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Our first stop: plowing. Deuteronomy 22 tells us, "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together" (Deuteronomy 22:10). Seems straightforward. But the rabbis of old, never one...
The term mamzer is often translated as "illegitimate child," but it's much more nuanced than that. It refers to a person born from specific forbidden relationships, and the implica...
Sifrei Devarim 278, drawing on Psalm 85:14, tells us, "His righteousness shall go before Him and shall set his steps on the path." In other words, our acts of tzedakah, of righteou...
But trust me, even in the nitty-gritty details, there are fascinating nuggets to uncover about how Jewish law and ethics developed. Let’s dig into a passage from Sifrei Devarim, a ...
It starts with a poignant observation: "and you were faint and weary"... This, the text tells us, refers to Israel. Why is this weariness important? Because right after, it says, "...
We read about a “strong hand,” an “outstretched arm,” signs, and wonders. But what are those, really? The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early Jewish legal interpretations on the ...
The ancient rabbis certainly understood that feeling. They saw it reflected in a particularly difficult year for the Israelites, a year marked by a triple tragedy. The Sifrei Devar...
That’s how Joshua, Moses’ successor, felt when Moses died. Imagine the weight of that grief, the sheer absence of a leader, a teacher, a friend. But according to Sifrei Devarim, Go...
"Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth" (Deuteronomy 32:1). It’s a powerful call to witness, but have you ever stopped to wonder why M...
