Browse by Theme

Discover 235 thematic collections drawn from over 20,000 ancient Jewish texts spanning the Talmud, Midrash, Kabbalah, and beyond.

Abraham

The first patriarch, who shattered idols, argued with God, and bound his son on the altar — the father of the Jewish people.

391 texts

Adam & Eve

The first humans, their creation, their life in the Garden of Eden, the forbidden fruit, and the consequences of the fall.

5,353 texts

Adam and eve

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Adam and eve from across Jewish tradition.

17 texts

Afterlife

What happens after death in Jewish tradition: the judgment of the soul, Gan Eden, Gehenna, and the world to come.

122 texts

Amulets

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Amulets from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Angels

The heavenly host in Jewish tradition: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and the countless angels who serve as messengers, warriors, and guardians.

1,809 texts

Anger

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Anger from across Jewish tradition.

23 texts

Animals

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Animals from across Jewish tradition.

171 texts

Archangels

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Archangels from across Jewish tradition.

8 texts

Asher

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Asher from across Jewish tradition.

3 texts

Asmodeus

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Asmodeus from across Jewish tradition.

2 texts

Astrology

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Astrology from across Jewish tradition.

32 texts

Atonement

The rituals and theology of atonement in Judaism, from the scapegoat of Yom Kippur to the power of teshuvah and prayer.

55 texts

Authority

Rabbinic authority, the chain of tradition, and the tensions between prophets, priests, kings, and sages in Jewish thought.

7 texts

Azazel

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Azazel from across Jewish tradition.

7 texts

Babel

The Tower of Babel, the scattering of languages, and the hubris of a generation that tried to storm heaven.

18 texts

Baruch

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Baruch from across Jewish tradition.

10 texts

Beelzeboul

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Beelzeboul from across Jewish tradition.

2 texts

Beliar

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Beliar from across Jewish tradition.

5 texts

Benjamin

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Benjamin from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Bible

The Hebrew Bible as sacred text: its composition, its interpretation across centuries, and its place at the heart of Jewish tradition.

68 texts

Birth

Miraculous births, the angel who teaches Torah in the womb, and the Jewish traditions surrounding the arrival of new life.

59 texts

Blessing

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Blessing from across Jewish tradition.

80 texts

Body soul

The relationship between body and soul in Jewish thought, from the parable of the blind man and the lame man to resurrection theology.

4 texts

Cain and abel

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Cain and abel from across Jewish tradition.

21 texts

Chanukah

The miracle of the oil, the Maccabean revolt, and the rededication of the Temple that gave rise to the Festival of Lights.

183 texts

Charity

Tzedakah and acts of lovingkindness in rabbinic literature, from Maimonides' eight levels of giving to the tales of anonymous donors.

538 texts

Commandments

The 613 commandments of the Torah, their interpretation by the sages, and the reasons behind the divine law.

396 texts

Community

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Community from across Jewish tradition.

306 texts

Compassion

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Compassion from across Jewish tradition.

6 texts

Conversion

The tradition of welcoming converts to Judaism, from Ruth the Moabite to the teachings of the sages on righteous proselytes.

174 texts

Cosmology

Jewish cosmology: the structure of the heavens, the foundations of the earth, and the hidden architecture of creation.

37 texts

Covenant

The covenant between God and Israel, from the promise to Abraham to the revelation at Sinai and the eternal bond that binds a people to their Creator.

438 texts

Creation

How God formed the universe from divine light and primordial chaos, from the first utterance to the shaping of Adam from the dust of the earth.

4,108 texts

Creation narrative

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Creation narrative from across Jewish tradition.

1 texts

Creatures

Leviathan, Behemoth, the Ziz, and the mythological creatures that inhabit the margins of Jewish cosmology.

270 texts

Dan

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Dan from across Jewish tradition.

24 texts

Daniel

The prophet Daniel in the lion's den, his apocalyptic visions, and the mysteries of the end of days.

540 texts

Death

The Angel of Death, the journey of the soul after death, mourning, and the boundary between this world and the next.

1,481 texts

Deception

Tricksters and deceivers in Jewish tradition, from Jacob and Esau to Laban, and the moral ambiguity of cunning.

29 texts

Demons

Lilith, Asmodeus, Samael, and the shadowy world of Jewish demonology drawn from the Talmud, Midrash, and Kabbalah.

558 texts

Destruction

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Destruction from across Jewish tradition.

