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Where’s the headwaters for such majesty? (Genesis 2:10) tells us, "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads." But...
Philo of Alexandria, that brilliant Jewish philosopher who lived in the first century CE, had some pretty compelling ideas about this. And they're not just philosophical musings; t...
Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, certainly did. And in the Midrash of Philo, we get a fascinating glimpse into his allegorical interpretations. He reads the Torah...
The Torah tells us plainly: "Enter thou and all thy house into the ark, because I have seen that thou art a just man before me in that generation" (Genesis 7:1). But why? What made...
It’s a question that sits at the heart of much Jewish thought, and one that the ancient sage Philo of Alexandria grapples with in his writings. Philo, a Jewish philosopher who live...
The words that seem almost... unnecessary? Like when we read, "Noah did everything which the Lord commanded him" (Genesis 7:5). Seems straightforward. Noah was a righteous guy, God...
Now, Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher who lived way back in the first century. He tried to bridge the gap between Greek philosophy and Jewish tradition, and his writing...
You remember the story: the floodwaters are receding, and Noah sends out a dove to see if there's dry land. The first time, she returns with nothing. The second time, with an olive...
Take (Genesis 9:6), for example. It says God made humankind in His image. But the verse specifies "...the image of God," not “…His own image.” Why the distinction? Philo, the great...
Like there's someone... or something... watching over you? Well, Jewish tradition has a fascinating answer for that feeling: guardian angels. But these aren't the cherubic, winged ...
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram (Gen. 15:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: The wicked earneth false wages, but he that soweth righte...
And God did prove Abraham (Gen. 22:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: The Lord trieth the righteous (Ps. 11:5). R. Jonah maintained: If you pound a good-qual...
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). Whenever the words for Me are stated in a verse, a blessing accompanies it. Does a blessing also ...
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of speaking (Exod. 31:18). R. Tanhuma began the discussion with the verse: Unto Thee, O Lord, belongeth righteousness, but unto us c...
(Lev. 8:2:) “Take Aaron and his sons.” This text is related (to Prov. 20:7), “The one who walks in his integrity is righteous; blessed are his children after him.” This refers to A...
(Numb. 3:14-15) “And the Lord spoke to Israel in the Sinai Desert, saying enroll the Children of Levi….” This text is related (to Ps. 92:13), “The righteous one shall flourish like...
(Deut. 14:22:) “You shall surely tithe.” This is related to the verse (in Dan. 9:7) “With You, O Lord, there is righteousness, but there is a shameful face with us, to this very da...
(Deut. 16:18:) “You shall appoint judges and law officers] for yourselves in all your gates,” in every single city; “for your tribes,” even when the whole city consists of a single...
