11,062 related texts · 38 related myths · Page 3 of 231
A golden cup hidden in a sack of grain. That was Joseph's final test, not to punish his brothers, but to see whether they had changed. He planted his own drinking cup in Benjamin's...
That feeling, that pervasive sense of collective responsibility, echoes powerfully in a passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronom...
Joseph's sale into slavery is one of the most dramatic episodes in Genesis. But the Targum Jonathan adds details that the Hebrew original never mentions, turning a family tragedy i...
Genesis 42 tells how Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain during the famine and failed to recognize him. Targum Jonathan turns this reunion into something far more calculat...
Jacob compares Judah to a lion's cub, and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan explains exactly why. Two moments made Judah roar. "From the killing of Joseph my son thou didst uplift thy soul, a...
The familiar telling remembers its benefits, but Jewish tradition also explores its potential pitfalls, especially when it comes to spiritual well-being. Rabbi Elazar, commenting o...
Take the story of Joseph, for example. It's a rollercoaster of sibling rivalry, betrayal, and ultimately, redemption. But what really set the stage for all that drama? It all start...
It's like peeling an onion – each layer reveals something new, something unexpected. Take the verse from (Genesis 39:1): "Joseph was taken down to Egypt and Potiphar, the official ...
Remember the story? Joseph, wrongly imprisoned, interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's chief butler. He asks the butler, once restored to his position, to remember him and mention him ...
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers. readers often focus on the grand reconciliation, the forgiveness, the happy ending in Egypt. But what about the really prickly parts? Bere...
And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Jacob sent Judah before him to establish an academy wherein he might teach the Torah as he had previously done for the tribes. You know t...
In what lies in the other ark it is written (Exodus 20) "I am the L–rd your G–d," and of Joseph it is written (Genesis 50:19) "Am I in the place of G–d?" In what lies in this ark i...
The Torah says the brothers hated Joseph and could not speak a word of peace to him (Genesis 37:4). Readers sometimes take this as a character flaw, petty brothers who refused to b...
The brothers heard the dream and exploded. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Genesis 37:8) preserves their two-edged outrage in a single tight sentence. They did not just laugh at Joseph....
The Torah says Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord slew him. Readers have wondered for centuries: evil in what way? Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (Gen...
After losing two sons, Judah faced a choice. The custom required his third and last surviving son, Shelah, to marry Tamar and try to raise up the line. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on (G...
The Targum sees Tamar at a moment of ruined expectation. Judah had promised her his youngest son, Shelah, after her two husbands had died in sequence. She waited. She waited longer...
The Targum reports the sentence bluntly. Three months after the crossroads, Tamar was known to be with child. The news traveled to Judah, and the Aramaic adds a telling gloss: Is s...
The Targum's gloss here is theologically sharp. From the time he appointed him superintendent over his house, and over all that he had, the Lord prospered the house of the Mizraite...
The Targum reports the architecture of the household plainly. Potiphar left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and took no knowledge of anything of his, except his wife with whom he...
The Aramaic gives Joseph's answer as a careful, almost bureaucratic list. Behold, my master taketh no knowledge of what is with me in the house, and all he hath he delivereth into ...
When Joseph flees, leaving his garment in her hand (Genesis 39:12), Potiphar's wife does not sit in silence. The Targum reports her pivot: she called the men of the house and said,...
This is one of the most searching moments in the Targum. After interpreting the dream, Joseph adds a request. The Aramaic frames it with a quiet rebuke: Joseph, leaving his higher ...
The Targum preserves a psychological detail the Hebrew only hints at. The chief baker, when he understood the interpretation of his companion's dream, seeing that he had interprete...
Book of Jubilees turns to Joseph's Brothers Finally Stand Before Him Again. The scene. The brothers stand before this powerful Egyptian official, not realizing it’s the very brothe...
Take the story of Joseph and his brothers, for instance. It's a tale of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and ultimately, redemption. Joseph, the favored son, wasn't exactly winning popul...
Legends of the Jews turns to Joseph Dreamed His Brothers' Sheaves Bowed Before His. That's exactly where we find ourselves at the beginning of Joseph's story. "Hear, I pray you, th...
The tale begins simply enough. Jacob's sons, Joseph's brothers – remember, the ones who definitely weren't Joseph's biggest fans – were pasturing their father's flocks near Shechem...
Legends of the Jews turns to Everything Joseph Touched in Potiphar's House Prospered. He ends up in the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian official. Now, the biblical account tells us ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Joseph Sets the Stage to Catch His Brothers. Pretty clever, huh? These precautions weren't just about efficient record-keeping. They were a carefully l...
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...
Legends of the Jews turns to Joseph Made His Brothers Swear to Carry His Bones Home. It's a promise that when God finally remembers them – when God "visits" them, as the text says ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Joseph Confronted His Brothers About What They Told Jacob. The scene: Years of separation, a devastating famine, and finally, the moment of truth. Jaco...
It wasn't just about God wanting to give the Torah, you see. According to the legends, it was about who was receiving it. right after the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites weren't ...
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" It's a raw, honest cry of frustration and bewilderment. But what if that feeling of distance isn't quite what it seems? The Midrash T...
Sifrei Devarim compares Egypt's river-fed fields with the rain-fed hills of the Land of Israel. This simple comparison is so much more than just a geographical observation. It’s a ...
Who gets to stay home from war, and why? The question is as old as Israel itself, and Sifrei Devarim 196, a tannaitic midrash on Deuteronomy compiled around the 3rd century CE, tak...
When Joseph's brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin in Genesis 43, the Hebrew text describes a tense meal. Targum Jonathan transforms it into a scene loaded with hidden signals, p...
The reveal scene in Genesis 45, Joseph breaking down and declaring "I am Joseph", is already one of the most dramatic moments in the Torah. Targum Jonathan transforms it into a pro...
I find those connections absolutely fascinating! a passage from Bamidbar Rabbah 9, which springs from the Book of Numbers and then takes us on a whirlwind tour through Proverbs, Is...
Take the tale of Joseph and his brothers, for instance. The familiar story is this: jealousy, betrayal, and a colorful coat. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw layers of...
The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife is a perfect example, and the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah, that rich collection of Genesis interpretations, really dig into the nuances of thi...
This particular passage, from section 88, tells us about the downfall of two unfortunate souls: the butler and the baker of the Egyptian Pharaoh. What did they do? Were they plotti...
The Bible is full of them, and the story of Joseph and his brothers is no exception. It's a tale of betrayal, forgiveness, and ultimately, reconciliation. But what about the subtle...
Specifically, The verse sets the scene: "The men took that gift, and they took in their hand double the silver, and Benjamin, and they arose, and they went down to Egypt, and stood...
Bereshit Rabbah turns to Pharaoh Rejoices When Joseph's Brothers Arrive. The verse in (Genesis 45:16) tells us, "The news was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying: Joseph's brothers ha...
Jewish tradition often sees a deeper, more poetic justice at play. Take the plague of pestilence, for example. We read in Exodus (9:2-9:3): "For if you refuse to let them go, and c...
Eleven! As it says, "From Egypt to the Land of Israel there are eleven journeys, which can be conducted in eleven days." (Shemot Rabbah 20). So, why did it end up taking them forty...
