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Let’s talk about Jeremiah. We all know the prophet. The one who warned Judah of its impending doom, the “weeping prophet” who saw the Babylonian exile coming. But what happened aft...
God declared His secret name to Moses at the burning bush—and then Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, refused to write it down. "It is not lawful for me to say any more,...
Six hundred chariots. Fifty thousand horsemen. Two hundred thousand infantry. That was the army Pharaoh sent racing after the Hebrews barely three days after letting them go—and he...
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev opens his commentary on Parshat Va'era with a question about the nature of prophecy. God tells Moses, "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jac...
"And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt" (Exodus 1:1). Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk opens his commentary on Parashat Shemot with a strange claim: a pers...
At the climax of the Song of the Sea, Israel proclaimed: "The Lord will reign for ever and ever" (Exodus 15:18). It is one of the most sweeping theological declarations in the enti...
The standard Exodus text says God promised one final plague against Egypt. The Targum Jonathan transforms this announcement into something far more personal and humiliating for Pha...
Moses stood before Israel and said: "You have been shown to know that the Lord, He is God; there is none beside Him" (Deuteronomy 4:35). Not told — shown. The plagues, the sea, the...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), particularly in Bereshit Rabbah, that treasure trove of Genesis interpretations, weren't fond of repetition. They belie...
We find ourselves in the thick of it, with Jacob still working for his wily father-in-law, Laban. Leah, already the mother of many, conceives again. And the Book of Jubilees, ever ...
Today, let's talk about the number seventy. Specifically, the seventy souls of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. It's a seemingly simple statement, isn’t it? "And all the soul...
It's one of those fascinating texts just outside the mainstream of the Hebrew Bible, referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), yet remaining somewhat myste...
We know the biblical account, but there are other traditions that fill in the gaps, offering a more detailed picture of his reign. Today, we’re diving into Chapter 58 of the Book o...
But this tale comes from a different, less-known source: The Book of Jasher. Specifically, we’re diving into Chapter 60. Now, the Book of Jasher isn't part of the standard biblical...
It’s a story ripe with tension, a hero in the making, and a glimpse into the early acts that shaped one of the most pivotal figures in Jewish history. According to Legends of the J...
The Torah tells us the broad strokes, but some of the details… well, they’re just fascinating. Let's pick up the thread as the story continues its winding path toward Egypt. The br...
It's easy to get lost in the big stories, the sweeping narratives, but sometimes the most fascinating details are tucked away in the smaller, more intimate moments. Take Zebulon, f...
Sometimes, the most fascinating tales lie just beyond the edges of the well-known ones. Take Joseph, for instance. We know he rose to power in Egypt, but what about his wife, Asena...
That’s the scene we find ourselves in, as we eavesdrop on the final moments between Jacob and his eldest son, Reuben. Jacob, on his deathbed, addresses Reuben. "Reuben, thou art my...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, drawing on various Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic sources, the simmering tensions between the descendants of...
It’s a story filled with sibling rivalry, lingering resentment, and, well, a whole lot of armed conflict. The animosity, didn’t just end with Jacob tricking Esau out of his birthri...
One such story, expanded upon in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, concerns Asenath, Joseph's wife. Remember the dramatic reunion of Joseph and his brothers? It turns out there was m...
It's more than just a walking stick; it's a relic brimming with divine power and a lineage that stretches back to the very dawn of creation. According to legend, this extraordinary...
Moses certainly did. Imagine being chosen to lead an entire nation out of slavery! No wonder he had a few… questions. Moses, as we know from the Book of Exodus, wasn't exactly thri...
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...
More than just architecture and gold, we're talking about the very names etched onto the High Priest's garments—each letter, each stone, imbued with meaning. Take the ephod, for in...
We see hints of it in the way Moses was commanded to count the Levites. : for all the other tribes, only men fit for war, twenty years old and up, were numbered. But with Levi? Eve...
Consider the story of the division of the people into tribes, when they were setting up camp in the wilderness. Picture it: thousands upon thousands of people, meticulously organiz...
It’s not just about knowing how many are present, but something far deeper, a spiritual accounting, if you will. When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He didn't just release a ...
The ancient rabbis certainly did. And they found evidence of it woven throughout the stories of our ancestors. to a fascinating little gem from Midrash Tehillim (a collection of ra...
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...
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...
Names aren't just labels; they're stories waiting to be unpacked. Take Joseph, for example, and the rather unusual name Pharaoh gives him: Tzafenat Paane’aḥ. What does it even mean...
I was reading in Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, and I stumbled across just such a moment. It revolves around a rather pointed exc...
Take reading from the Torah, for example. The verse we're looking at is from (Deuteronomy 29:2): "Moses summoned all Israel, and he said to them: You have seen everything that the ...
Jacob said unto his sons: “Why do ye look one upon another?” (Gen. 42:1). Jacob told his sons: Since you are strong and handsome, do not enter through one gate, nor stand together ...
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)....
This is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them (Gen. 49:28). Scripture does not say “he blessed him” but rather he blessed them. Why is this so? Because he attribute...
Who came into Egypt with Jacob (Exod. 1:1). Did they actually enter Egypt on that very day? Had not many days passed by since their arrival? (This informs us that) as long as Josep...
At the end of days, the prophet Malachi says, you will be able to tell the righteous from the wicked at a glance: "You shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked...
When Naphtali grew old and felt his strength fading, he gathered his children and gave them one final command. It was not about silver or gold. "I speak to you about a very easy ma...
The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle translated by Moses Gaster in 1899, preserves an unusual parallel timeline linking the rise of Rome with the suffering ...
Why did God Himself attend to the burial of Moses? Because of what Moses had done decades earlier in Egypt, when everyone else was busy loading up silver and gold for the exodus. W...
It all starts with Jacob, also known as Israel, nearing the end of his life in Egypt. Asenath, Joseph's wife, notices Jacob's declining health. Knowing the power of a righteous man...
It’s a human experience, unfortunately, one that even touched the lives of the biblical figures we often hold up as paragons of virtue. Let’s turn to Gad, one of the twelve sons of...
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...
Sometimes, the tradition gives us the most beautiful, unexpected answers. Take the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. After all the drama, the famine, the accusations, and ...
Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah taught that God split the Red Sea for the Israelites in the merit of their forefather Abraham. His proof comes from a sweeping passage in (Psalms 105:42-43...
