3,636 related texts · Page 74 of 76
Isn't it astonishing how different interpretations can arise, even when dealing with texts we hold sacred? We're left scratching our heads, honestly, reading your words. Are you su...
Throughout Jewish history, there have been moments of tension between established teachings and emerging ideas. One such point of contention revolves around the Kabbalah (Jewish My...
Tales abound of subtle changes, deliberate alterations made for reasons far deeper than simple translation. One such story, laden with intrigue and divine intervention, revolves ar...
The text challenges a particular assumption: that every detail of Jewish law, every halacha (Jewish religious law), was directly given to Moses at Sinai. To illustrate this, it del...
But the rabbis of old, they didn't miss a trick. They saw layers of meaning in every word, every phrase. And this one, from (Genesis 2:9), really got them thinking: Why does Moses ...
Philo, the 1st-century Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, grappled with this very question in his own way. In what we call "The Midrash of Philo," he argues that Adam must have be...
According to the Midrash of Philo, that very feeling, that inherent sense of hope, is woven into the very fabric of our being. What truly sets us apart? Philo argues it’s that “cop...
One such answer comes from a text attributed to Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in Egypt during the first century. While scholars debate whether he actually pen...
That’s the kind of divine regret we find hinted at in (Genesis 6:7), when God says, "I am indignant that I made them." Now, hold on. Does that sound. God, feeling indignant? Isn't ...
The Midrash of Philo delves into this very question, picking apart the scripture and searching for deeper meaning. One passage in particular focuses on a specific verse from Genesi...
We all know the big picture: flood, animals two-by-two, dove with an olive branch. But what about the timing? Specifically, why did Noah wait a full forty days after the mountainto...
It all starts with the verse: "Abraham passed over and sat upon them" (Genesis 15:11). Simple enough. But what does it mean? What is Abraham sitting on? Some interpret this verse a...
The ancient sages certainly did. to a fascinating interpretation from the Midrash of Philo that uses geography to explain the pursuit of happiness itself. Philo, a Jewish philosoph...
And the answer, again and again, comes back to this: God is everywhere. It's right there in the scriptures. As it says, "His presence fills all the earth" (Isaiah 6:3). We're not t...
It’s a question that surfaces, quite literally, when we read the story of the Exodus. We know Pharaoh's army drowned in the Red Sea. As it says in (Exodus 15:1), "Horse and driver ...
And there was a famine in the land (Gen. 12:10) What is stated in Scripture prior to this verse? It is written: And the Lord said to Abraham: “Get thee.” Blessed be the name of the...
And it came to pass after these words that God did prove Abraham (Gen. 22:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Forasmuch as the king’s word hath power; and wh...
And Abraham took another wife (Gen. 25:1). Scripture states elsewhere: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy end shall greatly increase (Job 8:7). This verse alludes to Moses. R....
These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begot Isaac (Gen. 25:19). It is written in Scripture: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tong...
And the time drew near that Israel must die (Gen. 47:29). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit...
And Joseph died, and all his brethren (Exod. 1:6). Nevertheless, the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly (ibid., v. 7). R. Yannai declared: Each woman bore si...
And Moses was content to dwell (Exod. 2:21). The word content (vayo’el) is used with reference to an oath, as in the case of Saul: And he adjured (vayo’el) the people (I Sam. 14:24...
And he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness (Exod. 3:1). In answer to the query Why did he go into the wilderness? R. Johanan said: He went into the wilderness becau...
And he looked; and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed (Exod. 3:2). Because of this verse they held: The heavenly fire branches upwards as it burns, bu...
And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exod. 4:18). Scripture states elsewhere: But he is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, ...
And he said: “Moses, Moses.” and he said: “Here am I” (Exod. 3:4). What is the meaning of Here am I? R. Joshua the son of Karha held: Here am I implies: “I am ready for priesthood ...
And the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Scripture states elsewhere For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then cons...
And Jethro said to Moses: “Go for peace” (Exod. 3:18). You find that everyone about whom it is written Go for peace departs and returns in peace, and that everyone concerning whom ...
And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass (Exod. 4:20). This is one of the ten verses our rabbis altered when they translated the Torah into Greek for King Pto...
And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: “I am the Lord; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob” (Exod. 6:2). May our masters teach us the punishment that is i...
Our sages of blessed memory said: The Holy One, blessed be He, followed the military tactics employed by kings when inflicting the plagues upon them. When the people of a province ...
And lift thou up thy rod (Exod. 14:16). Ten miracles were performed in their behalf at the sea. The sea was split asunder for them, and became a kind of vault, as it is said: Thou ...
The horse and his rider (Exod. 15:1). Was there only one horse? (Of course not!) All the horses were considered by Him as one, as in the verse When thou goest forth to battle again...
Then the Lord said unto Moses: “Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them whet...
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb (Exod. 17:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Wherever you find the imprint of a man’s foot, there I stand b...
Then Moses sang (Exod. 15:1). May our master teach us whether one may place a plaster upon a sore on the Sabbath? Thus do our masters teach us: It is forbidden to place a plaster u...
18:1). Jethro was known by seven names. He was called Jethro (yitro) because he added (yater) a chapter to the law, that is, the chapter dealing with judges. He was called Hobab (h...
18:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: The wise shall inherit honor; but as for the fools, they carry away shame (Prov. 3:35). The wise shall inherit honor ref...
And Jethro rejoiced (Exod. 18:9). Do not read this word as vayihad (“and he rejoiced”) but rather vayihed (“and he became a yehudi [a Jew]”). Why did Jethro say: Blessed be the Lor...
And God spoke all these words (Exod. 20:1). He spoke them all simultaneously. He causes death and restores life at the same time; He wounds and He heals simultaneously; He answers ...
Behold, I sent an angel before thee (Exod. 23:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I will send an angel before you but not before them. Whereupon Moses replied: If you ...
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 the altar of acacia-wood (Exod. 27:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Tell them to erect an altar for burnt offerings so that it may atone for the ...
And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense (Exod. 30:1). What do the letters in the word ketoret (“incense”) stand for? The kuf stands for kedushah (“sanctification”), tet for ta...
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel (Exod. 30:12). R. Judah said in the name of R. Samuel the son of Nahman: This may be compared to a king who has many silk garment...
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel according to their number (Exod. 30:12).14Pesikta de Rav Kahana, Shekalim, p. 156. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Ta...
This they shall give, everyone that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel (Exod. 30:13). Because they had sinned at the sixth hour,16Word-play reading the word boshet...
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel … then shall they give every man a ransom (Exod. 30:12). When Moses heard this, he said: Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath ...
