1,715 related texts · Page 4 of 36
Moses told Aaron to take a "tzintzeneth" and fill it with manna to preserve for future generations (Exodus 16:33). But what exactly was a tzintzeneth? The word appears nowhere else...
Rabbi Yishmael read the commandment against idolatry with a scope that went far beyond golden calves and carved statues. When the Torah says "You shall not make unto Me gods of sil...
We know Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, received the Torah, and guided them through the wilderness. But did you know some traditions suggest he also served as High Priest? I...
Bezalel built the Ark, the Table, the Candelabrum, and the Incense Altar in (Exodus 37:1-29). The Hebrew text describes each object's dimensions. The Targum Jonathan explains how a...
We're looking at Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic exploration of (Numbers 7:30), which kicks off a lengthy description of the offerings brought by...
Bamidbar Rabbah, that incredible collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic teachings on the Book of Numbers, dives deep into this very question. It’s not just a ma...
Rabbi Yitzḥak begins with a powerful quote from Jeremiah (15:16): “Your words were revealed, and I consumed them; Your words were gladness for me and the joy of my heart because Yo...
Take, for instance, the story in Vayikra Rabbah 31, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. It focuses on Aaron, the High Priest, and his rol...
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). Whenever the words for Me are stated in a verse, a blessing accompanies it. Does a blessing also ...
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (Exod. 25:8). On which day did He relate to Moses the portion relating to the Temple? It was on the Day of Atonement. ...
And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent (Exod. 26:7). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say: “Wherein hast...
Did they just pop out to a Bedouin bazaar for some gold thread and acacia wood? Of course not! The story, as you might expect, is far more… divine. We all know the biblical account...
“Who viewed the face of the king” – there were two families [who had permission] to appear before Rabbi Yehuda haNasi; that of Rabbi Hoshaya, and that of the household of Rabbi Yeh...
That's the situation Judith finds herself in, and her prayer in the Book of Judith, chapter 9, is a raw, impassioned plea for divine intervention. "Throw down their strength in you...
The First Book of Maccabees gives us a glimpse into just that—the tragic events leading up to the Maccabean revolt. It paints a vivid, almost painful picture of the moment when the...
The princes of the tribes of Israel certainly felt that way when it came time to dedicate the Mishkan (Tabernacle). According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, these ...
Our tale comes from Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, a treasure trove of stories expanding on what we find in the Bible. It tells us about the offerings brought by the princes of th...
"They shall take for Me a contribution" (Exodus 25:2). The first commandment God gave after the revelation at Sinai was to build Him a home. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev finds...
Who shall sojourn in Your holy mountain?" It’s a question that’s echoed through the ages, prompting deep reflection on what it means to be worthy of divine intimacy. The Talmud in ...
It’s a recurring theme in our tradition, and each instance carries a powerful lesson.This isn't a physical descent, mind you, but a drawing near, a manifestation of the Divine pres...
It wasn't all smooth sailing, even with divine guidance! Today, we're diving into a fascinating passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, specifically concerning the dedication of the altar. "...
In the days when the Israelites brought their first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem, a remarkable custom prevailed. The wealthy arrived with their offerings displayed in baskets ...
That feeling isn't new. In fact, the ancient Israelites grappled with it too, as we learn from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers. Our story...
It centers around Betzalel, the incredibly skilled artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that accompanied the Israelites in the desert. The To...
The Torah portion of Terumah introduces us to Betzalel, the artisan chosen to construct the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. But where did he get all that skill? Shemot Rabbah, a classical...
We often admire great artists and inventors, attributing their brilliance to natural talent or relentless hard work. But what if there’s something more? What if God Himself plays a...
Jewish tradition offers some profound insights, and a fascinating one is tucked away in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It involves t...
The mystics of old certainly did. And they found echoes of that very quest in the most unexpected places, even in the sensuous poetry of the Song of Songs. Today we’re diving into ...
Today, we’re diving into a fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic commentary on the Song of Songs, to explore this very idea....
It wasn't all manna from heaven and miraculous wells, you know. There was a lot of… well, let's call it "divine growing pains." The Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabb...
Let’s journey back to the time of King Solomon, or Shlomo in Hebrew, a figure so central to Jewish history and lore. The Book of Ben Sira, a work of wisdom literature from around t...
Forget the sterile descriptions in history books. Let's try to feel it, to breathe it in, to almost see it shimmering before us. Ben Sira, in chapter 50 of his wisdom book, gives u...
The text says: "offer them all together on the altar of burnt-offering; it is a sweet savour before the Lord." So, the whole animal, a burnt offering (olah), is going up in smoke. ...
to a tiny but fascinating corner of the Book of Jubilees, a text brimming with instructions and insights into the lives of our ancestors. Specifically, we're looking at chapter 21,...
And the Book of Jubilees, a text not included in the standard Hebrew Bible but valued in some Jewish traditions, certainly has something to say about it. Jubilees chapter 30, in pa...
Specifically, the Letter of Aristeas. This isn't a letter in the Bible, but a letter about the Bible – or rather, about its translation into Greek, which became known as the Septua...
The Letter of Aristeas gives us a peek behind the curtain. It's a fascinating text, purporting to be from an official in the court of Ptolemy Philadelphus, telling the story of how...
We catch a glimpse of it, not from the Bible itself in this case, but from an ancient letter – The Letter of Aristeas. This fascinating text, though not part of the core biblical c...
We all know the story of the Maccabees, the brave Jewish warriors who fought against the oppressive decrees of the Seleucid king Antiochus. But what happened after they won? Well, ...
The Book of Maccabees I, specifically chapter 5, opens with a simple but loaded sentence: "Now when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary renewed...
We often focus on Abraham's unwavering faith, but what about Isaac? What was going through his mind as he walked alongside his father toward that fateful mountain? The biblical tex...
It's a city that resonates through millennia, a place where, according to legend, the very ground remembers the most important moments in our shared past. Think about Abraham, read...
The story of Jacob at Beth-el is one of those moments. After receiving a profound revelation from God, what did Jacob do? He didn't just stand there awestruck. He acted. He set up ...
Sometimes, the answers are hidden in stories… stories that stretch back millennia. Take, for example, the story of Joseph, sold into slavery by his own brothers. A heartbreaking be...
You’d think they'd be throwing stones, not gifts. But the story, as it's told, is far more nuanced, and frankly, a little bit strange. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends ...
It wasn't just about hearing the thunder and seeing the lightning. It was about a tangible, visceral connection – a bond sealed in blood. See, back then, there was no Temple, no es...
It was there, shrouded in mystery, that the Ark of the Covenant resided. And upon that Ark? The Cherubim. Now, these weren't your chubby Renaissance cherubs. The Talmud describes t...
Specifically, the altar. According to Legends of the Jews, when God instructed Moses to build the altar from shittim wood (that's acacia wood) and overlay it with brass, Moses had ...
