2,006 related texts · 10 related myths · Page 5 of 42
This is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, etc. (Exod. 25:3). The gold corresponds to the kingdom of Babylon, as it is written concerning her: Thou art the head of gol...
"And it was on the day that Moses had finished to erect the tabernacle" (Numbers 7:1). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Song of Songs 4:16), "Awake, O n...
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. The familiar version gives us th...
A Tzeduki, a Sadducee, member of the party that rejected the Oral Torah, once came to Rabbi Abhu with a question meant to sting. "Your God is a priest," he said, "for it is written...
The verse we're unpacking is "Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates" (Song of Songs 4:13). The Midrash cleverly interprets "your branches" (shelaḥayikh in Hebrew) as "your g...
“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...
Book of Judith turns to Judith Demands God Strike Down the Assyrian Army. "Throw down their strength in your power and bring down their force in your wrath..." Can you feel the des...
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 th...
It wasn’t just about golden walls and intricate carvings; according to tradition, miracles pulsed within its very structure. When the Cherubim, those powerful angelic beings, were ...
The princes of the tribes of Israel certainly felt that way when it came time to dedicate the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In Ginzberg's retelling in, Legends of the Jews, these tribal le...
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...
Legends of the Jews turns to Trial of Moses. Moses, ever the compassionate leader, does exactly that. And here's the really amazing part: God answers immediately, halting the destr...
"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?" The Talmud in Tractate Berachot (7b) highlights that the verse doesn't ask "who shall live" but "who shall dwell." There's a crucial diffe...
It’s a recurring theme in our tradition, and each instance carries a powerful lesson.This isn't a physical descent, but a drawing near, a manifestation of the Divine presence. This...
Our ancestors grappled with this very feeling as they transitioned between eras in ancient Israel. a fascinating passage from the Yalkut Shimoni on Torah, specifically section 881,...
It wasn't all smooth sailing, even with divine guidance! a fascinating passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, specifically concerning the dedication of the altar. "(Bamidbar 7:10) "And the ...
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 ...
When God commanded Aaron and his sons to kindle the lamps of the menorah in the Tabernacle, Aaron worried. The tribal princes were bringing their own magnificent dedication offerin...
Before Aaron's household held the priesthood, someone else did. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on Exodus (Exodus 24:5) preserves this little-known tradition: Mosheh sent the firstborn of t...
When the Tabernacle needed building, the Torah says donations poured in from everyone whose heart moved him (Exodus 35:21). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan adds a remarkable detail: these g...
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Exodus 35:28) continues the miraculous supply chain it began in the previous verse. The clouds of heaven returned, and went to the garden of Eden, and to...
Some kinds of generosity come in a single burst and then exhaust themselves. The Tabernacle campaign was not that kind. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Exodus 36:3) notes the strange rh...
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Exodus 39:37) describes the menorah and its lamps, but adds a line the Hebrew never says aloud. The lamps, the meturgeman tells us, were ordained to corr...
When every piece of the sanctuary had been assembled and inspected, Moshe surveyed the whole and saw that the people had done exactly what the God of Israel had commanded. Then he ...
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...
Shemot Rabbah turns to Betzalel and the Lawgiver of Behold. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), specifically Shemot Rabbah, offers a fascinating perspective on this que...
It involves the story of Betzalel, the artisan chosen to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. The verse says, "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel" (Exodus 35:30). But Shemot R...
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. (Song of Songs 3:10). So...
There was a lot of… well, let's call it "divine growing pains." The Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, gives us a glimps...
Vayikra Rabbah turns to The Prince Who Ate Non-Kosher Until the King Set His Table. The king, understandably, wasn't thrilled. He declares, "This one will frequent my table, and on...
The Book of Ben Sira, a work of wisdom literature from around the 2nd century BCE, sings the praises of this legendary monarch. It tells us that after David, Solomon arose, a wise ...
Forget the sterile descriptions in history books. Ben Sira, in chapter 50 of his wisdom book, gives us a series of breathtaking images to help us do just that. He paints pictures w...
The altar is ready, the fire is burning, and the priests are preparing the offering. Jubilees says: "offer them all together on the altar of burnt-offering; it is a sweet savour be...
Specifically, You’re preparing an offering. It’s not just about the act itself, but about the details. The Book of Jubilees insists on using specific types of wood for the altar. W...
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 partic...
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...
The familiar story centers on the Maccabees, the brave Jewish warriors who fought against the oppressive decrees of the Seleucid king Antiochus. But what happened after they won? W...
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...
Legends of the Jews turns to Isaac Willingly Helped Build the Altar for His Own Sacrifice. The biblical text gives us glimpses, but the aggadah, the rabbinic tradition of storytell...
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. Consider the story of Joseph, sold into slavery by his own brothers. A heartbreaking betrayal. Bu...
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. The Ginzberg's says retelling in Legends of t...
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...
