1,227 texts · Page 12 of 26
"Seven days shall it be with its mother" — the Torah requires a first-born animal to remain with its mother for seven days before it can be given to a Kohen (a priest). But the Mek...
R. Nathan says: The verse "under its mother" comes to be expounded, viz.: "under its mother"—after its mother has died. You say "under its mother"—after its mother, but perhaps it ...
The Mekhilta addresses a practical problem. First-born animals that are consecrated cannot be nursed by their consecrated mothers, because the mother's milk has sacred status. But ...
R. Yoshiyah says: The first was stated first, and "firsts" are not expounded. Why is the second stated? A clean animal confers tumah (uncleanliness) by being carried, and an unclea...
Rabbi Yossi Haglili derived an important rule about the meat-and-milk prohibition from the juxtaposition of two verses. The Torah places "You shall not eat all carrion" next to "Yo...
"You shall not cook a kid" — but the Torah speaks of cooking a kid specifically in its mother's milk. What about cooking it in the milk of an animal that is not its mother — say, a...
The Mekhilta pushes the meat-and-milk prohibition further. What about cooking an animal's flesh in its own milk? Not the mother's milk, not a sister's milk, but the milk the animal...
Can goat's milk be used to cook sheep's flesh? The species are different — goats and sheep — but both are domesticated livestock. The Mekhilta extends the prohibition through yet a...
"You shall not cook a goat in its mother's milk" — the Mekhilta derives from this verse that the cooking prohibition applies specifically to meat and milk, and not to other combina...
The Talmud tells us a wild story about Rabbah bar Bar Hannah, a figure whose legendary travels are filled with unbelievable encounters (B. Bava Batra 73a). On one of these journeys...
Turns out, even God had that problem. We all know the story: God creates Adam, the first man, and realizes he's a little lonely. So, naturally, God decides to create him a partner,...
I'm not talking about some sci-fi creature, but a being from Jewish lore: the Ziz. Imagine this: a colossal bird, its feet planted in the ocean, the water only reaching its ankles....
It’s about a creature that is the size of a mountain... at least when it’s a baby! We're talking about the re'em. Now, the re'em is a fascinating beast. Think unicorn, or maybe rhi...
There's a story told about Rabbah bar Bar Hannah, a third-century Babylonian Amora (a scholar of the Talmud) renowned for his... well, let's just call them "adventures." Rabbah's t...
It’s a question that’s tickled the minds of mystics and dreamers for ages. And believe it or not, there are stories—amazing, vivid stories—that claim to know the answer. One of my ...
Sometimes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree... and sometimes, well, it's a whole orchard of strange and wondrous fruit. Let’s journey back in time with Rabbah bar Bar Hanna...
A fiery prophet, a champion of God, and a recurring figure who pops up in Jewish stories whenever things need a divine kick in the pants. And Lilith… well, Lilith is a whole other ...
The story centers around Rabbah bar Bar Hannah, a figure known for his… let’s just say, colorful travel stories. One day, as recounted in Bava Batra 74a, a Bedouin approached Rabba...
Imagine, just for a moment, if you had something that could smooth out those bumps, flatten those peaks, and make the journey a little easier. Well, according to Jewish tradition, ...
It might seem arbitrary, a blip on the calendar. But according to Jewish tradition, the month of Tishrei isn't just any month. It's the month of beginnings, endings, and profound t...
(Genesis 24:1) tells us that in his old age, God blessed Abraham in all things. We usually think of that in terms of wealth and a long life. But what if there was more? What if "al...
The story of Moses begins with an act of unimaginable cruelty. Pharaoh, fearing the growing number of Israelites, issued a horrifying decree: "Every boy that is born you shall thro...
But then, as the story goes, GOD intervened. MOSES stretched out his hand, and the sea parted. A path opened up, dry land appeared, and the Israelites began to cross. But what was ...
The sun beats down, the sand stretches endlessly… and you’re thirsty. Really thirsty. What would you give for a cool, refreshing drink? Well, according to tradition, the Israelites...
We read about it, we sing about it… but imagine the sun beating down, the constant threat of snakes, the sheer exhaustion. How did they survive? Well, our tradition offers a beauti...
The Talmud, in Berakhot 3b, offers us a glimpse into King David's bedchamber. No ordinary room, mind you. Above his bed hung a harp. But this wasn't just any harp; it was touched b...
Jewish tradition isn't afraid to explore that question. And when we do, we find a God who isn't detached from our pain, but deeply, profoundly moved by it. Take the destruction of ...
And the Talmud, specifically Bava Batra 73b, offers a startling, almost unbelievable answer through a story featuring the sage Rabbah bar Bar Hannah. Rabbah, a well-known figure in...
According to the Babylonian Talmud (B. Bava Batra 73b), Rabbah stumbled upon a sight that would make any foodie's jaw drop: two geese. But these weren't your average farmyard fowl....
It's more than just a nice sentiment; it's a springboard for some incredible midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ic interpretations. The Midrash Mishlei, a collection of inte...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating perspective. It points to the tribe of Levi, specifically those who resisted ...
King David knew that feeling well. Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into the context and meaning behind David's songs. A...
Specifically, in Midrash Tehillim 3, we find interpretations that wrestle with the ideas of sin, salvation, and divine protection. The passage opens with a powerful statement: “Man...
Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Psalms, grapples with that very feeling. Specifically, it dives into Psalm 3. And right off the bat, we get a...
We often picture him as this divinely favored ruler, harp in hand, composing the Psalms. But even kings, especially those after God’s own heart, have their burdens. Midrash Tehilli...
It turns out, that instinct might be deeply woven into the fabric of our tradition. Because according to Midrash Tehillim, that feeling is intrinsically linked to music. Specifical...
to a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, that grapples with this very issue. The midrash (interpretive storytelling) s...
The Book of Psalms certainly does. And the Midrash, the ancient rabbinic commentaries, dives deep into these very questions. Today, we're looking at Midrash Tehillim 5, a fascinati...
Isn't it fascinating how language can be so fluid, so open to interpretation? The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) starts with a rather stark statement: "Speak differentl...
Midrash Tehillim 9, a fascinating exploration of Psalm 9, unpacks this very idea using vivid imagery. It paints a picture of nations ensnared in their own traps, drowned in the ver...
It’s a profound question, and one that Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, explores in a truly beautiful way. Specifically, Midrash Tehillim...
The ancient texts offer some pretty fascinating clues, particularly in how they describe the transformation that comes with repentance. Take Midrash Tehillim, for example, a collec...
Rabbi Simon, in the ancient collection of homiletic interpretations known as Midrash Tehillim, sheds light on this very idea. He suggests that simply reciting poetry doesn't make o...
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) starts with a powerful statement: "God's way is perfect." And it connects this perfection to Abraham, pointing to the verse in Genesi...
The Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, invites us to do just that. It uses a powerful comparison to highlight God’s unique creative power, ...
The verse "day by day he utters speech" (Psalm 19:3) isn't just about the sun rising and setting. It's about each day possessing its own individual character, its own set of wonder...
That feeling of hope, of a new beginning... it’s captured beautifully in the image of the "cierva de la aurora," the "doe of the dawn." This evocative phrase appears in the heading...
Psalm 22, a deeply personal and powerful lament, starts with that very cry. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This isn't just a one-time outburst. Midrash Tehillim, a col...
