1,414 texts · Page 24 of 30
Our ancestors grappled with these very issues, and the Torah, in its wisdom, offered a radical solution: shemittah, the Sabbatical year. But what exactly is shemittah? Well, it's m...
They might sound distant, but their underlying principles still resonate. Imagine a system designed to periodically reset economic imbalances. That's the essence of Shemitah and Yo...
The Torah, in its wisdom, grapples with this very human experience in the book of Devarim, Deuteronomy. Specifically, we find a fascinating discussion in Sifrei Devarim 112, explor...
Jewish law, especially when we’re talking about something as fundamental as economic justice, is all about those details. to a fascinating little corner of the Sifrei Devarim, a le...
We often prioritize, naturally. The urgent email over the thoughtful note. The looming deadline over the quiet moment of reflection. The text focuses on the phrase, "to observe to ...
It’s uncanny, really. This passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, does just that. It dives straight into questions of lendin...
That little voice inside that asks, "Am I doing enough?" When it comes to helping others, Jewish tradition doesn't just say "give." It dives deep into the how and the why. It's not...
We’re diving into a tiny little snippet from Sifrei Devarim, specifically section 117. Now, Sifrei Devarim is an ancient Jewish legal text, a commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy....
We’ve all been there. But what if I told you that according to one ancient interpretation, that seemingly small act could be seen as something far more serious? Sifrei Devarim 117,...
It's like a cosmic riddle, a puzzle begging to be solved. Take this one, for instance, from the Book of Deuteronomy. On the one hand, we have Devarim (Deuteronomy) 15:11, which sta...
Our case in point comes from Sifrei Devarim 118, a commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy. It specifically asks why the Torah bothers mentioning both "the Hebrew man" and "the Hebre...
Take this one from Sifrei Devarim (Deuteronomy 15:13-14). It deals with releasing a Hebrew servant after six years of service, and the obligation to "bestow upon him"—to give him g...
Jewish tradition grapples with that very human conundrum in the laws surrounding the Hebrew slave, or eved Ivri. Specifically, we're looking at a fascinating little corner of the b...
We're talking about the law concerning Hebrew slaves. Specifically, what happens when a slave chooses to stay with his master even after his term of service is up. Remember, accord...
The passage we're looking at comes from Sifrei Devarim 122. It’s focused on clarifying exactly where on the ear this piercing should take place. R. Eliezer Yuden Berebbi, a sage kn...
The Torah talks about it, but sometimes the details are…sparse. to one fascinating passage from Sifrei Devarim, a legal commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy, and unpack the laws s...
The Torah, it turns out, is overflowing with them. Take the laws surrounding freeing Hebrew slaves, for example. We find some fascinating details in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of...
The passage we're looking at comes from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. It focuses on the verse, "You shall not work with the bech...
The verse we’re looking at is from Sifrei Devarim (130), a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. It’s a complex discussion, a real Talmudic back-and-forth...
But who exactly is being told to do this counting? Is it the beth-din, the Jewish court, maybe acting on behalf of the community? That's where the Sifrei Devarim, a collection of e...
Like you're about to figure something out, and then BAM! A little voice pops up to say, "Hold on a second..." Well, that’s kind of what's happening in this passage from Sifrei Deva...
The Omer offering is a big deal, marking the start of the 49-day countdown to Shavuot, the festival of weeks. But what if you were a super-efficient farmer? Could you harvest at ni...
Well, our Sages grappled with that very idea when it came to Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. Sukkot, as you probably know, is that joyous week where we dwell in temporary shelters,...
Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure of Jewish law and thought, brings up a really interesting point about how we determine the order of tithing. He uses the example of the threshing flo...
The ancient text, Sifrei Devarim, offers a radical idea about that very possibility. It starts with a verse from Deuteronomy (16:16): "…the presence (pnei) of the L-rd your G-d." T...
to a fascinating little corner of Sifrei Devarim (the Book of Deuteronomy), specifically section 144, where we get a glimpse into the ideals, and perhaps the realities, of appointi...
The ancient text of Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, tackles this very issue head-on. In a few short verses, it delivers a powerful...
The verse we're looking at comes from Sifrei Devarim (Deuteronomy 16:20): "Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue." Seems straightforward enough. But like so much in Jewish ...
We know it was magnificent, awe-inspiring. But beyond the gold and the grandeur, there were specific guidelines, etched in tradition, about what could – and couldn't – be within it...
It's easy to breeze past those moments, but often, they're invitations to delve deeper. Let's look at a passage from Sifrei Devarim 148, a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary...
Jewish tradition definitely understands that feeling, especially when it comes to the Land of Israel and, even more specifically, the Temple in Jerusalem. Where does that sense of ...
Jewish tradition grapples with this tension, too, especially when it comes to interpreting the Torah. What happens when your understanding clashes with that of established authorit...
to a tiny verse from Sefer Devarim, the Book of Deuteronomy, that holds a surprisingly weighty message about those who "wilfully" refuse to listen. The verse in question, Devarim 1...
We read in 1 Samuel that they yearned to be "like all the nations." But what was really driving that desire? Rabbi Nehorai, as quoted in Sifrei Devarim, gives us a rather startling...
It wasn't just about popularity, that's for sure. The Book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, gives us some fascinating insights, and the Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretation...
Sometimes, it's in the seemingly small details that we find the biggest surprises. Take horses, for example. Yes, horses! Deuteronomy, Devarim in Hebrew, chapter 17, verse 16, tell...
But what about the rules? Were kings held to a different standard? Well, let’s turn to the Book of Deuteronomy, Sefer Devarim, specifically (Deuteronomy 17:17). It says, “And he sh...
The ancient rabbis wrestled with these questions constantly, especially when it came to interpreting the Torah’s instructions for a king. And honestly, their debates still resonate...
Sifrei Devarim, a very early Halachic Midrash on the Book of Deuteronomy, gives us a powerful, if concise, insight. We're looking at verse (Deuteronomy 17:19), which speaks of a ki...
We get glimpses in stories, in histories… but sometimes, the real nitty-gritty details lie in the legal texts. to one such passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interp...
It all starts with a verse in Devarim (Deuteronomy 18:1): "There shall not be to the Cohanim, the Levi'im, the entire tribe of Levi, a portion and an inheritance with Israel." Okay...
Take the words "whether ox or sheep" from Sifrei Devarim. Sounds straightforward. But these words, like so many others, open a portal to a rich discussion about Jewish law and its ...
And sometimes, just sometimes, you catch a glimpse of the beautiful mind at work behind it all. Let’s look at one such puzzle. We're diving into Sifrei Devarim, a collection of ear...
It's more than just tossing something into the collection plate; it's about intention, quality, and… well, let's just say, no mixing and matching! The book of Devarim, Deuteronomy,...
Ancient Jewish tradition certainly did, and it wove that connection into the very fabric of daily life. Take, for example, the mitzvah, the commandment, of reishit hagez, "the firs...
" We grapple with it in our careers, our relationships... and even when it comes to giving gifts! The ancient rabbis did too. to a fascinating little corner of Jewish law, specific...
It's easy to imagine the grand spectacle, the soaring prayers, the scent of incense... but what about the physical posture of the priests, the kohanim? Well, a fascinating little d...
The Torah, our ancient guide, has something to say about it. Let's turn to Sefer Devarim, the Book of Deuteronomy. Specifically, (Deuteronomy 18:9). It's a seemingly simple verse: ...
