Esther

306 texts · Page 21 of 34

Explore 306 Jewish texts related to the theme of Esther, drawn from Midrash, Kabbalah, Apocrypha, and classical Jewish literature.

Jacob and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

And one powerful image used to describe this cycle is the idea of a "cup of terror." The Midrash, specifically Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Ge...

Joseph: Eve and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

It's usually translated as "also," "indeed," or even "moreover." Seems harmless enough. But according to Rabbi Ḥanina ben Sansan, that seemingly innocent word, when uttered with a ...

Acts of Creation and Egypt

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

According to Bereshit Rabbah 20, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, this wasn't just a symbolic statement. The text paints a dramatic picture: When God, bles...

Rabbis: Noah at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

In Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, we find a fascinating discussion about the depth of that relationship. Rabbi Yoḥanan, R...

Abraham: Noah at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

In the book of Bereshit, Genesis, we find two such words used to describe key figures: tamim and haya. What do they really mean? , because the Rabbis of old sure had some fascinati...

Antoninos and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, tackles this very question, and it turns out, it's a battle as old as time. The text starts with a...

Noah's Transgression of Shem

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

We often rush past Noah and the ark, but there's a tiny section in Genesis 9:26-27 that's sparked centuries of interpretation. It’s a passage about blessings, expansions, and dwell...

Esau: Nimrod and Creation

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

It's like a chameleon, shifting its color to match the background. Take the Hebrew word hu, meaning "he is" or "he was." It seems simple enough. But in Bereshit Rabbah, a collectio...

Birth of Abraham and Blessings

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

The Torah portion Lekh Lekha begins with God's instructions to Abraham, "Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show y...