1,715 related texts · Page 26 of 36
Another interpretation: "Command Aharon [...]" (Leviticus 6:2) This is what is written (Psalms 51:20), "With Your will, do good to Zion," and afterwards (Psalms 51:21), "Then You w...
(Lev. 9:2:) “Then he said unto Aaron, ‘Take a calf [of the herd for a sin offering].’” Why was it not told him [to take] a bull instead of a calf? He said to him, “Because through ...
Three things Moses found difficult and the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them to him with a finger and these are them: The making of the menorah, the moon, and creeping things.35...
(Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” R. Berekhyah opened (his discourse with Prov. 17:26), “To punish also the righteous is not good; to smite the noble ones for upr...
Another interpretation (of Lev. 19:23), “When you come into the land.” This text is related (to Ps. 105:44-45), “He gave them the lands of nations […]. In order that they might kee...
(Numb. 1:1:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert, in the tent of meeting.” Before the tent of meeting was set up, He spoke with him in the bush, as stated (in Exod....
(Numb. 7:1), “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” This text is related (to Ps. 51:20–21), “Make Zion prosper in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusal...
(Numb. 16:15, cont.:) “And he said unto the Lord, ‘Pay no attention unto their meal offering.’” Do not accept them in repentance.32Numb. R. 18:10, cont. Scripture should have said,...
(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. 20:29:) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died.”] What is written after this (in Numb. 21:1)? “When the Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, heard [t...
(Numb. 23:11-14:) “And Balak said to Balaam, ‘What have you done to me; to curse….’ And Balaam answered and said, ‘Is it not that that which God places into my mouth….’ And Balak s...
(Numb. 27:1:) “Then came forward the daughters of Zelophehad.” In that generation the women were fencing11On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. that which the men were br...
(Numb. 28:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel, [and say unto them], “My offering, My bread for My fire offering….”’” Let our master instr...
"Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 28:2). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Job 27:23), "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power"; ...
All of the commandment that I command you today (Deuteronomy 8:1): Any commandment that you do, say [that] it is as if you heard it today at Sinai from Moshe; as so is it written, ...
We often picture God directly shaping him from dust, but some fascinating traditions tell a slightly different story, involving heavenly helpers. The story goes that when the time ...
We often picture Moses on Mount Sinai, receiving the divine word directly from God. Forty days and forty nights of dictation. But what if I told you there's another story, a fascin...
Ben Sira, that ancient sage, certainly understood the power of temptation. In his wisdom, preserved in the book we know as Ben Sira (also called Sirach or Ecclesiasticus), he offer...
We all do it. But what if that cover is completely misleading? What if the real treasure lies hidden, masked by appearances? Ben Sira, that wise sage whose words dance between scri...
Ben Sira, in his wisdom, points us to figures who possessed just such insight. He begins with someone who, "with a great spirit… saw the end, and comforted the mourners of Zion." W...
That's the scene set for us right at the beginning of Jubilees. God commands Moses, "Write down for thyself all these words which I declare unto thee on this mountain, the first an...
The Book of Jubilees, sometimes called Lesser Genesis, is an ancient Jewish religious work of 2nd century BC origin. It retells parts of Genesis and Exodus, but with a unique spin,...
It paints a vivid picture of Abraham’s arrival and his immediate actions. Imagine this: Abraham, having journeyed from Ur of the Chaldees – a long and arduous trek, no doubt – fina...
We often trace them back to the Torah, to Moses at Sinai. But what if some of those traditions, the feel of them, actually predate the Torah itself? to the Book of Jubilees, a fasc...
We're talking about Abraham, and his son, Isaac. Specifically, when Isaac was weaned. Now, weaning might not seem like cause for a huge shindig today, but in ancient times, it was ...
We all know the story of Abraham and Isaac, but there are so many layers, so many whispers of other perspectives woven into that intense moment. Now, the Book of Jubilees is an anc...
But ancient texts give us some pretty specific instructions! to a fascinating little corner of the Book of Jubilees and see what we can uncover. The Book of Jubilees, for those unf...
This ancient Jewish text, considered canonical by some but not others, pulls no punches when it comes to predicting the future – or, perhaps more accurately, warning us about the c...
The passage comes from chapter 31, and it's essentially a profound blessing bestowed upon someone special. We're not told exactly who is doing the blessing or who is receiving it i...
The Book of Jubilees gives us a peek into the morning after. Imagine Jacob, still buzzing with the memory of his encounter with the Divine, rushing to tell his father, Isaac. He re...
After Jacob's direct encounter with the Divine, something unexpected happens. The text says, "He finished speaking with him, and He went up from him, and Jacob looked till He had a...
The Book of Jubilees, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is an ancient Jewish text. Think of it as a retelling – and slight expansion – of the Book of Genesis and the first part...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the Torah, gives us a glimpse. It paints a picture of a day so special, so infused with the divine, that it forever alt...
That’s exactly where the people of Judea found themselves in the Book of Judith. Imagine this: You’ve just returned from exile, painstakingly rebuilt your temple, and rededicated t...
It's a moment of sheer, unadulterated panic. The people knew they were in trouble. Real trouble. So, what did they do? They cried out to God. The text tells us, "They cried to the ...
This letter, purportedly written by a Greek official named Aristeas, gives us a glimpse into the creation of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. But amidst t...
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...
It’s a question that might make you squeamish, but it also speaks to the incredible ingenuity and meticulousness of the ancient priests. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating docum...
We get a glimpse, a vivid snapshot, from the Letter of Aristeas. This letter, a fascinating document from the Hellenistic period, purports to be written by a Greek official named A...
There are so many fascinating tales tucked away in Jewish tradition, just waiting to be discovered.It’s a lesser-known account of the events surrounding Hanukkah, offering a unique...
That’s exactly what happened to Jerusalem in the time leading up to the Maccabean revolt, as described in the Book of Maccabees I. Imagine your most sacred space, your place of wor...
"Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out." It's a stark, desolate image. The mikdash, the sanctuary, is "trodden down." The joy of Ja...
That feeling isn't new. It echoes across millennia, resonating with stories like the one we find in the Book of Maccabees. Imagine the scene: The Temple in Jerusalem, the very hear...
That’s the feeling that pulses through the First Book of Maccabees as Judas Maccabeus sets about reclaiming the desecrated Temple in Jerusalem. The story is a raw, visceral account...
The Temple in Jerusalem, once defiled, was now back in Jewish hands. But it was in ruins. Imagine the scene: broken stones, desecrated spaces, a palpable sense of loss hanging in t...
That’s the kind of energy we’re diving into today, straight from the heart of the Maccabean story. Our scene comes from the Book of Maccabees I, chapter 4. The Maccabees, a small b...
That's the picture painted for us in the Book of Maccabees I. The story picks up with a group holed up in the tower – a strategic stronghold that allowed them to harass and threate...
We're diving into 1 Maccabees chapter 6 today, and it's a nail-biter. After a victory, King Antiochus, not one to admit defeat, refocuses his energy. He's got his sights set on the...
