2,285 related texts · Page 13 of 48
We find a fascinating glimpse into this idea in Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Numbers. It centers on a seemingly simple verse: "A man who gi...
That’s exactly what happens in Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a Midrash on the Book of Numbers. It all starts with a single letter: a vav. The passage asks, "vekorban (a sacrificial offering)...
We're looking at Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic exploration of (Numbers 7:30), which kicks off a lengthy description of the offerings brought by...
Our journey starts with a verse: "Say to them: This is the fire offering that you shall bring to the Lord: unblemished lambs in the first year, two each day, a continual burnt offe...
The sages of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), those brilliant interpreters of Jewish texts, grappled with this very question. In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rab...
The story of Cain and Abel, as explored in Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient rabbinic commentary on Genesis, offers some pretty profound insights. We all know the basic story: Cain and ...
Dina, Jacob’s daughter, goes out to visit the women of the land, and is defiled by Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite. Shechem then asks his father to obtain Dina as his wife. Ja...
Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Exodus. We’re looking at chapter 17, which delves into the symbolism of the Passover of...
It’s a weight that impacts not just them, but the entire community they serve. Let’s delve into a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commenta...
Vayikra Rabbah 26, a section of the Midrash Rabbah on Leviticus, invites us to do just that. It starts with the familiar verse, "The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, sons ...
to a fascinating little story from Vayikra Rabbah (Leviticus Rabbah), a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus. Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, tells a...
Specifically, Vayikra Rabbah 26. It all starts with a simple phrase: "Speak to the priests." But as is so often the case in Jewish tradition, there's a whole universe packed into t...
We often think of greatness in terms of power or fame, but the ancient rabbis had a more nuanced view, especially when it came to the leaders of the Jewish people. In Vayikra Rabba...
Jewish tradition wrestles with these questions constantly. Take, for example, the difficult case of the mamzer. The mamzer, often translated as "illegitimate child," occupies a com...
Vayikra Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Leviticus, delves into this very question, challenging us to examine our motivations and the imp...
That feeling, that sense of unease, might be more than just good manners telling you to speak up. According to Jewish tradition, it's practically a commandment. The Torah tells us,...
They often hold some of the biggest secrets. Take the story of Cain and Abel. We all know the basics: brothers, offerings, jealousy, tragedy. But have you ever noticed a subtle dif...
The Midrash of Philo – and when we say Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), we're talking about a way of interpreting scripture that fills in the gaps, making the stories sp...
Take the story of Cain and Abel. A foundational story. We all know it: the first brothers, the first offering, the first murder. So, why is it that in (Genesis 4:5), it says, "And ...
Cain, in the biblical story, might have known that feeling all too well. We all know the story: Cain and Abel, brothers, offering sacrifices to God. Abel's offering is accepted. Ca...
The ancient sages certainly thought so. And they weren't afraid to use vivid language to make the point. Take this passage from the Midrash of Philo. It's a bit intense, but stick ...
What does it even mean? The verse appears in the context of the brit bein ha-betarim, the “covenant between the pieces.” God makes a covenant with Abraham, promising him descendant...
And, surprisingly, this feeling isn't exactly new. to a fascinating ancient text called "The Midrash of Philo." Now, when we say midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), we're t...
Ben Sira, also known as Sirach or the Wisdom of Ben Sira (written around 200-175 BCE), isn't part of the Hebrew Bible canon for everyone, but it's considered part of the Apocrypha ...
Ben Sira, in his wisdom, shines a spotlight on this remarkable individual. The text sings of him as "Great one of his brethren, and glory of his people." Not a bad title. But what ...
It's in those moments that we often turn to something greater, something beyond ourselves. And that's precisely what we find in the words attributed to Ben Sira. This passage, foun...
Specifically, not eating it. The Book of Jubilees, a text bubbling with rich detail expanding on the Torah’s narratives, dives headfirst into this very topic. This isn’t just a sug...
This book, considered scripture by some and a valuable historical source by others, gives us a detailed look into the life of figures from the Hebrew Bible. Today, we’re focusing o...
The brave Ḥashmonaim rising up against the oppressive King Antiochus and his Greek armies. But what happened after they reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem? Well, the scroll known as...
The Book of Maccabees I, specifically chapter 5, opens with a simple but loaded sentence: "Now when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary renewed...
The ancient Israelites knew that feeling all too well. to a story from The Book of Maccabees I, a historical account not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered scripture by some....
That's the situation Simon Maccabeus faced. The story unfolds in the First Book of Maccabees, chapter 14. We're stepping back into a turbulent time for the Jewish people, a time of...
That’s what I want to talk about today, drawing from the Second Book of Maccabees, specifically chapter 10. The scene is Jerusalem. The Temple, once a beacon of faith, had been des...
The Book of Maccabees II gives us a glimpse into that moment. After years of fighting against oppression, against those who sought to defile their most sacred space, they finally p...
We pick up with Jacob, now 99 years old, receiving a divine instruction. "Arise, go to Bethel," God tells him, "and remain there, and make there an altar to the Lord who appeareth ...
The night Abraham was born, a star appeared in the sky and swallowed four other stars from the four corners of heaven. Nimrod's astrologers saw it and rushed to the king with a war...
Cyrus conquered the known world because God strengthened his hand. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle translated by Moses Gaster in 1899, God...
It all revolves around Joseph’s coat – that infamous coat of many colors. The story goes that after selling Joseph into slavery, Jacob's sons were immediately overcome with regret....
It wasn't just about building altars, though he certainly did that. According to the legends, each altar he raised was the center of his missionary work. Imagine this: Abraham arri...
It's one of the most powerful, and most disturbing, narratives in the Torah. And it all starts with a test. "And the Lord thought to try Abraham and Isaac in this matter. And He sa...
Take Isaac, for example. His life, as the great compilation Legends of the Jews tells us, reads like a mirror image of his father Abraham's. Abraham had to leave his homeland. So d...
The Torah tells us that Rebekah, knowing what was right and divinely inspired, took matters into her own hands to make sure that Jacob, not Esau, received Isaac’s blessing. But tha...
It's easy to think of them as just escalating horrors, but sometimes the sequence itself holds a clue. Let's look at the plague of the frogs, the second of the ten, and see what we...
Specifically, the altar. According to Legends of the Jews, when God instructed Moses to build the altar from shittim wood (that's acacia wood) and overlay it with brass, Moses had ...
It wasn't just about picking any old wood, you know. The choice was incredibly specific, and brimming with meaning. Of all the trees available—and the text tells us there were twen...
You might assume that after all that hard work, the position was practically his. But that's not quite how it worked. God, in a moment filled with divine intention, says to Moses, ...
Twelve days of celebration, twelve days of dedication… and Aaron's tribe, the Levites? Nowhere to be seen. According to Legends of the Jews, Aaron was deeply troubled. "Woe is me!"...
They loved to explore these "what if?" scenarios. What if Abraham, Isaac, and Moses met? Who would come out on top? Thankfully, we have some playful, insightful answers preserved i...