83 texts

Divine compassion

God's thirteen attributes of mercy, the tears God sheds for Israel, and the tradition of divine compassion that tempers justice.

4 texts

Divine glory

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Divine glory from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Divine inspiration

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Divine inspiration from across Jewish tradition.

1 texts

Divine judgment

The heavenly court, the scales of merit and guilt, and the way God judges each soul on Rosh Hashanah and beyond.

21 texts

Divine justice

How the rabbis wrestled with the problem of suffering, the prosperity of the wicked, and the justice of God.

1,983 texts

Divine Names

The seventy-two names of God, the ineffable Name, and the power that resides in the letters of divine speech.

424 texts

Divine presence

Manifestations of God's presence in the world: the pillar of fire, the cloud of glory, and the still small voice.

6 texts

Divine promise

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Divine promise from across Jewish tradition.

5 texts

Divine providence

Hashgachah pratit, the belief that God watches over individuals and nations, and the stories of hidden divine intervention.

3 texts

Divine punishment

Divine retribution in Jewish tradition: the flood, Sodom, Korah's rebellion, and the consequences of defying heaven.

22 texts

Divine revelation

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Divine revelation from across Jewish tradition.

21 texts

Divine sparks

The Lurianic teaching of nitzotzot, the holy sparks scattered through creation that must be gathered and elevated through righteous action.

177 texts

Divine throne

The throne of glory in Jewish mysticism: Ezekiel's vision, the chariot, and the seat of God above the highest heaven.

50 texts

Divine voice

The bat kol, the echo of prophecy that continued after the last prophets fell silent, and the voice from heaven that still speaks.

3 texts

Dreams & Visions

Prophetic dreams and visions in Jewish tradition, from Jacob's ladder to Joseph's interpretations and the messages sent from heaven in sleep.

320 texts

Eden

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Eden from across Jewish tradition.

31 texts

Egypt

The bondage in Egypt, the ten plagues, the Exodus, and the birth of Israel as a people.

3,053 texts

Elijah

The immortal prophet who ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire and returns to announce the Messiah and resolve all disputes.

468 texts

Elisha

The prophet Elisha, heir to Elijah's mantle, who parted rivers, raised the dead, and performed miracles throughout Israel.

7 texts

Empires

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Empires from across Jewish tradition.

3 texts

End Times

The war of Gog and Magog, the Day of Judgment, the resurrection of the dead, and the dawn of the world to come.

145 texts

Enoch

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Enoch from across Jewish tradition.

27 texts

Envy

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Envy from across Jewish tradition.

6 texts

Esther

The story of Queen Esther, Mordecai, and the miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot.

387 texts

Ethics

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Ethics from across Jewish tradition.

356 texts

Evil inclination

The yetzer hara, the force within every person that drives desire, ambition, and sin — and the rabbinic strategies for mastering it.

6 texts

Exile

The destruction of the Temple, the scattering of Israel among the nations, and the hope of return.

1,432 texts

Exodus

The liberation from Egypt, the parting of the sea, and the journey from slavery to Sinai that defined the Jewish people.

289 texts

Ezra

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Ezra from across Jewish tradition.

11 texts

Faith

Emunah, the Jewish concept of faith and trust in God, from Abraham's binding of Isaac to the martyrs who died with the Shema on their lips.

151 texts

Fall of man

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Fall of man from across Jewish tradition.

2 texts

Fallen angels

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Fallen angels from across Jewish tradition.

8 texts

Family

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Family from across Jewish tradition.

30 texts

Famine

Famine and scarcity in Jewish tradition, from the seven years in Egypt to the siege of Jerusalem and the miracles that sustained Israel.

6 texts

Fire

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Fire from across Jewish tradition.

49 texts

Flood

The great deluge, the building of the ark, the raven and the dove, and the covenant of the rainbow that followed.

145 texts

Folk religion

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Folk religion from across Jewish tradition.

7 texts

Foxes

The fox fables of Rabbi Meir, the foxes on the Temple Mount, and the cunning animal that appears throughout rabbinic parable.

2 texts

Friendship

Sacred friendship in Jewish tradition, from David and Jonathan to the study partnerships of the Talmudic sages.

10 texts

Gad

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Gad from across Jewish tradition.

3 texts

Garden of eden

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Garden of eden from across Jewish tradition.

29 texts

Genealogy

The genealogies of the Torah and Midrash, tracing the bloodlines of Israel from Adam through the twelve tribes.

