2,248 related texts · Page 41 of 47
We all know the story: Abraham, his faith tested to the absolute limit, is commanded to sacrifice his beloved son. But what about the ram, the creature that ultimately takes Isaac'...
Jewish tradition, while often speaking of seven heavens, hints at something even beyond that: an eighth heaven, a realm of ultimate mystery. Now, we’re pretty familiar with the con...
Jewish tradition holds a beautiful, almost whimsical idea about friendship: that it actually creates an angel. It’s said that each of us has a unique light burning for us in the wo...
Jewish tradition has some fascinating – and sobering – ideas about that transition. It's a moment watched over, judged, and ultimately, a reckoning. Imagine this: As a person breat...
"Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" – "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4). We say it every day, often multiple times a day. But where did it ...
It's more than just tradition; it's a cosmic wake-up call. The most direct reason is because God Himself commanded it! "Sound a ram's horn before Me," He said, "so that I remember ...
It all starts with a command. A voice. God says to Abram (that's Abraham's name before it was changed, much like his wife was originally Sarai, not Sarah), "Lekh Lekha" – "Go forth...
The Torah tells us God instructed Abraham: "Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of t...
The story of Abraham and Isaac on their journey to Mount Moriah is a powerful exploration of exactly that, and the role of Satan in the narrative is more complex than you might thi...
What really killed Sarah? We know the story. Abraham, commanded by God, takes his beloved son Isaac to Mount Moriah for a sacrifice. It's one of the most searing, most debated mome...
(Genesis 24:1) tells us that in his old age, God blessed Abraham in all things. We usually think of that in terms of wealth and a long life. But what if there was more? What if "al...
We all know the story: Jacob, fleeing his father-in-law Laban, takes his wives and children and makes a run for it. But the book of Genesis (31:34) throws a curveball: "Rachel, mea...
We hear their names, perhaps a small story or two, and then...silence. But sometimes, just sometimes, the silence breaks and a legend blossoms. Take Serah bat Asher, for example. W...
Jewish tradition certainly thinks so. And one such place, according to our stories, revolves around an altar... a very special altar. The Torah tells us that Abraham arrived at the...
Forget fig leaves – the story is far more dazzling than that! According to tradition, before the infamous bite of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve weren't just naked, they were cl...
But Jewish tradition speaks of just such a place: the city of Luz. Imagine a city whose histories are meticulously kept, filled with all the details of life and learning, spanning ...
Imagine, before the universe even existed, before the stars twinkled into being, there was an idea. A seed of hope. That idea, that seed, was the Messiah. It’s a powerful thought, ...
Jewish tradition has some pretty vivid ideas about that, especially when it comes to the resurrection of the dead. It’s not just a "poof" and everyone’s back. It's a process, a cos...
The opening of Psalm 1, "Blessed is the man," seems simple enough, but according to Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, it's packed wi...
Midrash Tehillim, a beautiful collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a powerful contrast to this feeling. It tells us that while worldly gifts can be lost, the...
Midrash Tehillim 9, a fascinating exploration of Psalm 9, unpacks this very idea using vivid imagery. It paints a picture of nations ensnared in their own traps, drowned in the ver...
It’s a question that’s plagued humanity for ages, and Midrash Tehillim 10 grapples with it in a way that’s both challenging and ultimately hopeful. The midrash (rabbinic interpreti...
It’s not always what you think. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a glimpse into this very question, and it's wild. The pass...
But let’s dive into what the ancient interpreters found within those words. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, offers some fascinating p...
And who shall stand in His holy place?" It’s a question that echoes through the ages, inviting us to reflect on the qualities of those who draw close to God. But Midrash Tehillim, ...
The sages of old wrestled with this very idea – the idea of being tested by God. And they found solace and guidance in the stories of our ancestors. Midrash Tehillim, a collection ...
But it's a question that ancient Jewish texts grapple with, revealing profound insights into justice, repentance, and the ultimate fate of our souls. to a passage from Midrash Tehi...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this idea. In one particular passage (Midrash Tehillim 30), it explores the connec...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of Rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into this idea, exploring how the voices of the righteous resonate with the Divine. "The r...
The ancient sages felt that way too. And they looked to the future, to a time when things would be set right. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalm...
And they found a way to explore it through the beautiful, layered interpretations we call midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary). We're going to delve into a tiny but powerful ...
That feeling isn't new. In fact, according to Midrash Tehillim 60, it goes way back. This particular midrash (a method of interpreting biblical stories beyond their literal meaning...
In Jewish tradition, these questions lead us straight to the Source of all righteousness, the Holy One, blessed be He. And surprisingly, also to King Solomon. Midrash Tehillim, a c...
We know the story from Genesis, but the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those incredible collections of rabbinic interpretations and expansions on the Hebrew Bible, off...
Psalm 87, a song attributed to the sons of Korah, begins to unpack this very question. "Its foundation is on the holy mountains," the psalm declares, suggesting that holiness is ro...
That feeling, that connection, is something Jewish tradition has explored for centuries. And one beautiful place where we find this idea expressed is in Midrash Tehillim, a collect...
It's not always what you might expect. to a passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, and see. The text begins with a stark sta...
Midrash Tehillim, an ancient collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives into this very idea. Specifically, it unpacks the verse, "I will give thanks to the...
We often think of physical strength, military prowess, or worldly power. But what if true might lies elsewhere? What if it's about faith, perseverance, and the power of prayer? Mid...
The ancient sages certainly did. And they saw this power reflected even in the way we remember the righteous and the wicked. It all starts with the verse, "Praise the Lord, for He ...
It's not like God shows mercy to Israel for a year or two and then calls it quits! The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) suggests something much deeper is at play here. Th...
In fact, it teaches us that it's really not fitting to sing your own praises… unless someone else steps up to vouch for you. But then, who vouches for God? That's the question pose...
The ancient rabbis certainly did, and they poured those feelings, along with their hopes and fears, into their interpretations of scripture. to one such interpretation found in Mid...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings woven around the Book of Psalms, explores this very idea. It starts with the verse, "Blessed are the upright in their way, who ...
The text opens with a verse from Isaiah (44:26): "[God] confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers; that saith of Jerusalem: 'She shall be inh...
Today, let’s explore a passage from the Pesikta deRav Kahana, specifically section 13, where Rabbi Abba bar Kahana unpacks a verse from the prophet Isaiah (10:30): “Raise your voic...
We often think about the legal agreements, the ketubah, and the ceremony itself. But what about the party? The celebration? The text we're looking at is from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer...
The servant finds Rebecca, and her family, Laban and Bethuel, are faced with a decision: Do they let Rebecca go with this stranger? What do they do? Their response, according to Pi...
