Law

170 texts · Page 4 of 4

Halakhah, the path of Jewish law: from the commandments at Sinai to the debates of the Talmud and the rulings of the great codifiers.

“The king’s decree about what he will do will be heard

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

“The king’s decree about what he will do will be heard throughout his entire kingdom, vast as it is, and all wives will give honor to their husbands, from great to small” (Esther 1...

“After these matters, when the fury of king Aḥashverosh had

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

“After these matters, when the fury of king Aḥashverosh had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what was decreed against her” (Esther 2:1).“After [aḥar] these m...

“On each day, Mordekhai would walk before the courtyard of

Midrash Rabbah Midrash Rabbah

“On each day, Mordekhai would walk before the courtyard of the harem, to find out how Esther was, and what would be done with her” (Esther 2:11). “On each day, Mordekhai would walk...

Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 16

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And the whole earth was of one language (Gen. 11:1). May it please our master to teach us why a house with an eruv27A legal fiction which establishes the continuity of a community ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 19

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And it came to pass after these words that God did prove Abraham (Gen. 22:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Forasmuch as the king’s word hath power; and wh...

Midrash Tanchuma, Miketz 9

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man (Gen. 43:14). May it please our master to teach us the number of times a man must pray each day. Thus did our masters teach us: A man...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 15

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And the Lord said unto Moses: “Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven that there may be hail” (Exod. 9:22). Scripture says (elsewhere in allusion to this verse): Whatsoever the Lord ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 16

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been seen (Exod. 9:18). Zabdi the son of Levi said: He made a mark upon the wall and...

Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 15

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Thy right hand, O Lord (Exod. 15:6). This verse indicates that the Lord’s right hand is stretched out to receive repentant sinners. Though You set a time for the generation of the ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 22

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb (Exod. 17:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Wherever you find the imprint of a man’s foot, there I stand b...

Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 3

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

21:1). R. Abahu said in the name of R. Yosé the son of Zimra: Whenever the word eleh (“these”) is written, the lack of importance of the earlier generations is indicated, but whene...

Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 6

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

A question: An Israelite involved in a litigation with his neighbor, is prohibited from going to a heathen judge for judgment,4See Rashi on the beginning of Exod. 21:1 and above Ta...

Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 12

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (Exod. 29:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Forever, O Lord, Thy word standeth fast in heaven (Ps. 119:89)....

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 25

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

And the Lord spoke unto Moses: “Go, get thee down” (Exod. 32:7). May our masters teach us: If a person sends his eruv34Through the legal procedure known as eruv (“mixing”), various...

Midrash Tanchuma, Kedoshim 11

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Another interpretation (of Lev. 19:23), “When you come into the land.” This text is related (to Ps. 105:44-45), “He gave them the lands of nations […]. In order that they might kee...

Midrash Tanchuma, Emor 12

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

The bull was due to the merit of Abraham of whom it is stated (in Gen. 18:7), “Then Abraham ran unto the herd [...] (for a calf to feed his heavenly visitors).”59Lev. R. 17:9; PRK ...

Midrash Tanchuma, Emor 21

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,” and even on the Sabbath.95See Lev. 30:8; PRK 27:8. [Indeed] during the time that the Temple was standing, [the p...

Midrash Tanchuma, Bechukotai 1

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 26:3:) “If [you walk] in My statutes (huqqim).” This text is related (to Job 14:5), “If his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have set limits (hu...

Midrash Tanchuma, Bechukotai 3

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Lev. 26:3:) “If you walk in My statutes.” This text is related (to Prov. 1:20), “Wisdom shouts for joy in the street; in the squares she raises her voice.” R. Samuel bar Nahman qu...

Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 3

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Numb. 19:2:) “This is the statute of the Torah.” This text is related (to Job 14:4), “Who can produce something clean out of something unclean; is it not One?”32English translatio...

Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 7

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi, “There are four things that the evil drive would refute [as irrational], and for each of them is written [the word,] huqqah (i.e.,...

Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 8

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Numb. 19:2, cont:) “That they bring unto you [a red heifer without blemish].” R. Jose bar Hanina said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses. ‘To you I am revealing the reas...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim 1

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Deut. 16:18:) “[You shall appoint] judges and law officers.” This text is related (to Ps. 147:19), “He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.” “Hi...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim 2

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Deut. 16:18:) “[You shall appoint] judges and law officers,” “judges” are magistrates, and “law officers” are administrators that supervise the people.11Cf. Sifre to Deut. 16:18 (...

Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim 4

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

Appoint for yourselves [in all of your gates] (Deuteronomy 16:18) You should appoint judges in all the gates; as courts convene twice a week in the cities, on Monday and on Thursda...

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tavo 1

Midrash Tanchuma Midrash Tanchuma

(Deut. 26:16:) “This day the Lord your God is commanding you to perform.” This text is related (to Ps. 95:6), “Come, let us bow down and bend, let us kneel before the Lord our Make...