468 texts · Page 5 of 10
It all comes down to this idea: God loves the stranger. But why? What's so special about the stranger? Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, o...
The Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) teachings, offers a fascinating insight into this very question. It all starts with a verse f...
His father, Hyrkanos, a wealthy landowner, has him toiling away on a rocky, unproductive patch of land. Eliezer sits down and weeps. "Why are you crying, my son?" Hyrkanos asks. "A...
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an ancient Jewish text, has a pretty unsettling answer: the north. Specifically, it tells us that the north is "the abode of the destroying spirits, earthqu...
The ancient text Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating work of Jewish tradition, offers a powerful image. It speaks of clouds drawing water from the very depths – "He causeth the v...
Like the calendar is just... off? Well, our ancestors in Egypt felt that way too. And it all ties into a fascinating, and often overlooked, concept: the Jewish calendar and the pra...
We find him mentioned in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text filled with biblical narratives and expansions. And the picture it paints of Ahab? Well, let's ju...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea, offering a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of choosing the right way forward. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a remarkable work of ...
Sometimes, the source is more surprising than you might think. Take, for example, the concept of showing loving-kindness, or chesed, to mourners. Where do we learn about the import...
Take (Psalm 60:8), for instance: "Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe;...
The Torah gives us the broad strokes, but the ancient texts are brimming with fascinating details that fill in the gaps. to one such story from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a treasure t...
There’s usually a story behind it, a reason that goes way back. Take circumcision, for instance. Beyond the physical act, did you know there's a tradition of covering the foreskin ...
Jewish tradition is full of stories of righteous individuals who, facing persecution, chose to flee. And often, it was the very act of fleeing that led them to salvation and a deep...
They instituted a custom, a seat of honor specifically for the "Messenger of the Covenant." And who is that messenger? None other than Elijah himself! The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer te...
We often focus on the almost-sacrifice, the angel's intervention, the ram that appears in the nick of time (Genesis 22). But what became of that ram after its offering? Rabbi Chani...
It all starts with the story of Isaac, and a verse from (Genesis 26:12): "And Isaac sowed in that land." Now, what did Isaac sow? Grain? Rabbi Eliezer, in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, s...
Jewish tradition, specifically Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of stories and interpretations, tells us that the power of tzedakah, or charity, is so profound that...
The Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating ancient text filled with stories and interpretations, brings us a wild tale about the prophet Elisha. Specifically, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer...
This ancient text, a treasure trove of aggadic (interpretive) narratives, offers a unique lens through which to view familiar biblical tales. Our story centers on a woman, unnamed ...
Let me tell you a story from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer that might sound familiar. It's about miracles, doubt, and what it really takes to bring something back to life. We're talking a...
Let me tell you a story from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, chapter 33, that might just change your perspective. It’s about a man named Shallum, son of Tikvah. Now, Shallum wasn't a king ...
The story of the exile to Babylon, as told in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 33, gives us a glimpse into that perilous time. Rabbi Tachanah recounts a dark period. Israel was exiled to Bab...
That feeling, that sense of profound loss, isn't just a modern phenomenon. Our Sages wrestled with it too. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating and often imaginative work of Jewis...
Jewish tradition grapples with this question constantly, and one of the most powerful answers lies in the concept of teshuvah (repentance) – repentance. But is it really that power...
Rabbi Jehudah, a voice of wisdom in this ancient text, puts it rather bluntly: If Israel doesn't repent, there will be no redemption. Pretty straightforward. But then comes the kic...
He’s the one who, in a moment of righteous zeal, stopped a plague by taking decisive action against public immorality (Numbers 25). It’s a complex story, filled with passion and qu...
We know the basic plot: Haman, the wicked advisor, plots to destroy the Jews, but Esther, the Jewish queen, bravely intervenes and saves her people. But the Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer,...
King David certainly did. In the ancient text Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Rabbah, we hear David, may his memory be a blessing, express this very sentiment: "My fear is within my joy, and m...
We meet her in Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Rabbah, and her story is a cautionary tale about influence, power, and the dangers of straying from your path. Izevel wasn't just anyone. She was...
Sometimes, that feeling is more than just a saying. According to a fascinating passage in Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Rabbah 26, the people of Israel are actually like a ship. But what kin...
The Yalkut Shimoni, a vast collection of rabbinic commentary and interpretations, grapples with this very question as it explores the story of Devorah, the prophetess and judge. Th...
R’ Shim’on ben Lakish makes a startling claim: Pinhas is Eliahu! Yes, Pinhas, the zealous priest who took action to stop the plague, is none other than the prophet Elijah, who will...
We're going to dive into a fascinating passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Numbers. Specifically, we're looking at Bamidbar 5:12, whi...
That tension, that space of uncertainty, is precisely where we find ourselves in this passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, a collection of legal interpretations expanding on the Book of N...
To a passage from Sifrei Bamidbar, a legal commentary on the Book of Numbers, that sheds light on this. Our focus is on (Numbers 30:10), which addresses the validity of vows made b...
It tells us that the commandments shouldn't feel like an antiquated edict, something ignored and forgotten. Instead, they should feel brand new, urgent, something everyone rushes t...
Jewish tradition understands this bond deeply, and it's beautifully illustrated through stories in our sacred texts. Take King Hezekiah, or Chizkiyahu, of Judah. He didn’t just rul...
Wouldn't you worry about who was going to protect everything? That's exactly the question the Israelites had. The Sifrei Devarim, a legal midrash on the Book of Deuteronomy, brings...
Our journey begins in Sifrei Devarim, a part of the Deuteronomic literature, specifically in section 70. We stumble upon a seemingly straightforward instruction: "lest you offer up...
The Torah, our guide, understands this human struggle. It doesn't just lay down laws; it anticipates the whispers of temptation, the subtle nudges that can lead us astray. And in S...
It concerns the ma'aser ani, the poor-tithe. (Deuteronomy 14:29) instructs us to provide for "the stranger, the orphan, and the widow that are in your gates." Seems straightforward...
We’re talking about the verse, "to him shall you hearken" (Deuteronomy 18:15). Simple enough. Listen to the prophet. But Sifrei Devarim 176 throws a curveball. It suggests this obe...
What could possibly offer comfort? The ancient text, Sifrei Devarim, specifically section 193, gives us a glimpse into just such a moment. It describes the role of the Kohen (a pri...
We often think of exemptions for medical reasons, or perhaps conscientious objection. But in ancient Israel, the reasons for being sent home from war were... well, let's just say t...
Who gets to stay home from war, and why? The question is as old as Israel itself, and Sifrei Devarim 196 — a tannaitic midrash on Deuteronomy compiled around the 3rd century CE — t...
It's astounding, really. Take, for example, a passage in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. It dives deep into the nuances of marriag...
The passage we're about to explore from Sifrei Devarim 215, a section of legal commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, dives deep into a specific, and frankly complicated, corner of...
The passage starts with a simple phrase: "and she shall go and she may be to another man." This seemingly straightforward statement about a woman remarrying after divorce actually ...