12 texts

Gilgul (Reincarnation)

Gilgul neshamot, the transmigration of souls in Kabbalistic thought, and the journey of the soul across multiple lifetimes toward repair.

133 texts

God

The nature of God in Jewish theology: infinite, unknowable, merciful, just, and present in every corner of creation.

4 texts

Good and evil

The origins and nature of good and evil in Jewish thought, from the two inclinations to the cosmic struggle between light and darkness.

37 texts

Hatred

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Hatred from across Jewish tradition.

13 texts

Healing

The traditions of healing in Jewish sources: the angel Raphael, medicinal prayers, and the belief that God is the ultimate healer.

134 texts

Heaven

The seven heavens of Jewish tradition, from the angelic halls of Arabot to the celestial palaces where the divine throne resides.

2,514 texts

Heavenly ascent

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Heavenly ascent from across Jewish tradition.

16 texts

Heavenly realms

The celestial palaces, the seven firmaments, and the geography of the upper worlds as mapped by Jewish mystics.

35 texts

Hell/Gehenna

Gehenna, Sheol, and the Jewish traditions about punishment after death, purification of the soul, and the fate of the wicked.

998 texts

Hellenism

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Hellenism from across Jewish tradition.

13 texts

Heresy

The boundaries of belief in Jewish tradition: Elisha ben Abuya's apostasy, the minim, and what it means to leave the fold.

717 texts

Heroism

Acts of courage and self-sacrifice in Jewish legend, from the Maccabees to the righteous who risked everything for God and Torah.

10 texts

History

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about History from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Holidays

The sacred calendar of Judaism: Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Purim, Hanukkah, and the stories behind each festival.

543 texts

Holiness

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Holiness from across Jewish tradition.

1 texts

Holy Land

The Land of Israel as sacred geography: Jerusalem, Zion, and the spiritual landscape of the Promised Land.

5,704 texts

Hope

The Jewish theology of hope: the promise of redemption, the light at the end of exile, and the faith that sustains a people.

8 texts

Hospitality

Hakhnasat orchim, the sacred duty of welcoming guests, from Abraham's tent to the teachings of the Talmudic sages.

15 texts

Humility

Anavah, the virtue of humility in Jewish tradition: Moses as the humblest of men and the sages who taught that God dwells with the lowly.

198 texts

Humor

Wit, irony, and laughter in rabbinic literature, from the clever retorts of the sages to the holy fools of Chelm.

2,594 texts

Identity

What makes someone Jewish: conversion, lineage, chosenness, and the ongoing question of Jewish identity across the centuries.

3 texts

Idolatry

The prohibition against idol worship, the smashing of Abraham's father's idols, and the rabbinic war against avodah zarah.

179 texts

Immortality

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Immortality from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Issachar

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Issachar from across Jewish tradition.

6 texts

Jacob

Jacob the wrestler, who fought an angel, deceived his father, loved Rachel, and became Israel — the father of the twelve tribes.

258 texts

Jealousy

Envy and rivalry in Jewish tradition, from Cain and Abel to Joseph's brothers and the jealousy of the angels.

29 texts

Jerusalem

The holy city: the Temple Mount, the Foundation Stone, and the Jewish traditions about the place where heaven meets earth.

90 texts

Job

The suffering of Job, the divine wager, and the deepest questions about justice, faith, and the nature of God.

961 texts

Jonah

The reluctant prophet who fled to sea, was swallowed by a great fish, and learned that God's mercy extends even to Nineveh.

24 texts

Joseph

Joseph the dreamer: sold into slavery, risen to power in Egypt, and the reunion that saved his family from famine.

2,156 texts

Joshua

Moses' successor who led Israel across the Jordan, conquered the Promised Land, and made the sun stand still at Gibeon.

99 texts

Joy

Simchah, the commandment to rejoice: the dancing at the Temple, the joy of Shabbat, and the happiness that draws the divine presence.

77 texts

Judah

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Judah from across Jewish tradition.

1 texts

Judges

The judges of Israel — Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and the charismatic leaders who guided the people between Moses and the kings.

56 texts

Judgment

Divine justice in Jewish tradition: the heavenly court, the Book of Life, and how God weighs the deeds of the righteous and the wicked.

1,340 texts

Kabbalah

The hidden wisdom of Jewish mysticism: the Ein Sof, the sefirot, the breaking of the vessels, and the path to cosmic repair.

