2,344 related texts · Page 10 of 49
Zechariah saw a horseman in a vision of the night (Zechariah 1:8). The rabbis identified this figure as the prince of Edom — the heavenly guardian angel of the nation that had rule...
"And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down" (Genesis 38:1). The rabbis heard in "went down" more than geography. Judah left his brothers, married a Canaanite woman, and...
There was an incident involving Doeg ben Yosef who died and left a young son to his mother. She would measure him in handbreadths and donate his weight in gold to the Temple182Lite...
“It was contemptible in his eyes to lay hands on Mordekhai alone, for they had told him of Mordekhai’s people; Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were in the whole kingdom o...
Take Jacob's death, for example. It's more than just a passing in the Torah. According to the Legends of the Jews, it's a highly orchestrated event, full of meaning and significanc...
It wasn't just a matter of drawing lines on a map. It was, according to tradition, a divinely orchestrated process, a fascinating blend of the practical and the miraculous. After s...
Eli the high priest had two sons who were a disgrace to everything he stood for. Hophni and Phinehas served at the Tabernacle in Shiloh, but they used their priestly office as a li...
The story opens with a sage, simply called Rabbi, deeply engrossed in defining the precise borders of the tribe of Benjamin. Now, Benjamin was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, e...
The Book of Jubilees, for those unfamiliar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells the stories of Genesis and Exodus, but with a fascinating emphasis on chronology and the observan...
We're not talking dragons here, but close. Think of them as the ultimate animal kingdom representations, straight from the heart of Jewish legend. The ancient rabbis taught that th...
He noticed the fox was missing. "Where's that sly one?" he probably grumbled. He soon found out the fox had cleverly avoided the census. Annoyed, Leviathan sent out some big, stron...
Little does Jacob know the drama unfolding there, the accusations, the imprisonment of Simeon, and the demand to bring Benjamin, his youngest and most cherished son, back to Egypt....
Let me tell you a story, one ripped from the pages of Legends of the Jews, that might just give you a taste. Imagine this: Joseph, elevated to power in Egypt, is finally face-to-fa...
We're diving into a fascinating episode from Legends of the Jews, specifically dealing with the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. We all remember the story of Joseph being...
It’s a story of family betrayal, simmering rage, and, ultimately, a hard-won path to self-control. The drama unfolds like this: the brothers are out tending the flocks. Joseph, the...
Prophecies and predictions have always held a certain allure, a glimpse behind the curtain of time. And in Jewish tradition, we have plenty of them. This particular prophecy, found...
Job, after weathering unimaginable trials, sensed his time was near. He called his ten children, gathered them close, and recounted the incredible story of his life – a life marked...
The sages certainly thought so. Let's consider Simeon, for instance. Just as Reuben stepped in to save Joseph's life, Simeon rose up to avenge his sister Dinah after the terrible e...
This tribe, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, held a special place. They were the ones dedicated to the sanctuary, the ones who served God in the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and lat...
The Torah portion V'Zot HaBerachah, "This is the blessing," gives us a glimpse into that raw, fervent side of prayer as Moses, in his final act, intercedes for the tribes of Israel...
The moment Joshua and Eleazar the high priest died, Israel began to unravel. Josephus does not soften this. The generation that had conquered Canaan gave way to one that could not ...
(Exodus 16:26) "Six days shall you gather it, etc.": We are hereby apprised that the manna does not descend on Sabbath. Whence do we derive (the same for) a festival? From (the sup...
Rab Huna, a prominent Amoraic Sage of the 3rd century, has something quite striking to say about it, preserved for us in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer. He suggests that the location of ou...
It’s a powerful feeling. But what happens when that zeal, that kinah, turns inward, corrupting the very people who sought to uphold justice? Let's turn to a fascinating passage in ...
It’s not just a history lesson; it’s about contrast. About understanding what makes the Promised Land so, well, promising. But what exactly is the comparison trying to tell us? The...
The Torah, our guide to navigating life's complexities, doesn't shy away from these tough questions. And in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), we find a particularly striking examp...
Targum Jonathan takes the story of Jacob's settlement in Egypt and layers it with theological details the Torah never mentions—including an economic revolution, a hidden act of kin...
High Priest Simeon & Alexander. Taanit, f. 7 b, 88 b. Meg. Taanit, ch. 9, 21 st Kislev. Yoma, f. 69 a. cf. 61 a. cf. J. Berakhot, IV, 1. cf. Pesikta, Parah. Pesikta Zutta to Exod. ...
Even the tribe of Levi felt that way once, and their story, preserved in Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah) 15, is a powerful reminder of how God sees and values each of us, even whe...
Our ancestors felt that way, too. The ancient rabbis understood this, and that's why we find so much human drama, even in the most sacred texts. Take this story from Bamidbar Rabba...
The story of Koraḥ's challenge to Moses' leadership is a powerful one, filled with jealousy, ambition, and a profound questioning of divine authority. We find a particularly insigh...
It’s a question that pulls us into the heart of Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. We begin with the verse: "God said: Let the water ...
Take the creation story in Bereshit (Genesis). We read that the waters were gathered "to one place" (Genesis 1:9), allowing dry land to appear. But... what does that mean, exactly?...
It’s truly fascinating. In (Genesis 30:14), we read about Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son, finding dudaim (דּוּדָאִים) in the field. The verse states: "Reuben went during the days of wh...
The ancient rabbis certainly did.It sheds light on the complex relationship between Leah, Jacob, and the birth of the tribes of Israel. The text opens with Leah going out to meet J...
The Book of Jubilees, also known as Lesser Genesis, is an ancient Jewish religious work of 50 chapters, considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as Ethiopian J...
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 from around the 2nd century BCE, offers a glimpse behind the curtain. Let's take a peek. Imagine Abraham, nearing the end of his days. He's...
In the Book of Jubilees, we get a peek into just such a moment. Think of it as a sort of ancient family drama, playing out with eternal consequences. We're eavesdropping on a conve...
Specifically, we're going to look at chapter 19 and the passing of the torch, or rather, the blessing, from Isaac to Jacob. Imagine the scene: Isaac, nearing the end of his days, r...
We're going to peek into the Book of Jubilees, a text considered scripture by some, a fascinating piece of Jewish history by others. It’s a retelling of Genesis and Exodus with som...
Talk about a seating chart nightmare! But let's back up a little, because the passage we're looking at from the Book of Jubilees 20 actually starts with a tender, if somewhat bitte...
More specifically, it's the year Abraham passed away. And where are his sons, Isaac and Ishmael? They’re making a journey. The Book of Jubilees, a text considered canonical by the ...
The Book of Jubilees gives us glimpses into just such moments. In chapter 22, we find Isaac sending a thank-offering to his father, Abraham, via Jacob. A "best thank-offering," no ...
We find ourselves at the end of Abraham's life. He’s preparing to pass on his legacy, his hopes, and his deepest blessings to his son, Jacob. Imagine the scene. The air is thick wi...
That tension, that pull in different directions, is something our ancestors wrestled with too. to a fascinating, and perhaps a little uncomfortable, passage from the Book of Jubile...
That feeling, that connection, is at the heart of this passage from the Book of Jubilees. Jubilees, for those unfamiliar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells the stories of Gene...
The Book of Jubilees, a text bubbling with ancient wisdom and considered canonical in some traditions, gives us a glimpse. Imagine the scene: Abraham, nearing the end of his days, ...
