2,344 related texts · Page 28 of 49
The Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg recounts this scene, drawing from various rabbinic sources. Zebulon, at the ripe old age of 114 – two years after Joseph's death – calls his son...
According to Legends of the Jews, compiled by Ginzberg, in his 132nd year, Naphtali invited his children to a banquet. The next morning, he announced his impending death, which the...
To his right sits his queen, Alfar’anit. And to his left? His daughter, Bithiah, with a three-year-old Moses on her lap. Now, this isn’t just any toddler. In a moment of pure, unfi...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Moses encountered seven maidens at a well. One of them, Zipporah, caught his eye with her modesty. He proposed marriage, b...
The ancient texts tell us that after the dust settled from the battles described earlier in Legends of the Jews, Abraham was deeply troubled. He couldn't shake the thought of the i...
Leah, found herself in a predicament. She had stopped bearing children, while her sister Rachel's handmaid, Bilhah, had already given Jacob two sons. According to Legends of the Je...
It's far more than just a tale of sibling rivalry and Egyptian intrigue. According to the Legends of the Jews, compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, Jacob endured the hardships of his ...
We all know the story of the coat, but sometimes we forget about the dreams that really kicked things off. The second dream is the real kicker. Joseph dreams that the sun, the moon...
See, Joseph, sent by his father Jacob, arrives in Shechem. Now, Shechem wasn't just any town. According to the legends, it was a place already steeped in bad vibes. Ginzberg, in hi...
We pick up the story after some tragic events, chronicled in Genesis 38. Tamar, already twice widowed to Judah's sons, finds herself in a difficult position. According to the laws ...
Not just a little hunger pang, but the gnawing, desperate emptiness that turns societies upside down. That’s the scene we’re walking into. "The grain that we put aside during the g...
Joseph, ever the dutiful son, promises his father he'll be buried in Palestine, the land of their ancestors. But it's not just a simple promise. Joseph adds a crucial detail: "As t...
According to Ginzberg in Legends of the Jews, Judah wasn't shy about sharing his battlefield exploits. He recounted his bravery in the wars against the Canaanite kings and even aga...
Would you still offer that help? That’s the dilemma, in a sense, that God faces in the lead-up to the Exodus. As we learn in Legends of the Jews, God, in speaking to Moses, lays ba...
It’s not just a coincidence. Jewish tradition loves patterns, and the number three seems to be deeply woven into the fabric of our story, connecting the Torah, the people of Israel...
Jewish tradition certainly hints at that possibility! Take Balaam, for example. You know, the one hired to curse the Israelites? The Moabites and Midianites thought he was Moses' e...
It wasn't always a simple, smooth affair, as we learn in the fascinating accounts woven into the tapestry of Jewish legend. Imagine the scene: Moses, nearing the end of his life, i...
Like Samuel, for instance. He stands at the crossroads between the era of the Judges and the rise of the Kingdom, anointing both Saul and David as kings. But Samuel didn't just app...
It's a story of faith, resourcefulness, and the enduring power of good deeds. We're talking about Elisha, the prophet. Like his mentor Elijah, Elisha was known for his compassion. ...
The Book of Esther tells a powerful story, but it often feels like we're only getting a glimpse. The Bible mentions Mordecai and his niece Esther, but in just a few words. What abo...
Mordecai, in the Book of Esther, certainly did. He had to communicate with Esther, his niece and now Queen, without raising suspicion. So how did he do it? Well, according to Legen...
The Mekhilta, the tannaitic midrash on Exodus, turns to one of the most severe prophecies in the Hebrew Bible: the destruction of Esau's descendants. The prophet Obadiah declares: ...
Once, the disciples spent a Sabbath in Yavneh, R. Yehoshua not among them. When they returned to him he asked them: "What novelty did you hear in Yavneh?" They answered: "After you...
The Mekhilta adds a further proof that the Hebrew root "pegiyah" means prayer, citing the prophet Jeremiah: "Let them now pray (yifgu na) to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels whi...
The tenth (song) in time to come, viz. (Isaiah 42;10) "Sing to the L–rd a new song, His praise from the end of the earth (Ibid. 48:42) "Say: The L–rd has redeemed His servant Jacob...
"if the thief is found, he pays double": A thief (one who steals by stealth) pays kefel, but not a robber (one who steals openly). Why did Scripture see fit to be more severe with ...
Beloved are the strangers, for by every epithet that Israel is called, the strangers are called. Israelites are called "servants," as it is written (Leviticus 25:55) "For unto Me t...
The Binding of Isaac, or Akedat Yitzhak as it's known in Hebrew, is one of those stories. It’s right there in the book of Genesis, chapter 22, verses 1 through 19. It's a cornersto...
There's a story, a rather incredible one, about a rabbi who supposedly did just that. It all revolves around Rabbi Judah Loew, also known as the Maharal of Prague. This was a truly...
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 ...
In fact, it's a theme that echoes through Jewish tradition, especially when we talk about the relationship between God, Moshiach (the Messiah), and the enemies of Israel. The Midra...
Ever find yourself reading the Psalms and wondering, "What's really going on here?" We do too! to a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretati...
" This verse, seemingly simple, becomes a springboard for a deep dive into themes of good and evil, destiny, and the very nature of creation. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive com...
The 15th chapter of Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating exploration of just that. It's not a simple checklist, but a ta...
The verse we're focusing on is "Arise, O Lord." It's a plea, a call to action. But according to the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), it's also a reminder. A reminder of ...
Yet, praise is central to Jewish tradition. Why? to a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletical interpretations on the Book of Psalms, and see what we ...
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...
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...
It’s more than just nostalgia, more than just remembering the "good old days." It's about survival. Spiritual survival. And that's exactly what Midrash Tehillim, a collection of ra...
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...
Take (Psalm 81:2), for example: "Raise a song, strike the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp." But then it continues, "Sound the shofar at the New Moon, at the full moon for ...
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...
One fascinating interpretation of Psalm 104 connects the birds of the sky to the nations of the world. But not in a peaceful, harmonious way. Instead, the midrash (rabbinic interpr...
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...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, gives us a list of ten things that are dear to the Holy One. And you might be surprised by what m...
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 sages of the Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, knew that feeling well. In their exploration of Psalm 119, they grapple with this very hum...