1,435 texts

King David

The shepherd king who slew Goliath, wrote the Psalms, and founded the dynasty from which the Messiah will come.

2,344 texts

Kings

The monarchs of Israel and Judah, from Saul's troubled reign to the splendor of Solomon and the fall of the divided kingdom.

1,239 texts

Kingship

The theology of kingship in Judaism: God as King, the anointed monarch, and the tension between human power and divine sovereignty.

94 texts

Law

Halakhah, the path of Jewish law: from the commandments at Sinai to the debates of the Talmud and the rulings of the great codifiers.

170 texts

Levi

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Levi from across Jewish tradition.

31 texts

Leviathan

The great sea monster that God created on the fifth day, destined to be served as a feast for the righteous in the world to come.

8 texts

Light

The primordial light of creation, the Or HaGanuz hidden for the righteous, and the symbolism of light throughout Jewish tradition.

573 texts

Lilith

Lilith in Jewish tradition: Adam's first companion, the queen of demons, and one of the most complex figures in Jewish mythology.

48 texts

Love

Love in Jewish tradition: the love between God and Israel, the Song of Songs, and the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.

180 texts

Maccabees

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Maccabees from across Jewish tradition.

78 texts

Magic & the Supernatural

The Jewish magical tradition: divine names, angelic adjurations, protective amulets, and the boundary between the permitted and the forbidden.

116 texts

Marriage

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Marriage from across Jewish tradition.

141 texts

Martyrdom

Kiddush HaShem, the sanctification of God's Name through death: Rabbi Akiva, Hannah and her seven sons, and the martyrs of every generation.

39 texts

Matriarchs

Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah: the mothers of Israel whose wisdom, courage, and faith shaped Jewish destiny.

697 texts

Mercy

The thirteen attributes of divine mercy, God's compassion for creation, and the rabbinic teaching that mercy sustains the world.

8 texts

Merkabah

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Merkabah from across Jewish tradition.

9 texts

Merkavah

The divine chariot of Ezekiel's vision and the mystical tradition of heavenly ascent through the celestial palaces to the throne of God.

211 texts

Messiah

The coming of the Messiah, the ingathering of exiles, the resurrection of the dead, and the world to come.

1,174 texts

Miracles

The wonders wrought by God and the righteous, from the splitting of the sea to the miracles of the Talmudic sages.

1,416 texts

Moses

The life and legend of Moses, from the bulrushes of Egypt to the heights of Sinai, the greatest prophet in Jewish tradition.

5,036 texts

Mourning

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Mourning from across Jewish tradition.

23 texts

Murder

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Murder from across Jewish tradition.

5 texts

Music & Song

The sacred power of music in Jewish tradition: David's harp, the songs of the Levites, and the melodies that moved heaven and earth.

588 texts

Mysticism

The hidden Torah: Merkavah visions, Kabbalistic secrets, the sefirot, and the mystical path to encountering the divine.

2,245 texts

Naphtali

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Naphtali from across Jewish tradition.

2 texts

Nations

Israel among the nations: the seventy peoples, their guardian angels, and the Jewish traditions about the gentile world.

112 texts

Noah & Flood

The great flood, Noah's ark, the Tower of Babel, and the stories of humanity's second beginning.

1,793 texts

Parables

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Parables from across Jewish tradition.

75 texts

Paradise

Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden: the primordial paradise, its rivers, its trees, and the souls of the righteous who dwell there.

42 texts

Parenting

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Parenting from across Jewish tradition.

126 texts

Parents and children

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Parents and children from across Jewish tradition.

7 texts

Passover

The Exodus from Egypt, the Passover sacrifice, the four cups of wine, and the retelling that keeps the memory alive each year.

240 texts

Patriarchs

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: the founding fathers of Israel, their trials, their covenants with God, and their enduring legacy.

4,035 texts

Persecution

The suffering of the Jewish people across history, from Pharaoh to Haman, and the traditions that made sense of undeserved pain.

2 texts

Plagues

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Plagues from across Jewish tradition.

13 texts

Poverty

The rabbinic teachings on poverty, wealth, and obligation: why the poor are beloved by God and what the community owes them.

115 texts

Prayer

The power of prayer in Jewish tradition, from the Amidah to the spontaneous cry of the heart before God.

2,569 texts

Prenatal

The angel who teaches the soul Torah before birth and strikes it above the lip to make it forget — the legend of prenatal wisdom.

