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In the dark years of Roman persecution, when teaching Torah was a crime punishable by death, two students of Rabbi Joshua went into hiding. They disguised themselves and moved care...
Story of the dispute between R. Shimeon b. Gamliel, R. Meir and R. Nathan. Gamliel was a prince and wanted to make a distinction between himself and the other two scholars when the...
Two men came to pray before Rabbi Eliezer. One prayed at enormous length — pouring out his heart in elaborate, detailed petitions that stretched on and on. The other prayed briefly...
In time of drought the Rabbi was informed from Heaven to appeal to a merchant for intercession. He was 166— ashamed to call upon an apparently ignorant man but none the less did so...
A rich man, having confidence in his son gave him all his property in his lifetime. After a while the son commenced to neglect his father, ill-treating him and sending him away to ...
A man once said that if he wanted to lose his property nobody could stop him. Another replied that no one could fight against God's providence. The man, however, said he would try....
Of all the questions that have haunted the Jewish people across the centuries, none has burned hotter than this one: when will the Messiah come? The Talmud in tractate Sanhedrin (3...
This particular section, Bereshit Rabbah 12, explores the lasting impact of creation. Rabbi Yitzḥak and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish—two prominent voices of their time—offer us contrast...
The passage opens with the phrase, "At that time." But what time are we talking about? The Rabbis tell us it's the moment Joshua is appointed as Moses' successor. As (Deuteronomy 3...
Remember the famous lines, "A time to be born, and a time to die...a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted"? (Ecclesiastes 3:2). It goes on from there. And wi...
King Solomon, wiser than anyone, certainly thought so. In the book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as we call it in Hebrew, he tells us, "A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to b...
We all do. And sometimes, that impulse leads us down a path we later regret. It's that tension between desire and consequence, between the immediate gratification and the long-term...
It’s found within Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. Imagine a king, overflowing with riches. Not just money, but gold, silver, precious...
We all know rain is a blessing, a sign of divine favor. But what if it rained at the wrong time? What if the heavens opened up right when you were trying to do your weekly shopping...
Another interpretation: “Also, Vashti the queen made a women’s banquet.” Why did Scripture see fit to publicize the banquet of Vashti? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: Why to that ex...
“For if you are silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish; who knows if it was for a time ...
We often think of the act of creation as a singular event, a cosmic poof and then… nothing. But what if the story isn't quite that simple? What if creation is less of a noun and mo...
Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred (Gen. 31:3). What is written above concerning this? Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the fl...
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel according to their number (Exod. 30:12).14Pesikta de Rav Kahana, Shekalim, p. 156. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Ta...
(Lev. 19:23:) “When you come into the land.” Solomon said (in Prov. 31:16), “She sets her mind on a field and acquires it.” Come and see. Whatever Abraham thought about in his hear...
(Numb. 5:13, cont.:) “And it is hidden from her husband's eyes,” [is to] exclude one who is blind.39Sifre, Numb. 5:13 (7); Sot. 27a. Cf. Numb. R. 9:10, which explains the exception...
(Numb. 29:35:) “On the eighth day.” What was the reason for [the number of sacrificial animals] being reduced on each day?43Numb. R. 21:25. The Torah is simply teaching you etiquet...
