Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
Precautions after Bloodletting
Aramaic
Rav and Samuel both say: One who did this thing [bloodletting] should tarry a while and afterward get up. As a master said: [Hebrew] In five matters, one is nearer to death than to life. And…
Illness
Aramaic
R. Yoḥanan suffered from [the illness] tsafdina’ [or, tsifduna’; perhaps inflammation of the mouth or gums]. He went to a certain matronita [a non-Jewish woman]. She prepared [a remedy for him…
Division of the Earth’s Portions to Noah’s Sons
At the beginning of the thirty-third jubilee [1569–1617] they divided the earth into three parts—for Shem, Ham, and Japheth—each in his own inheritance. [This happened] in the first year…
Eluma, Mother of Samson
Now there was a man from the tribe of Dan whose name was Manoah, son of Edoc, son of Odon, son of Eriden, son of Fadesur, son of Dema, son of Susi, son of Dan. And he had a wife whose name was Eluma…
Noah’s Prayer for His Sons
During the third week of this jubilee [1583–1589], impure demons began to mislead Noah’s grandchildren, to make them act foolishly and to destroy them. Then Noah’s sons came to their father Noah and…
Abraham’s Prayer on Behalf of Sodom
You love justice and hate wickedness (Psalm 45:8, NJPS). R. Judan in the name of R. Azariah applied this verse to Abraham our father at the time when he beseeched [God] for mercy on behalf of the…
Hannah’s Forceful Prayer for a Child in Rabbinic Literature
Hannah said before the Holy One, “Master of the universe, if You will look upon [ra’oh] [me now,] fine, and if not, [in any case] You will see [tir’eh] (1 Samuel 1:11). I will go and seclude myself…
The Divine Matchmaker
R. Levi opened [his discourse by quoting the verse]: For God is judge, lowering one and raising another (Psalm 75:8). A [Roman] matron asked R. Yosi bar Ḥalafta, saying to him, “In how many days did…
A King Who Wants to Marry a Noblewoman
To a king who wanted to marry a noblewoman of high birth. He sent a messenger to her, who spoke to her. She said, “I am not worthy to be his maidservant, but I want to hear it from his mouth.” When…
Babylonian Rabbinic Descriptions of Arab Life
What does it mean [when the Mishnah states that] one may not force-feed [a camel on the Sabbath]? R. Judah said: One may not [feed it until it] creates a manger inside its stomach. Can…
Mishnah Gittin
1. If a man sends a get [divorce document] to his wife and meets the bearer [before he delivers the get], or sends a messenger after him and says to him [the bearer of the get], “The g…