2,344 related texts · Page 9 of 49
Then, out of the blue, his sons return from Egypt with news that Joseph is not only alive, but a powerful ruler! It's a moment of incredible joy, but also… disbelief. The Torah tel...
Specifically, we're looking at section 99, which explores a verse from Amos: "For the Lord God will not do anything, [unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets...
(Psalm 100:3) declares, "Know that the Lord is God." But it's the next part that really sparked their interest: "He made us, and we are His" (Psalm 100:3). Or is it? See, the Hebre...
The book of Exodus tells us, “God did not lead them via the land [derekh eretz]” (Exodus 13:17). But what exactly does that mean? Well, Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbi...
It's one of those biblical scenes that's both epic and deeply mysterious. Who was this "man" Jacob wrestled with all night? And what does this strange encounter really mean? Our jo...
Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “But you did not call Me, Jacob, for you wearied of Me, Israel” (Isaiah 43:22). Rabbi Yoḥanan understood it [the verse in (Isaiah 43:22)] from this, as it is w...
Sometimes, the most fascinating details are tucked away in texts just outside the mainstream, like the Book of Jubilees. Think of it as a peek behind the curtain of the Torah. This...
Sometimes, the little snippets, the moments in between the big events, can be just as fascinating. Take the story of Isaac, Esau, and Jacob. We know the highlights. But what about ...
We all know the story from Genesis 34 – how Shechem, son of Hamor, defiled Jacob's daughter, Dinah, and how Jacob's sons, particularly Simeon and Levi, exacted a brutal revenge. Bu...
We all know the story from Genesis 34: how Jacob's daughter Dinah is defiled by Shechem, son of Hamor, and how Simeon and Levi exact a brutal revenge, slaughtering all the men of t...
After Simeon and Levi destroyed the men of Shechem, a great terror fell over every city in the region. The nations said: "If two sons of Jacob could exterminate an entire town, wha...
Dan, seventh son of Jacob, born of Bilhah, called his family together in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life. He had proved something in his heart through his entire exis...
Asher, tenth son of Jacob, born of Zilpah, spoke to his sons in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, while still in health. "Hearken, you children of Asher, to your fathe...
Benjamin, twelfth and last son of Jacob, born of Rachel, had lived a hundred and twenty-five years. He kissed his sons and began to speak. "As Isaac was born to Abraham in his old ...
I'm talking about Joseph, of course, and his brothers. We know the story: Joseph, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, rises to power in Egypt, and then, years later, fate br...
But not just any book. According to Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, this was a sapphire book, encased in gold! Think of the bling! More im...
We find this story in Genesis 23, but the details really come alive in the rabbinic imagination, especially in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. So, Sarah has passed, and Abraham nee...
It's easy to skim over names and births, but hidden in those details are tales of longing, rivalry, and divine intervention. Take the story of Issachar, Jacob's son. His very name,...
We know so much about their journeys, their struggles, their revelations... but how did they actually go? Let's turn our attention to the passing of Isaac. Ginzberg, in Legends of ...
Can you feel the tension hanging in the air? That's the scene as Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, finally sits down to eat with his brothers – the very ones who sold him int...
Maybe it's for a job interview, or a tough conversation, or even just trying to get through a family gathering. It turns out, even our ancestors faced similar situations. Take Jaco...
Jacob, nearing the end of his days, yearned to bestow a blessing upon Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. He called them close, showering them with kisses and embraces. Why? He ho...
Jacob, nearing the end of his life, blessed his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh. But within those blessings, the ancient texts whisper, lay prophecies veiled in symbolism. Let's lo...
Today, let's step into the world of the sons of Jacob, and listen to the final exhortations of Simon to his sons. Like his brother Reuben before him, Simon focused intently on a pa...
The Torah tells us that Moses gathered the elders and performed miracles to prove his divine appointment. But according to the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Rabbi Louis Ginzber...
We often picture them as a unified mass, but the ancient texts paint a much more vibrant, organized picture. Imagine a sea of colorful banners, each telling a story, each represent...
Simeon and Levi waited for the festival. That was the key to their plan. While the men of Shechem feasted and drank, the two brothers slipped past the sleeping guards, entered the ...
"And these are the names of the children of Israel" (Exodus 1:1). The Torah lists the twelve tribes again, even though they were already named in Genesis. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Be...
(Ibid.) "for the L–rd said: Lest the people bethink themselves when they see war": This is the war of Amalek, viz. (Numbers 14:45). "Variantly: "for the L–rd said, etc.": This is t...
The Torah places Israel's encampment "between Migdol and the sea," and the Mekhilta finds layers of meaning in this geography. The word "Migdol" sounds like "gedulah" — greatness. ...
The Mekhilta continues cataloguing everything God showed Moses from Mount Pisgah. The question this time: how do we know that God showed him even the graves of the forefathers? The...
Today, we're diving into one of those fascinating tales, a legend surrounding Judah, one of Jacob's sons, and a rather dramatic encounter with Esau. The passage we're exploring com...
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...
Our tradition tells us stories of those who did just that. It speaks of three individuals who triumphed over their passions before God: Joseph, Boaz, and Paltê, son of Laish. Each ...
That's the situation Moses faced in a powerful story found in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (chapter 45). The story opens with a terrifying decree: God, in his anger, sends not one, but f...
"The righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence" (Psalm 140:14). The rabbis noticed something beautiful in this promise — God does not judge I...
Jacob blessed Esau's son but knew the blessing came from somewhere deeper than himself. "And God shall give you the dew of heaven" (Genesis 27:28) — this is the dew of Mount Hermon...
It's not just a random listing; there's a deep, symbolic reasoning behind it all. to Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a section of the Bamidbar Rabbah, a rabbinic commentary on the Book of Numb...
But the rabbis of the Talmud saw something more. Rabbi Yudan offers one explanation: Rachel died first "because she spoke before her sister." It's a fascinating idea, suggesting pe...
Sometimes, the answer lies hidden in plain sight, tucked away in ancient commentaries on the Torah. Take, for example, the seemingly simple act of bathing a baby after circumcision...
Our Sages, delving deep into the Torah, grapple with this very idea in Bereshit Rabbah 97, a section of the ancient Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary). They begin with a ve...
The passage centers around Jacob's blessing to his son Judah: "Judah, you shall your brothers acknowledge; your hand will be at the nape of your enemies; your father’s sons will pr...
And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: The envy also of Ephraim shall depart … Ephraim shall not envy Judah (Isa. 11:13)....
Let my soul not come into their council (Gen. 49:6). This relates to when Zimri came and had intercourse with Cozbi. Let my soul not be mentioned in reference to them. And that is ...
The Talmud in Berakhot 57a catalogues an entire symbolic vocabulary of dreams—a dictionary of the unconscious, organized by category, where every image carries a fixed meaning. Ani...
... Another reading: “Comfort, oh comfort My people” (Isaiah 40:1) Said the Holy Blessed One: Who needs to be comforted? For one whose wife died, not the husband? Thus was Zion ana...
And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses. [Betai Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ot Third Chamber] Our rabbis taught: Brothers who are partners and who increased ...
What made Eli the priest live so long? The midrash gives a simple answer: Torah study. "Fortunate is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of ...
