3,287 related texts · Page 44 of 69
It’s a question that's been asked for centuries. And Shemot Rabbah, a treasure trove of rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus, gives us a glimpse into a fascinating answer. The...
The Book of Proverbs asks, "Have you seen a man diligent in his labor?" (Proverbs 22:29). But Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the classic rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, takes this...
That feeling, that sting of inner circle treachery, echoes through the ancient words of Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the collection of Rabbinic teachings on the Song of Songs. Today, we'r...
And it's a feeling, according to our sages, that even Moses himself grappled with. to a fascinating passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)i...
The rabbis of old knew that struggle all too well. And they had some pretty creative ways to wake people up! There’s a story told in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the commentary on the Son...
We start with the verse, "When a person presents a meal offering to the Lord" (Leviticus 2:1). But the Rabbis cleverly link this to (Psalm 22:24): "Those who fear the Lord, praise ...
to one such tale, found in Vayikra Rabbah 32, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. The passage begins with a seemingly simple statement: "And he was t...
“Judah was exiled due to affliction and great enslavement. She settled among the nations, did not find rest; all her pursuers have overtaken her within the straits” (Lamentations 1...
“He severed in his enflamed wrath all the horn of Israel; He retracted His right hand from before the enemy. He burned in Jacob like flaming fire, consuming all around” (Lamentatio...
“We extended a hand to Egypt, Assyria, to be sated with bread” (Lamentations 5:6).“We extended a hand to Egypt, Assyria, to be sated with bread.” What would the Ten Tribes do? They...
“Esther did not disclose her family or her people, as Mordekhai had commanded her; Esther followed Mordekhai’s instructions, as it was when she was fostered by him” (Esther 2:20).“...
“When they [the king’s servants] spoke to him [Mordekhai] daily and he did not heed them, they told Haman, to see whether Mordekhai’s words would prevail; for he had told to them t...
What did Mordekhai say to someone who would say to him: “Why are you violating the king’s command?” (Esther 3:3) Rabbi Levi said: Mordekhai would say: ‘Moses our master cautioned u...
Rabbi Levi said: Accursed are the wicked who are engaged in evil counsel against Israel, and each one of them counsels in his way and says: ‘My counsel is better than your counsel....
God told Israel three separate times: do not go back to Egypt. According to Esther Rabbah, they violated every single warning and paid for every single one. Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai ...
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old (Gen. 27:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons, whom thou shalt make prin...
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba (Gen. 28:10). May it please our master to teach us where a man who has unintentionally taken the life of another man may take refuge. Thus do our...
And Joseph was brought down into Egypt (Gen. 39:1). May it please our master to teach us whether one may recite the Havdalah (the ceremony marking the end of Shabbat (the Sabbath))...
And Joseph was brought down into Egypt (Gen. 39:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Come and see the works of God; he acts circuitously in His doings toward ...
And it came to pass after these things (Gen. 40:1). May our master teach us which men are counted among the most faithful. Thus did our master teach us: There are three men who are...
His master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph (Gen. 38:7). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that indulge ...
And it came to pass on a certain day, when he went into the house to do his work (Gen. 39:11). Our sages disagreed over the meaning of this verse. Some held that he went into the h...
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine (Gen. 41:2) After he (Pharaoh) had his dream, he summoned all his magicians. Whereupon the Holy Spirit called out: Where are ...
Then Judah came near (Gen. 44:18). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: My son, if thou art become a surety for thy neighbor, if thou hast struck thy hands for a s...
Then Judah came near unto him. Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: The lion, which is the mightiest of beasts, turneth not away for anyone (Prov. 30:30). It happ...
And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Scripture states elsewhere: Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall clear the way before Me (Mal. 3:1). Observe that every misfortune t...
And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph: “Benold, thy father is sick” (Gen. 48:1). May it please our master to teach us whether a benediction may be recited...
And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: “I am the Lord; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob” (Exod. 6:2). May our masters teach us the punishment that is i...
And Moses took the bones of Joseph (Exod. 13:19). How did Moses know where Joseph’s grave was to be found? They say that only Serah the daughter of Asher had survived from that gen...
(Numb. 2:2:) “Each with his standard.” This text is related (to Deut. 32:10), “He found him (i.e., Jacob) in a desert land.” [It was] a great find, [when] the Holy One, blessed be ...
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text offering a unique perspective on biblical narratives, tells a story about just such a moment – the tale of Esau selling his birthright to J...
Isaac, son of Abraham, certainly knew that feeling. Our story picks up with him journeying towards Gerar, a Philistine territory, seeking refuge with King Abimelech. (Jubilees 24)....
In the Book of Jubilees, a text considered canonical by some ancient Jewish groups (and still by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians), we find a slightly different take on a story many o...
Today, let’s pull back the curtain on a seemingly simple passage from the Book of Jubilees, chapter 44. It’s a passage that, at first glance, reads like a dry family register. But ...
The First Book of Maccabees, a historical text not included in the Hebrew Bible but considered canonical by some Christians, offers a powerful glimpse into this very question. It r...
There are so many fascinating texts just lurking on the fringes, offering alternative perspectives and filling in the gaps in ways you wouldn't expect. Today, we're diving into one...
The story doesn't end there, and the Book of Jasher, a fascinating and often overlooked text, fills in some of the blanks.. After twenty long years with Laban, Jacob is finally hea...
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 read about their exploits in the Torah, but sometimes the details feel…sparse. That's where books like the Book of Jasher come in. It's considered a type of Midrash (rabbinic 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...
That feeling of frustration, of being turned back just as you're reaching your goal... well, the Israelites knew it well. Chapter 85 of the Book of Jasher plunges us right into a m...
We read about the conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua, but the story doesn't quite end there. The Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that fills in some of the gaps in...
And according to tradition, the land wasn't exactly empty when Jacob's sons were destined to inherit it. No, no. It was provisionally granted to a whole host of Canaanite nations: ...
So, picture this: Abraham saddles up his mule, ready to head to the local inn. This wasn't just any inn, mind you. It was the place where merchants from Fandana in Syria stayed whe...
We know that CANAAN, son of HAM, and his descendants settled in the land. But the story goes that they didn’t exactly have permission. According to Legends of the Jews, Canaan disr...
And it wasn't a coincidence. See, the famine that struck during Abraham's time? It wasn’t just a random act of nature. According to Legends of the Jews, specifically volume one, th...
It’s a story filled with hidden beauty, shrewd bargaining, and a touch of divine protection. Our tale begins as Abraham and Sarah journey from Canaan to Egypt. According to Legends...
The Torah touches on this in the Brit Bein Habetarim (ברית בין הבתרים), the Covenant Between the Pieces, in Genesis 15. But the story doesn't end there. The Legends of the Jews fil...
