2,458 texts in Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg)
The story begins with an ass – not just any ass, but one created on the sixth day of creation itself! According to Legends of the Jews, this creature was gifted to Balaam by Jacob,...
That’s Balaam for you. He was on a mission, a dark one, and his poor donkey was having none of it. He’d been hired to curse the Israelites (Numbers 22), and he was determined to ge...
Balaam, you might recall, was a non-Jewish prophet hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites. But Balaam’s journey to curse them takes a turn for the surreal when his d...
The answer, as we find it in the story of Balaam and his talking donkey, might just surprise you. The familiar story is this: Balak, king of Moab, terrified of the Israelites, hire...
Remember Balaam? The non-Jewish prophet hired to curse the Israelites? Well, even as all the drama was unfolding – his donkey seeing an angel, refusing to move, and eventually spea...
This story, recounted by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, paints a vivid picture of a man caught in a divine tug-of-war. Remember Balaam? The non-Israelite prophet hired to curse the Israelit...
It’s a theme that echoes through so many stories, and it's definitely front and center in the tale of Balaam. Balaam wasn't just some random guy. He was a powerful sorcerer, and he...
The story of Balaam and Balak is one wild ride, filled with ego, failed magic, and a divine sense of humor. In Legends of the Jews, when Balaam finally made his way to the border o...
The story of Balak and Balaam gives us a pretty potent example. So, Balak, king of Moab, is terrified of the Israelites. He's hired Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet with, shall we s...
The next morning, after their initial failed attempts to curse the Israelites, Balak, the king of Moab, took Balaam to the high places of Baal. Balak fancied himself quite the magi...
He's hired by Balak, a Moabite king, to curse the Israelites. Balak is terrified of them, seeing them as a threat. Balaam, knowing he can't really curse them if God doesn't allow i...
The story of Balaam is a strange one, filled with prophecy, curses, and a talking donkey (yes, really!). But at its heart, it's a story about choice, and how our actions can either...
Balaam, the non-Jewish prophet-for-hire, was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites (Numbers 22-24). He built seven altars – a huge number – and offered bullocks and...
So, Balaam, the non-Jewish prophet hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites, is ready to get down to business. Balak and his princes are all waiting, anticipation thic...
It wasn't a simple "Let there be light!" and, boom, the universe. There was some serious deliberation involved. God, contemplating the void. As we read in Legends of the Jews, God ...
Legends of the Jews turns to Balaam Admits Israel Cannot Be Uprooted From the Earth. Balaam admitted, "I was in error when I believed Israel could be easily attacked, but now I kno...
The story of Balaam, the non-Jewish prophet, gives us a tantalizing glimpse. He was a powerful figure, no doubt about it. But what he lacked was the key to true and lasting impact....
Balak, the King of Moab, certainly believed in the power of place. And he was desperate. Balak had a problem: the Israelites. A massive, powerful nation camped right on his border....
We met Balaam before. He's that non-Jewish prophet hired by Balak, the King of Moab, to curse the Israelites. Only… it didn't quite work out that way, did it? Instead of curses, bl...
Things don't exactly go as planned, and that’s where the real story begins. The scene: Balak, the king of Moab, terrified by the approaching Israelite nation, has summoned Balaam, ...
Remember Balak, the King of Moab, and Balaam, the prophet he hired to curse the Israelites? (Numbers 22-24) Their story isn’t just a historical account; it’s a deep dive into the v...
The people of Israel are unlike any other nation. Why? Because their entire lives are framed by a devotion to Torah (Jewish law and teachings) and the fulfillment of its commandmen...
Legends of the Jews turns to Balak Drags Balaam to Mount Peor for a Third Try. So, Balak, not one to give up easily, decides a change of scenery is in order. "Maybe," he thinks, "t...
The story, as always, is far more complex than it seems. Balaam, unlike some of the other characters we encounter in the Hebrew Bible, doesn't give up easily. After initially being...
Balaam's voice carried to the ends of the earth, one voice, heard by everyone. Why? Because God knew that one day, someone would come along claiming to be a god, leading many astra...
Sometimes, the most dangerous weapons aren't swords or spears, but cunning and temptation. Let's Remember him? The prophet hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites? (N...
It all boils down to a simple, yet profound observation: "Throw the stick up in the air it will always return to its original place." This idea sets the stage for a rather scandalo...
Sometimes, the answer might be… in the water. the environment around us shapes us. And according to some fascinating legends, that influence can be incredibly literal. The Israelit...
Like a line is crossed and you wonder, "How did we even get here?" Well, that's kind of what happened with the Israelites in the desert, according to some fascinating ancient texts...
It's a tale from the time of the Judges, found in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, drawn from various Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) sources. The story centers around ...
The story centers around Zimri, a prince of the tribe of Simeon, and his brazen defiance. He publicly takes Cozbi, a Midianite woman, as his own. A clear violation of the law. But ...
The answer, as is often the case in Jewish tradition, is layered with meaning and moral complexity. The story goes that God, who expects a lot from those closest to Him, wasn't thr...
Legends of the Jews turns to Kingdom of Phinehas. At the heart of the issue is Zimri, a prince of the tribe of Simeon, who brazenly consorts with Cozbi, a Midianite woman. It's a p...
This isn't just a personal matter; it's a public act of defiance, a slap in the face to the laws and traditions they were meant to uphold. Tension is thick in the air. Phinehas, co...
Legends of the Jews turns to Phinehas and the Angels. The text says that Phinehas feared retaliation. Makes sense. But God, it seems, was totally on Phinehas's side. No less than t...
The story doesn't end there. According to Legends of the Jews, compiled by Ginzberg, Phinehas wasn't satisfied with simply punishing the offenders. He felt compelled to reconcile G...
Legends of the Jews turns to Phinehas and the Patriarchs. Ouch. This "spiteful remark," as Ginzberg describes it, refers to Phinehas's maternal lineage. his mother was descended no...
Phinehas, you might recall, was the grandson of Aaron, the High Priest. He's known for his decisive action against those who brazenly defied God’s laws (Numbers 25). But the story ...
Why the glee? Because, according to this legend (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. 3, p. 311), the other nations understood something profound: God had chosen Israel, had given t...
It might seem like a simple administrative task, but according to some fascinating Jewish traditions, there's a deeper, more spiritual reason behind it. The story goes that God com...
When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He didn't just release a nameless mass of people. He counted them. And according to Legends of the Jews, this census served a dual purpose...
Legends of the Jews turns to Zelophehad's Vision. The Israelites are on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. After generations of wandering, the dream is finally within reach. M...
Your father has died, leaving no sons. Now, under the laws of inheritance, you and your sisters are facing a grim future: no land, no security, no real place in the community. What...
Sometimes, it's not who you expect. In the story of the Israelites wandering in the desert, fresh from their Exodus from Egypt, readers often focus on the big figures: Moses, Aaron...
Legends of the Jews turns to Death of Zelophehad of Moses. These weren't just any women; they were on a mission. Their father, Zelophehad, had died without sons, and they were dete...
These weren't just any women. The youngest was already forty! Now, forty might not seem old to us, but in the ancient world, that was definitely past the prime age for marriage. Ac...
King David knew Torah, but one boast about his knowledge brought punishment faster than he expected. The story goes that David, feeling pretty good about his grasp of Jewish law, r...
The familiar picture has him receiving the Torah, parting the Red Sea.. but what about the everyday leadership challenges? Well, one fascinating story in Legends of the Jews, drawn...
