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We read the first chapter of Genesis and it feels so…orderly. But there are other stories, wilder tales, that offer a glimpse into creation’s messy, mysterious birth. Let's journey...
Jewish tradition has some pretty incredible ideas about that. Let's peek inside God's house, shall we? According to some accounts, God didn't just create the universe, He built a p...
One figure looms large in this discussion: Satanael. In the ancient text of 2 Enoch, this was the name of the highest angel, and the story surrounding him is… complicated, especial...
Jewish tradition offers some pretty fascinating, and sometimes unsettling, answers. Take the story of Satan's fall from grace. It's not just a simple tale of rebellion; it's a comp...
Let’s talk about Anafiel. Now, Anafiel isn't exactly a household name, even in circles that discuss angels. But, according to some ancient texts, this angel is a big deal. Tree of ...
We often think of Adam as simply the first man, made of dust. But some ancient traditions paint a far more…celestial picture. A picture of Adam as an angel. Now, before you picture...
We often think of him in the Garden of Eden, or perhaps being expelled from it. But Jewish tradition holds some truly fascinating ideas about his ultimate fate. One such idea, foun...
We often picture God directly shaping him from dust, but some fascinating traditions tell a slightly different story, involving heavenly helpers. The story goes that when the time ...
One such story, preserved in Vita Adae et Evae (The Life of Adam and Eve), tells of a remarkable vision. It's a bit obscure, not as well-known as other heavenly journeys like Enoch...
Jewish tradition is filled with stories of those who dared to try. One of the most famous of these accounts involves four prominent sages who, according to the Talmud (Hagigah 14b)...
Jewish tradition certainly sees more. There's a place, called the "Place of the Stars." And it’s far more wondrous than any observatory. Imagine a realm where the stars aren't just...
This is the journey of Enoch, a figure shrouded in mystery and legend. Led by the angel Michael, Enoch climbs through the heavens until he reaches the highest of them all: Aravot. ...
He’s not exactly a household name, even in well-versed Jewish circles, but this heavenly prince has a pretty important job. He's the Keeper of the Book of Records. Think of it as t...
We read, "the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep" (Gen. 1:2). Pretty straightforward. But hold on. The Torah doesn't say God created the dark...
It speaks of a place far, far removed from the familiar landscapes of heaven and earth. A sort of cosmic timeout corner. Imagine this: You’re at the very edge of everything, where ...
Jewish tradition gives us a few different, evolving, and sometimes contradictory answers. One early picture, found in the ancient text 1 Enoch (specifically, chapters 22:1-14), dat...
We often think of Mashiach – the Messiah – as a future figure, the one who will usher in an era of peace and redemption. But what about now? Where is he? What’s he doing? Jewish tr...
We often picture Moses on Mount Sinai, receiving the divine word directly from God. Forty days and forty nights of dictation. But what if I told you there's another story, a fascin...
In fact, the Sabbath isn't just a terrestrial observance; it's a celestial one, too. Imagine this: right after creating the Sabbath, God gathers all the angels – the angels of the ...
The land was barren. A terrible famine gripped the region, forcing Abraham and Sarah to seek refuge in Egypt. They first tried Hebron, but the hunger was everywhere. So, they journ...
I'm talking about the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. We all know the story: Abraham, tested to the absolute limit, raises his knife to sacrifice his son Isaac. It's a scene that chi...
Jewish tradition is rich with stories of dreams and visions, and the power they hold. One particularly striking tale, found in Tree of Souls by Howard Schwartz, tells of a dream th...
When the time came for Abraham to leave this world, God didn't send just any messenger. He summoned the Angel of Death himself. But God, in His infinite compassion, knew that Abrah...
Was Jacob, the patriarch, just an ordinary man? Tradition whispers secrets, suggesting his story is far grander than we might imagine. Some even say his true name was Israel, and t...
After Pharaoh's daughter discovered the infant Moses nestled among the bulrushes, she brought him back to the palace. She presented him to her father, claiming that the Nile itself...
Jewish tradition offers some powerful and moving images of what happens to the souls of the righteous after death. And some of these images paint a picture of them continuing to fi...
Jewish tradition envisions a future where Jerusalem isn't just a city on a hill, but a city that becomes the hill—elevated, literally, until it reaches the very Throne of Glory. Th...
The bite taken. The realization dawning. But what happened next? We often skip ahead to the consequences, the exile, the shame. But let's linger for a moment on God's arrival. Acco...
We don't often get to hear Adam's side of the story directly. But Jewish tradition, in its beautiful, layered way, offers us glimpses. One fascinating account, preserved in Howard ...
Jewish tradition sometimes paints a more complex picture, one where the serpent is more of a… well, a puppet. to a fascinating version of the story, retold in Tree of Souls and dra...
The very first family facing the ultimate crisis. Adam, the first man, is nearing his end. Can you even fathom the weight of that moment? The realization that mortality, this thing...
We read about death all the time, but imagine being the first person… ever… to face it. Well, Jewish tradition has a lot to say about the death of Adam, the first human. And it's n...
Can you imagine the fear, the uncertainty? There were no books, no doctors, no one to ask for advice. It was just her and Adam, facing the unknown. The text Penitence of Adam (20:3...
The story goes that one night, long after leaving Eden when Cain and Abel were young men, Eve was shaken awake by a horrific vision. As The Penitence of Adam (22:2:1-23:3:2) tells ...
It involves fallen angels, forbidden knowledge, and a whole lot of trouble. This isn't just a story of two rogue angels, Shemhazai and Azazel. According to some accounts, like the ...
(Genesis 6:4) mentions the Nefilim. That word, Nefilim, generally understood to mean “giants.” But who were they, really? And where did they come from? The Torah just kind of drops...
"The Nefilim were in the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of r...
Jewish tradition has some pretty fascinating, and sometimes terrifying, answers. to the story of Azazel, a fallen angel whose lair is the source of some seriously dark magic. The s...
Jewish tradition has some pretty ideas about it. One vision, described in Tree of Souls, paints a picture so vivid, so intense, it’s hard to ignore. Imagine this: in the very gener...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very question, imagining a reality beyond our comprehension, a concept called the Olam Ha-Ba (עולם הבא), "The World to Come." It's not just abou...
Maybe, just maybe, the answer is simpler than we think. The Book of Ben Sira, a text brimming with practical advice and profound insights, starts with a bold claim. It cuts right t...
Ben Sira, that wise sage whose words have resonated for centuries, starts with that very feeling. "The sands of the seas, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity, who can count...
The ancient wisdom tradition certainly thinks so, and it points us toward something, or rather, someone, very special. Who is this "she" that promises so much joy, so much fulfillm...
The Book of Ben Sira, a treasure trove of wisdom literature, has something to say about that very human struggle. It's a book full of practical advice, ethical teachings, and a hea...
Sometimes, ancient wisdom is exactly what we need to steady ourselves.It's like getting a pep talk from a really wise old friend. "Prepare your heart and be strengthened," Ben Sira...
That moment of doubt, when faith feels… fragile. But what does our tradition teach us about those times? Ben Sira, a book of wisdom literature from around the 2nd century BCE, offe...
One that echoes through generations, forcing us to confront our own anxieties and shortcomings. But it's not all doom and gloom. Ben Sira, also known as Yeshua ben Sirach, offers a...
That’s the heart of the message we find in the Book of Ben Sira, a treasure trove of Jewish wisdom literature written in Hebrew sometime in the Second Temple period. to a few verse...
