1,809 texts · Page 12 of 38
The story begins with an ass – not just any ass, mind you, but one created on the sixth day of creation itself! According to Legends of the Jews, this creature was gifted to Balaam...
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...
Jewish tradition has a fascinating story about that very phenomenon, starring the infamous Balaam. Remember Balaam? The non-Jewish prophet hired to curse the Israelites? Well, even...
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...
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...
We find this story in Ginzberg's retelling of the Legends of the Jews, and it’s a doozy. Remember Phinehas? He's the zealous priest who took matters into his own hands, remember, s...
That’s kind of how the Jewish tradition sees things. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua. It's a powerful moment, heavy with...
That’s a glimpse into the struggle of Moses, as his life drew to a close. The story goes that God, having decreed that Moses would not cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, then...
He had led the Israelites through unimaginable hardship, pleaded with God on their behalf countless times, and witnessed miracles beyond comprehension. Yet, when he faltered, the h...
Moses, the great leader, the man who spoke to God face-to-face, had just learned he wouldn't be entering the Promised Land. The people, witnessing this, were devastated. They wept,...
Even Moses, the great lawgiver, the one who spoke face-to-face with God, reached such a point. Imagine the scene: Moses knows his time is near. He desperately wants to live, to con...
It wasn’t exactly a calm, rational discussion – more like a celestial tug-of-war. According to Ginzberg’s retelling in Legends of the Jews, God was pretty miffed at Moses. Moses wa...
The tradition paints a powerful picture. The Legends of the Jews tells us that Moses spent the time from the first day of Shevat (a month in the Jewish calendar, usually falling in...
Jewish tradition offers some truly breathtaking glimpses, and one of the most vivid involves none other than Moses himself. Imagine this: it’s the day of Moses' death. A day of imm...
The story of Moses’ death in Jewish tradition is so much more than just an ending; it's a testament to his unparalleled relationship with the Divine. After receiving the decree of ...
We know the broad strokes from the Torah: he ascends Mount Nebo, gazes upon the Promised Land he will never enter, and then… he dies. But Jewish tradition, bless its heart, rarely ...
He's led the Israelites for forty years, through thick and thin, through miracles and rebellions. He’s shepherded them from slavery to the very edge of the Promised Land. And now, ...
The Torah is full of blessings, but it's not always straightforward. Some blessings are more potent than others, some are given grudgingly, and some come with unexpected consequenc...
The stories surrounding Moses' death, as told in Jewish tradition, are nothing short of extraordinary. Imagine this: God, seeing that Moses was ready to depart from this world, tur...
That's what the ancient texts hint at when they describe Samael (the angel of death)'s mission to confront Moses. Now, Samael—often identified with the angel of death, though some ...
The ancient texts offer some pretty wild imagery. The Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbinic lore gathered by Louis Ginzberg, paints a vivid picture. It tells...
The Legends of the Jews tells us that Moses's time was up. Not in a vague, someday-it'll-happen kind of way, but precisely. A voice, resonant and unmistakable, booms from the heave...
We know he ascended Mount Nebo, gazed upon the Promised Land he would never enter, and then… the Torah simply says he died. But Jewish tradition, never one to shy away from filling...
What happens to a leader when they die? Especially a leader like Moses? We know Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, received the Torah at Sinai, and guided them for forty years ...
As Legends of the Jews tells us, Joshua's grief was profound. He tore his clothes, a traditional sign of mourning, and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and t...
We know he didn't exactly stroll into the afterlife. He ascended, shrouded in mystery. But what about the forces of darkness? Did they just sit back and let it happen? Not accordin...
It turns out, even Samael (the angel of death), often described as the chief of the demonic realm, the accuser, the adversary (and sometimes confused with Satan, though that's a wh...
The rabbis certainly debated it, comparing and contrasting the merits of our most revered patriarchs and prophets. And wouldn't you know it, the discussions could get a little… spi...
All sorts of momentous events piled up on a single day. This was the very day the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. Can you picture it? After forty years of wandering, they fina...
It's not a decision to take lightly. So, they turn to God for guidance. And the answer they receive is… well, it’s pretty interesting. God basically says, “If your hearts are pure,...
We’re talking about a group of sinners – their specific sins aren't detailed here, but trust me, they were bad enough to warrant divine attention. At God’s command, these individua...
It's a story of courage, divine intervention, and a rather gruesome solution to a sticky problem. Imagine the scene: The Amorites, ancient inhabitants of Canaan, are preparing for ...
Tucked away in the ancient stories of the Israelites, we find hints of just such a place. Our story begins with Othniel. Now, Othniel's reign, which lasted forty years, starts with...
Their story, a testament to love, loyalty, and unexpected blessings, unfolds against a backdrop of moral decay, as Ginzberg tells us in Legends of the Jews. The times, they weren't...
The story of Deborah unfolds not long after the time of Ruth, another woman held up as an ideal. The Book of Judges tells us that after the death of Ehud, a judge who delivered Isr...
Their task? It was not slight. In fact, according to Legends of the Jews, it was comparable to Joshua's entire conquest of Canaan! Now, you might remember Joshua. He took on the la...
Gideon, one of the Judges of Israel, certainly did. The story goes that an angel appeared to Gideon, tasking him with a monumental mission: delivering Israel from the oppression of...
Today, we're diving into a tale from Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, a collection that draws from the vast ocean of Jewish tradition. It's a story of idolatry, defiance, and divin...
We pick up the story with a fiery display of divine retribution. Imagine this: an angel, not just any angel, but one wielding the power to incinerate a thousand men. The unfortunat...
Remember Micah? The guy who stole silver from his mother and then used it to make an idol (Judges 17)? Well, according to Legends of the Jews, the trouble didn’t stop there. The pe...
We're talking about the aftermath of a brutal civil war in ancient Israel, a war stemming from the shocking events surrounding the idol of Micah. Remember him? We explored his stor...
The stories surrounding his reign are filled with drama, piety, and some truly perplexing decisions. One of Saul's very first acts, as recounted in Legends of the Jews, was his tri...
You're facing your enemies, knowing your time is short. You seek guidance, a glimpse of hope, from the prophet Samuel. What Samuel tells him isn't exactly comforting. According to ...
Not exactly a feel-good name, is it? According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, his death was pretty gruesome. It wasn't just death, it was a dreadful death. But eve...
Jesse, David's father, was a righteous man, no doubt. But even the most devout aren't immune to temptation, are they? The Legends of the Jews tells us of a moment when Jesse found ...
We all know the Sunday school version, but there's so much more depth and color in the Jewish tradition. Imagine the scene. Young David, facing the towering Philistine giant, GOLIA...
His life was basically one long chase scene, wasn't it? Always looking over his shoulder, always one step ahead of Saul. But even in those darkest moments, the legends tell us, mir...
