3,050 related texts · Page 35 of 64
Sifrei Devarim, a part of Jewish legal literature, uses that very image to kick off a powerful message about Torah study. It paints a picture of two people walking a mil (a unit of...
to a fascinating passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal commentaries on the Book of Deuteronomy, that wrestles with this very issue. The text begins by discussing "a dr...
We're going to be looking at a passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations connected to the Book of Deuteronomy. This particular section, deals with the rule...
You've got a whole flock – oxen, lambs, sheep, and kids of goats. Which ones do you choose? The Sifrei Devarim guides us, but it's not as straightforward as it seems. The text stat...
Sifrei Devarim 149 sheds light on this, offering a powerful interpretation of the phrase "which I did not command," found in Deuteronomy. It's not just about what God did command, ...
Specifically, we're looking at section 156. It's a short passage, but packed with insights into how Jewish law was understood and adapted. The text starts with the phrase, "or to t...
The Torah, in the Book of Deuteronomy, actually makes provision for that. It speaks of cities of refuge, places of safety for those who have committed unintentional manslaughter. B...
We’re looking at the verses dealing with the arei miklat, the cities of refuge. These were designated places where someone who accidentally killed another person could flee and fin...
It’s a fascinating peek into a world where every word of the Torah is scrutinized, weighed, and connected to others. to a tiny, but illustrative, example from Sifrei Devarim (a Hal...
Our tradition grapples with this, especially when it comes to justice. to a fascinating piece from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal teachings connected to the Book of Deuteron...
Sometimes, a few simple words open up a whole world of interpretation. Take the phrase "and you shall cut" from Sifrei Devarim 205. Seems simple. But it's a springboard for a fasci...
There's one in particular, the ritual of the eglah arufah, the "broken-necked heifer," that always gets me. It deals with a murder where the perpetrator is unknown and how the elde...
to one such instance from Sifrei Devarim, specifically section 210, dealing with the ritual of the eglah arufah (עגלה ערופה), the heifer whose neck is broken. This ritual is perfor...
We're talking about the sorer umoreh – the rebellious and defiant son. It's a concept found in the Book of Deuteronomy (Sefer Devarim). And it’s a wild ride. Our text today comes f...
Jewish tradition, especially when dealing with legal and ethical matters, understands this deeply. R' Yehuda makes a seemingly simple statement: "He is not held culpable unless he ...
We're talking accusations, ruined reputations, and maybe even a little bit of public humiliation. Today we're diving into a fascinating, and slightly scandalous, passage from Sifre...
It uses the phrase "on the way" from Deuteronomy to describe precisely such a time: "at the time of your being tossed about." Imagine the Israelites wandering in the desert, facing...
In Sifrei Devarim, specifically section 306, we find a powerful analogy that really makes you think. It starts with the verse, "Listen, O heavens" (Deuteronomy 32:1). But what does...
We’re looking at Deuteronomy 317 in Sifrei Devarim. Here, the text describes other nations, not in terms of people, but in terms of livestock. Specifically, it paints a picture usi...
He was a righteous man, tested beyond measure. But how did tragedy initially strike his family? As we learn in Sifrei Devarim, it wasn't due to any inherent sinfulness on their par...
The ancient sages noticed this human tendency, too, and they saw it reflected in the relationship between Israel and the other nations. Sifrei Devarim, a legal midrash on the Book ...
We see suffering, we experience loss, and we can’t help but wonder: where is G-d in all this? Does He even care? The ancient sages grappled with this too, and surprisingly, they fo...
It turns out, even Moses, the ultimate law-giver, knew the importance of following up criticism with comfort. Moses is standing there, on the cusp of his own death, knowing he won'...
It’s a question that resonates through the ages, and the Sifrei Devarim, an ancient commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a fascinating perspective. The text begins with th...
The verse we’re looking at from Deuteronomy speaks of Levi, saying, "Your tumim and your urim are destined for (Aaron) the man of Your lovingkindness." Now, tumim and urim? These w...
