet Rabbah, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic compilation on the Book of Ecclesiastes, uses a powerful allegory to describe this very struggle. It speaks of a "sma...
The passage begins with a rather grand statement from Exodus: "See, I have set you as god to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother will be your prophet” (Exodus 7:1). But what does it re...
It starts with the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), which marks the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the month of Passover, the month of our freedom. But ...
But according to Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, there's a whole world of meaning packed into that single verse. It wasn't just a pro...
It's more than just a title, more than just a declaration of power. According to Shemot Rabbah, it's a promise. A promise of unwavering commitment, far beyond what any earthly rule...
It’s a question that’s echoed through the ages, one that our sages grappled with deeply. Let’s delve into a fascinating teaching from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic inter...
Jewish tradition teaches us that our actions, especially those involving money and compassion, carry immense weight. to a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of ra...
Take the line, "Your eyes are like doves." What could that possibly mean? Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classical midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic commentary on the Song of S...
The text presents a debate between Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai and other, unnamed Rabbis, focusing on the clarity of prophetic vision. Rabbi Yehuda uses the prophet Ezekiel as his ...
Sometimes, the most unexpected things can lead us to hidden riches. Take leprosy, for example. Yes, leprosy. Now, I know what you're thinking. Leprosy? Good tidings? Seems impossib...
It all starts with the verse in (Leviticus 22:29): “When you slaughter a thanks offering to the Lord, you shall slaughter it to garner favor for yourselves.” Now, Rabbis Pinḥas, Le...
“The king said to the wise men, those knowledgeable about the times, for so was the practice of the king before those learned in custom and law” (Esther 1:13).Who were they? Rabbi ...
Another interpretation: "As those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to soothsayers and augurs." Jeremiah the prophet said (Jeremiah 10:11), "Thus shall you say to the...
Take the tale of Balak and Balaam. It's more than just a simple request to curse a nation. It’s a clash of egos, a battle of wills, and a whole lot of ancient magic. Ginzberg, in h...
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 105a) actually tells us that Balaam, the infamous prophet-for-hire, was one of three individuals whom God tested and who utterly failed. He's in dark company,...
The biblical account in the Books of Kings gives us glimpses of his fiery personality, his confrontations with kings, and his miraculous deeds. But those are just snapshots. They b...
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught that prayer is the essential weapon of the Messiah. Not a sword. Not an army. Prayer. The teaching begins with a striking image from the Zohar: the ...
A person trapped on a low spiritual level might assume that deep Torah understanding is beyond their reach. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov says the opposite is true: the pathway from the...
The practical section of Harba de-Moshe (the Sword of Moses) reads like a catalog of emergencies and the divine names that solve them. Fever, snakebite, enemy attack, court cases, ...
The Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael draws attention to a striking pattern woven through Scripture: when the prophets speak, they echo words that God already uttered long before. The chai...
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai made a breathtaking claim: the sun and the moon themselves serve as eternal witnesses that God had already committed to splitting the sea for Israel long be...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. And in Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, we find a powerful example of just that. It's a passage drippin...
And in a fascinating passage from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a compelling possibility emerges. The text explores the story of Samuel, the last of the Judges and a pivotal prophet in a...
And that messiness, that delicious, complicated paradox, is exactly what grabs our attention in Jewish tradition too. Take the tale we find in Sifrei Devarim 342. It focuses on the...
