520 related texts · Page 3 of 11
And it turns out, it’s a feeling that resonates even within the stories of our most revered figures. Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, div...
The text starts with a seemingly simple phrase, “Et hamishkan” – "the Tabernacle.” But according to this Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), it's so much more than it seems...
It wasn't just a matter of unfolding some tents and calling it a day. The Torah tells us, in (Exodus 40:17), that it was "in the first month during the second year, on the first of...
And it seems even the leaders of ancient Israel weren't immune. We find a fascinating story in Bamidbar Rabbah 12, a section of the great collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpreti...
Take, for example, the book of Numbers, or Bamidbar in Hebrew, specifically chapter 7, verse 3. It describes the offerings brought by the princes of Israel for the Tabernacle: "The...
And the very first offering? It's from Naḥshon, son of Aminadav, from the tribe of Judah. We read, "The one who presented his offering on the first day was Naḥshon..." (Numbers 7:1...
It’s a story rich with symbolism, divine presence, and, believe it or not, even a little tension about who gets to offer what. , shall we? According to Bamidbar Rabbah 13, it all b...
It might seem like a minor detail in the Book of Numbers, but Jewish tradition finds profound meaning in every nuance of the Torah. "On the twelfth day, prince of the children of N...
Like after all the hard work, the dedication, the striving... shouldn't there be a bonus round of celebration? Well, Jewish tradition understands that feeling perfectly. to a fasci...
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations for this monumental task. It a...
It all comes down to the seemingly simple phrase, "You shall craft the boards for the Tabernacle." This comes from Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations o...
The ancient rabbis certainly understood that feeling. a fascinating Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) that speaks directly to that sense of inadequacy, and how we can over...
Take Betzalel, for example, the master craftsman of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. We read in (Exodus 31:2), "See, the Lord has called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur…” But ...
Our story begins with a seemingly simple verse from (Exodus 36:8): "All the wise hearted among those who performed the labor crafted the Tabernacle: ten tapestries of spun linen an...
It wasn't just a tent; it was a portable sanctuary, a reflection of the Divine Presence, and the artisans poured their hearts and souls into every thread. Shemot Rabbah, a collecti...
It’s not always just for emphasis. Sometimes, there’s a deeper, almost heartbreaking reason. Take the word mishkan, "Tabernacle," in the Book of Exodus. We find it stated twice in ...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It centers on a seemingly simple verse: “The Tabernacle of the Testimony, as the...
That feeling… it's actually deeply rooted in a story from the Torah, a story about the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. We're diving into Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpreta...
Jewish tradition is full of that – layers upon layers of interpretation, waiting to be uncovered. Today, we're diving into Shemot Rabbah, specifically section 52, which takes a ver...
It’s a story of intimacy, growth, and the need for appropriate boundaries. to a fascinating interpretation of a verse from the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim, that sheds light on thi...
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, citing Rabbi Natan, makes a rather astonishing claim. He says that the 18 commands mentioned in the portion of the Tabernacle actually correspond to the 18...
Specifically, we're looking at (Leviticus 23:11), which instructs us about waving the omer "before the Lord, for acceptance on your behalf; on the day after the sabbath the priest ...
It’s a question that’s puzzled thinkers for ages, and surprisingly, we find some intriguing early thoughts on it in the writings attributed to Philo of Alexandria, an important Jew...
The appointment of Bezalel and the commandment of Sabbath in (Exodus 31:1-18) culminate in one of the most extraordinary images in all of Targum Jonathan: the physical description ...
A person trapped on a low spiritual level might assume that deep Torah understanding is beyond their reach. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov says the opposite is true: the pathway from the...
Where do dreams come from? The Talmud in Berakhot 55a offers a surprisingly psychological answer: from the dreamer's own mind. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani taught in the name of Rabbi ...
In fact, the Sabbath isn't just a terrestrial observance; it's a celestial one, too. Imagine this: right after creating the Sabbath, God gathers all the angels – the angels of the ...
The Book of Jubilees, a text that gives us a unique retelling of the Torah, certainly seems to think so. It’s a book overflowing with warnings and rebukes, a call to remember the c...
The Book of Jubilees, a text that dances on the edge of the biblical canon, gives us a breathtakingly detailed account. It’s a story of creation, but also so much more. It’s a stor...
Today, we're diving into a passage from Jubilees that focuses on the Sabbath, that sacred day of rest. The text claims that God said He would teach humankind about the Sabbath, "th...
But the Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the stories we find in Genesis and Exodus, really emphasizes this point. It paints a picture of creation itself as ...
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text considered apocryphal by some but deeply important to others, delves into the details of how we're meant to observe sacred time. It's like ...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text, speaks to this feeling with a stark warning. It paints a picture of a future where people have drifted far from their spiritual and et...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating ancient text, grapples with this very idea. It explores what it means for the Jewish people to be distinct, and the responsibilities that come...
That’s how I feel whenever I delve into Megillat Antiochus (Scroll of Antiochus). It's not part of the biblical canon, but it's a powerful, albeit brief, account of a dark chapter ...
The story in the First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 2, throws us right into the heart of that question, and it's a tough one. We're talking about a time of intense religious persecut...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, before the world even existed, there was a need for beings to praise God. So, He created the angels, the holy Hayyot (holy...
It's more than just a day off; it's woven into the very fabric of creation. The Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbinic lore by Louis Ginzberg, gives us a glim...
Remember, Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, has finally revealed himself to his brothers, the same brothers who sold him into slavery years ago. It's a dramatic reunion fille...
The most obvious miracle, of course, was its very existence. But the story gets even richer when we consider the details. According to the ancient texts, manna didn't fall every da...
It’s more than just a day off. It’s a connection to something ancient, something profound. It’s a chance to step back and remember. But it wasn't always easy. Imagine this: The Isr...
The stakes might be higher than we imagine. Imagine this: you’re wandering in the desert, sustained only by miraculous bread falling from the sky – manna. God gives very specific i...
The ancient rabbis pondered this very question. They imagined a conversation between God and Israel, a dialogue about the ultimate reward for following the Torah, the sacred teachi...
The luchot—that's Hebrew for "tablets"—were divine creations themselves, crafted by God's own hand during that mystical twilight time at the end of the first Sabbath. Ginzberg, in ...
We all know the stories of its power, its presence in the Tabernacle, and later, its prominent place in Solomon’s Temple. But what happened after that first Temple fell? Well, acco...
It goes way back. Imagine Moses, just after the giving of the Torah, gathering the entire Israelite nation. It wasn't just the elders or the leaders this time. Everyone. Why? Becau...
While Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah, they were down below, melting their gold into a Golden Calf (Exodus 32). A pretty devastating moment. But here's where it get...
It’s a question that goes right to the heart of how we remember – and how we live a life connected to something bigger than ourselves. to a story. A story that begins with a broken...
