On the twenty-eighth of Adar, the good news came to the Jews

Midrash Aggadah Ein Yaakov, Rosh Hashanah 1:27

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 4, 2025

(23) (Fol. 19) On the twenty-eighth of Adar, the good news came to the Jews that they need no longer abstain from studying the Law, for the king [of Syria had earlier] issued a decree, permitting them neither to study the Law, nor to circumcise their sons, and compelling them to desecrate the Sabbath. What did Juda b. Shamua and his friends do? They went and took counsel of a certain matron, whose house the celebrated people of the city frequented. She said to them: "Go and cry aloud at night." They did as she advised and cried aloud: "Oh, heavens! Are we not all brethren? Are we not all the children of one Father? Are we not aU the children of one mother? Why should we be treated differently from all other nations, and from all other peoples speaking other language, inasmuch as ye issue such cruel edicts against us?" Whereupon the decrees were annulled, and that day was then appointed a holiday.

Themes

Torah Sabbath Holidays Patriarchs Judgment

Continue Reading

Apocrypha Noah's Legacy Think of it as a really old "director's cut" of the Bible. Specifically, we're looking at Jubilees 6. The passage is tal... Apocrypha Abraham and the Patriarchs of Mamre The Book of Jubilees, a text not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered scripture by some, pulls back the curtain on s... Apocrypha Isaac Born on the Festival of First Fruits We often read the stories of the Torah, of the Hebrew Bible, as one continuous flow, but sometimes pausing to consider w... Apocrypha Judah and the Fires of Gehenna of Tamar The Book of Jubilees, for those unfamiliar, is an ancient Jewish work that retells the stories of Genesis and Exodus, bu... Apocrypha Legacy of the Forefathers It paints a picture of a community whose very speech and thoughts are a force for good. It begins by telling us where th... Ginzberg Vol. 1 The First Pharaoh It's a tale of ambition, cunning, and a whole lot of grave-robbing... or, well, almost. Our story begins not in Egypt, b... Ginzberg How Sodom Starved Travelers and Punished Kindness The stories we hear about Sodom in the Torah only scratch the surface. Jewish tradition paints a truly horrifying pictur... Ginzberg All of Sodom Surrounded Lot's House to Seize the Angels We all know the story. The wicked city, the angels disguised as travelers, the impending doom. But have you ever stopped... Ginzberg Isaac and the Fires of Gehenna She is brought, against her will, before a court of law. This isn't just any court, mind you. Seated as judges are none ...