1 texts

Priesthood

The Kohanim, descendants of Aaron: their role in the Temple, the priestly blessing, and their enduring place in Jewish life.

208 texts

Prophecy

The gift of prophecy in Israel, from Moses at Sinai to the last prophets, and the divine voice that still echoes.

3,491 texts

Protection

Amulets, prayers, and angelic guardians: the Jewish traditions for warding off evil, protecting the home, and invoking divine shelter.

93 texts

Providence

God's hidden hand in history: the stories of unlikely rescues, divine timing, and the belief that nothing happens by accident.

7 texts

Psalms

The Psalms of David: poetry of praise, lament, and longing that became the prayer book of the Jewish people for three thousand years.

146 texts

Punishment

Divine and human punishment in Jewish tradition: the consequences of sin, the purpose of suffering, and the limits of retribution.

13 texts

Purity

Ritual purity and impurity in Jewish law: the mikveh, the red heifer, and the boundary between the sacred and the profane.

31 texts

Rabbis

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Rabbis from across Jewish tradition.

367 texts

Rain

The power of rain in Jewish tradition: Honi the Circle-Drawer, the prayers for dew and rain, and water as a sign of divine favor.

71 texts

Rebellion

Korah's revolt, the golden calf, and the stories of those who defied God, Moses, or the sages — and what happened next.

55 texts

Red sea

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Red sea from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Redemption

Geulah, the promise of ultimate redemption: the ingathering of exiles, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the repair of the world.

131 texts

Repentance

Teshuvah, the turning of the soul: stories of return, forgiveness, and the transformative power of repentance.

1,724 texts

Resurrection

Techiyat ha-metim, the revival of the dead: one of Judaism's core beliefs about the end of days and the world to come.

14 texts

Reuben

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Reuben from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Revelation

The moments when God spoke directly to humanity: the burning bush, the voice at Sinai, and the nature of prophetic experience.

22 texts

Reversal

The great reversals of Jewish narrative: the slave who becomes viceroy, the condemned who are saved, and the hidden hand of God.

1 texts

Righteousness

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Righteousness from across Jewish tradition.

298 texts

Rome

Rome in rabbinic literature: the empire that destroyed the Temple, the enemy of Israel, and the symbol of exile and oppression.

93 texts

Royalty

The splendor of kings, the crowns of Torah, and the Jewish teachings on sovereignty, power, and the obligations of rulers.

12 texts

Sabbath

The seventh day of rest, a foretaste of the world to come: the Sabbath queen, the extra soul, and the holiness of sacred time.

134 texts

Sacrifice

The offerings and sacrifices of the Temple, from the binding of Isaac to the daily rituals that sustained the covenant between God and Israel.

803 texts

Samson

The Nazirite strongman who fought the Philistines, was betrayed by Delilah, and brought down the temple of Dagon with his final prayer.

22 texts

Satan

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Satan from across Jewish tradition.

8 texts

Sea creatures

The monsters of the deep in Jewish tradition: Leviathan, Rahab, the great fish that swallowed Jonah, and the creatures of the abyss.

9 texts

Sefirot

The ten sefirot of Kabbalistic cosmology, the divine attributes through which God created and sustains the universe.

1,525 texts

Serpent

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Serpent from across Jewish tradition.

15 texts

Seth

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Seth from across Jewish tradition.

5 texts

Shabbat

The Sabbath as a taste of the world to come, the mystical Sabbath bride, and the holiness of sacred rest.

1,262 texts

Shekhinah

The Shekhinah, the feminine divine presence of God that dwells among the people of Israel and accompanies them into exile.

611 texts

Simeon

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Simeon from across Jewish tradition.

10 texts

Simplicity

Temimut, the virtue of wholeness and sincerity in Jewish thought: walking simply before God, as Abraham was commanded.

2 texts

Sin

The nature of sin in Jewish theology: transgression, its consequences, and the ever-present possibility of return through teshuvah.

782 texts

Sinai

The revelation at Sinai, the giving of the Torah, and the moment when heaven and earth met.

773 texts

Solomon

King Solomon's legendary wisdom, the building of the Temple, his mastery over demons, and the secrets of the Song of Songs.

1,693 texts

Soul

The five levels of the soul, reincarnation, the journey after death, and the spark of divinity within every person.

