936 related texts · Page 6 of 20
King David certainly did. And in the beautiful words of Psalm 119, he gave voice to that feeling. "Your hands have made me and fashioned me." But what does that really mean? Midras...
That feeling is at the heart of Psalm 124, a song of ascent traditionally sung by pilgrims on their way to the Temple in Jerusalem. But there's so much more to it than just a simpl...
They're…complicated, to say the least. : Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Joseph and his brothers. Talk about a mixed bag! So, when the Song of Songs (8:1) says, "...
The story of the exile to Babylon, as told in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 33, gives us a glimpse into that perilous time. Rabbi Tachanah recounts a dark period. Israel was exiled to Bab...
They faithfully rose and set, marking the days, months, and years. But according to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early collection of Biblical stories and legends, all that...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a fascinating collection of rabbinic commentary on the entire Hebrew Bible, touches on this very moment in section 685 on Nach (the books of Prophets and Writin...
Why all this talk of "going up"? It's not just poetic license. The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, points to a fasc...
The ancient sages certainly pondered these questions. We find a fascinating discussion in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. It cente...
The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a fascinating glimpse into this idea. It starts with the simple phrase: "And you shall ...
It's about planting the seeds of wisdom deep within their hearts. In Sifrei Devarim, when it says Moses "spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people," it’s not just ...
It’s not just brute strength, or flashy charisma, but something more… nuanced. Let’s turn to the ancient text of Sifrei Devarim to unpack this a bit. It speaks of Joshua, Moses' su...
Moses stood on Mount Sinai wrapped in cloud for six days before God spoke a single word to him. Why the silence? Rabbi Jose the Galilean said it was purification — six days to burn...
Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said t...
(8) With whose opinion does our Mishnah (the earliest code of rabbinic law) agree? Neither with that of R. Maier, nor with that of R. Juda, nor with that of R. Jose, nor with that ...
It was taught in the school of R. Ishmael that He pardons one sin after the other before they are put on the scales; and this is the divine custom." "Nevertheless," remarked Raba, ...
R. Johanan b. Zakai was asked by R. Eleazar b. Arach permission to expound some of the mysteries of the creation (Ma’ase Merkaba). R. Johanan dismounted from his ass, as angels mig...
The prophet Elijah — who never died but ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire — appeared to Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, one of the greatest sages of the third century, and offered him...
The students of Rabbi Joshua were traveling between cities when night overtook them. They found lodging at an inn run by a man whose appearance was deeply off-putting — ugly, unkem...
Joshua v. Levi & Prophet Elijah. Pesikta, f. 36 a. Nissim, f. 4 b. Maase Hashem, f. 41a to 43 a. Eliah Cohen, Meil Se- daka §439. Heilperin, Seder Hado- rot, s. v. Joshua b. Levi. ...
It's not just a stylistic choice. Our sages teach that each word carries a world of meaning. Take the word tzav (צו), for instance. What does it really mean when God commands? In t...
We find ourselves in the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, specifically in the midst of the rebellion led by Korah. Now, Korah wasn't just some random disgruntled guy; he was a ...
Day and night, light and dark... it’s so fundamental. But have you considered it as a constant song, a perpetual praise to the One who created it all? The verse in (Psalms 74:16), ...
That’s the kind of feeling we get when we delve into Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, let’s look at verse 30:...
His story, as told in Bereshit Rabbah (the great commentary on Genesis), is a masterclass in turning sorrow into joy, sowing in tears and reaping with songs. The verse says, "Jacob...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They explored every facet of joy, dissecting its many shades and flavors. And in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Song of Songs, they g...
The ancient rabbis wrestled with this tension, too, especially when thinking about moments in Jewish history when the people faltered. to a passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a col...
The Rabbis certainly did, and their answers, as found in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, are…well, they're Rabbi Berekhya offers us one possibility: the wilderness itself! Can you imagine? T...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. They found answers, as they often did, in the beautiful poetry of the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim. Specifically, the verse, "Like a lily among...
It’s a question that's plagued humanity for centuries. And while there aren't easy answers, Jewish tradition grapples with this in profound and moving ways. to a story from Shir Ha...
Ever heard a love song so intense it felt... cosmic? The Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim in Hebrew, is exactly that. But it's not just about romance; Jewish tradition reads it as a...
We often think of the Song of Songs, Shir HaShirim, as just that: a beautiful, sensual poem about love between a man and a woman. But what if it’s also about something much, much b...
I know I do! Take the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim, that beautiful, sensual poem often interpreted as an allegory for the relationship between God and Israel. Right smack in the...
Song of Songs, that beautiful, sensual, often enigmatic book of the Bible, gives us a clue. Chapter 8, verse 8, poses a curious question: “We have a little sister, and she has no b...
Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on Song of Songs, offers a fascinating take on Abraham's early days, drawing on the verse "We have a little sister [aḥot]" (Song of Songs 8:8)....
It’s a central part of how Jewish tradition understands itself, constantly weaving together narratives to find deeper meaning. to a fascinating example from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a...
Sometimes, the most unexpected things can lead us to hidden riches. Take leprosy, for example. Yes, leprosy. Now, I know what you're thinking. Leprosy? Good tidings? Seems impossib...
Our tradition teaches us a vital principle: we don't prostrate ourselves before the Sefer Torah, the Torah scroll itself. It's not about worshipping parchment and ink. Instead, as ...
That’s the space Tobiyyah and Sarah find themselves in in the Book of Tobit. Imagine this: you’re newly married, but your spouse has a bit of a history. A history of… seven dead hu...
It's a story that still resonates, a testament to courage and faith against all hope, found in the Book of Maccabees I. The scene is almost overwhelming. Imagine looking out and se...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text of uncertain origin, gives us a glimpse into that emotional reunion and the events that followed. It's a powerful story of family, faith,...
We all know the story of the Exodus, the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the years leading up to that moment? The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text of...
There are entire books dedicated to filling in those gaps, offering tantalizing glimpses into the lives of our ancestors. One such book is the Book of Jasher, a work referenced in ...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), fills in some of those gaps. It's like a behind-the-scenes look at the...
We know the big story: the plagues, the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the nitty-gritty details of those first few days of freedom? The Book of Jasher, a text m...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13, (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers some fascinating glimpses.. The chapter opens by setting the stage: It's ...
What if the very people meant to lead us to freedom are born into the darkest of times? Times so bleak, even love itself seems impossible. That's the story of Amram and Jochebed, t...
According to the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, Moses chose his servant Joshua to lead the charge. Why? Because Moses knew that only a descendant of Rachel...
Turns out, according to some pretty amazing stories, it wasn't as simple as just saying "yes." Before that earth-shattering covenant, before the words were etched in stone, Moses, ...