We read about her tragic death in the Torah, but the exact location... well, that's where things get interesting. The Torah tells us (Genesis 48:7) that Jacob, looking back on his ...
RABBAN JOḤANAN B. ZAKKAI RECEIVED THE TRADITION FROM HILLEL AND SHAMMAI.Hillel the Elder had eighty disciples:1Cf. the parallel passage in Suk. 28a (Sonc. ed., p. 123) and B.B. 134...
Genesis 40 tells a straightforward story: two prisoners dream, Joseph interprets, one lives, one dies. The Targum Jonathan transforms this episode into a prophetic vision of Israel...
When Joseph's brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin in Genesis 43, the Hebrew text describes a tense meal. Targum Jonathan transforms it into a scene loaded with hidden signals, p...
The reveal scene in Genesis 45—Joseph breaking down and declaring "I am Joseph"—is already one of the most dramatic moments in the Torah. Targum Jonathan transforms it into a proph...
Targum Jonathan takes the story of Jacob's settlement in Egypt and layers it with theological details the Torah never mentions—including an economic revolution, a hidden act of kin...
The Torah's account of Jacob blessing Joseph's sons is already dramatic—the old patriarch crossing his hands to favor the younger son over the firstborn. But Targum Jonathan adds l...
Jacob gathered his twelve sons around his golden bed to reveal the future. But something went wrong. According to Targum Jonathan, Jacob intended to show them "the hidden mysteries...
The Book of Exodus opens with a list of names and a king who "knew not Joseph." Targum Jonathan transforms this into something far more vivid—adding a prophetic dream, naming Phara...
In the Hebrew Bible, Jethro visits Moses in the wilderness, gives advice about delegating judges, and leaves. The Targum Jonathan on (Exodus 18) transforms this administrative visi...
Leviticus 26 contains the blessings and curses—God's promise of abundance for obedience and a cascading nightmare for rebellion. The Targum Jonathan adds a breathtaking historical ...
The Hebrew Bible mentions a cloud over the Tabernacle. The Targum Jonathan turns it into a sentient navigation system—a pillar of divine fire and glory that dictated every movement...
Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses. The Hebrew Bible is vague about why. The Targum Jonathan fills in the backstory with a Cushite queen, a celibate prophet, and a divine rebuke tha...
The Targum's version of (Numbers 22) drops a bombshell in its opening verses that the Torah never states directly. Balak sent messengers not just to some foreign sorcerer, but to "...
The unsolved murder ritual in (Deuteronomy 21) is already strange in the Torah—elders break a heifer's neck in a barren valley. Targum Jonathan makes it stranger and more spectacul...
Targum Jonathan opens (Deuteronomy 31) with Moses entering not a tent but "the tabernacle of the house of instruction"—a study hall. Even at the threshold of death, the setting is ...
The Song of Moses in (Deuteronomy 32) is the Torah's great poem. Targum Jonathan wraps it in an elaborate theological commentary that dwarfs the original. It opens with Moses choos...
The death of Moses in (Deuteronomy 34) is eight verses in the Torah. Targum Jonathan turns it into one of the most elaborate death scenes in all of ancient Jewish literature. From ...
Jeremiah said: when I was coming up to Jerusalem, I lifted up my eyes and saw a woman sitting on the mountaintop, her clothes were black and her hair unkempt. She cried: I am seeki...
Another explanation. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion… And many nations shall join the Lord…” (Zechariah 2:14-15) R’ Chanina bar Papa said: this verse is only speaking of that...
The Sages once captured the yetzer hara (יצר הרע)—the evil inclination itself. According to Yoma 69b, they prayed for three days, and it was delivered into their hands. A fiery lio...
Adam was created in twelve hours. According to Sanhedrin 38b, Rabbi Yohanan bar Hanina mapped each hour of the first man's first day onto a specific stage of formation. In the firs...
How will God judge the dead? The body will claim innocence—it is just dirt without a soul. The soul will claim innocence—it is pure spirit without a body. Neither sinned alone. Acc...