2,199 texts

Souls

The five levels of the soul in Kabbalistic thought, the treasury of souls beneath the throne of glory, and the destiny of every neshamah.

82 texts

Speech

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Speech from across Jewish tradition.

111 texts

Spirits

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Spirits from across Jewish tradition.

22 texts

Study

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Study from across Jewish tradition.

121 texts

Suffering

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Suffering from across Jewish tradition.

7 texts

Sun and moon

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Sun and moon from across Jewish tradition.

37 texts

Supernatural

The uncanny and miraculous in Jewish tradition: shape-shifting demons, haunted ruins, dybbuk possession, and wonders beyond nature.

178 texts

Symbolism

The symbolic language of Jewish tradition: the menorah, the four species, the shofar, and the objects that carry layers of meaning.

19 texts

Teaching

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Teaching from across Jewish tradition.

32 texts

Temple

The Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies, the sacred vessels, and the spiritual heart of the Jewish world.

2,692 texts

Temple destruction

The destruction of the First and Second Temples, the mourning that followed, and the traditions about what was lost when Jerusalem fell.

18 texts

Temple vessels

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Temple vessels from across Jewish tradition.

3 texts

Temptation

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Temptation from across Jewish tradition.

6 texts

Theodicy

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Theodicy from across Jewish tradition.

9 texts

Theology

The great theological questions of Jewish thought: the nature of God, the problem of evil, free will, and the meaning of chosenness.

3 texts

Time

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Time from across Jewish tradition.

70 texts

Torah

The Torah as cosmic blueprint: Jewish traditions about the creation, revelation, and infinite depth of the Five Books of Moses.

5,112 texts

Tragedy

The destructions, exiles, and catastrophes of Jewish history as refracted through Midrash, Talmud, and the literature of lament.

87 texts

Transformation

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Transformation from across Jewish tradition.

7 texts

Tribes

The twelve tribes of Israel, their blessings, their banners, their territories, and the lost ten tribes scattered beyond the Sambatyon River.

530 texts

Tribulation

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Tribulation from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Truth

Emet, truth as a divine attribute: God's seal is truth, the golem's forehead bears it, and the Torah is called the Torah of truth.

93 texts

Twelve patriarchs

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Twelve patriarchs from across Jewish tradition.

12 texts

Tzaddik

The righteous one in Jewish tradition: the 36 hidden saints who sustain the world, the tzaddik as the foundation of creation.

45 texts

Tzedakah (Charity)

The obligation of charity and righteousness in Jewish tradition, from the corners of the field to the teachings of the sages on giving.

261 texts

Uriel

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Uriel from across Jewish tradition.

3 texts

Violence

War, vengeance, and bloodshed in Jewish narrative: from the destruction of Shechem to the conquest of Canaan and the zealots of the Talmud.

216 texts

Vision

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Vision from across Jewish tradition.

22 texts

War

The wars of Israel in Torah and Midrash: the conquest of Canaan, the battles of David, and the apocalyptic war of Gog and Magog.

583 texts

Warrior

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Warrior from across Jewish tradition.

4 texts

Wealth

The rabbinic teachings on wealth and its dangers: who is truly rich, the obligations of the prosperous, and the trap of materialism.

35 texts

Wisdom

The pursuit of wisdom in Jewish tradition, from the Proverbs of Solomon to the teachings of the great sages.

4,128 texts

Wit

The sharp wit of the Talmudic sages, clever legal arguments, riddles, and the intellectual humor that runs through rabbinic literature.

450 texts

Women of the Bible

The women who shaped Jewish history and legend: Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Tamar, Hagar, Zipporah, and the unsung heroines of Torah and Midrash.

1,415 texts

World to come

Olam ha-ba, the world to come: the ultimate reward, the messianic banquet, and the Jewish vision of what lies beyond history.

10 texts

Worship

Avodah, the service of God: from the sacrifices of the Temple to the prayers that replaced them and the inner devotion of the heart.

46 texts

Writing

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Writing from across Jewish tradition.

53 texts

Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination)

The eternal struggle with the evil inclination in Jewish thought, the two impulses that drive human nature, and the path to mastering desire.

228 texts

Zealotry

Pinchas, the Zealots of the revolt, and the Jewish debate over when righteous anger crosses the line into dangerous fanaticism.

6 texts

Zebulun

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Zebulun from across Jewish tradition.

7 texts

Zion

Myths, legends, and mystical writings about Zion from across Jewish tradition.

8 texts