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.
Poetic Fragment for the Sabbath Morning Tefillah
Moses rejoiced in the gift of his portion,
for You called him a faithful servant.
A glorious crown You placed on his head
as he stood before You on Mount Sinai.
Stone tablets he brought down in his…
The Origins of Idolatry
For the idea of making idols was the beginning of fornication,
and the invention of them was the corruption of life;
for they did not exist from the beginning,
nor will they last forever.
For…
Evil and Satan
Those captive [women] who were brought to Nehardea, [where they were redeemed,] were brought up to the house of R. Amram the Pious. They removed the ladder from before them [to prevent men from…
Torah Study with or without Work
The sages taught: What [is the meaning of that which] the verse states: And you shall gather your grain? Because it is stated: This Torah shall not depart from your mouths, [and you shall contemplate…
Commerce Is Less Worthy than Agriculture
And no alien god is bound to him (Deuteronomy 32:12)—there shall not be among you any who engage in commerce of any sort.
For it is stated: Let there be hands-full of grain in the Land (Psalm 72:16)…
Three Annual Pilgrimages
Let those from the far ends of the land that the Hebrews will come to possess assemble together three times each year in the city where the Temple will be, to give thanks to God for His bounty and…
Mass Exodus for the Festival
From Antipatris Cestius advanced to Lydda, and found the city empty, as the whole population had gone up to Jerusalem for the feast of Tabernacles. [ . . . ] Seeing the war now coming close to the…
Antiochus’ Prohibition of Circumcision
And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in…
Consequences of Incomplete Divorce
[The Mishnah taught that Rabban Gamaliel the Elder instituted that one may not render a bill of divorce void in a court elsewhere] for the betterment of the world. [The Gemara asks:] What [problem did…
Enjoy This Life
My child, treat yourself well, according to your means,
and present worthy offerings to the Lord.
Remember that death does not tarry,
and the decree of Hades has not been shown to you.
The Messianic Kingdom
“For indeed the time will come, when the signs that I have foretold to you will come to pass, that the city that now is not seen shall appear, and the land that now is hidden shall be disclosed. E…
Souls Are in God’s Hand
Two things are in God’s hand: the soul and justice. The soul, as it is written: In His hand is the soul of all the living (Job 12:10). And justice, as it is written: And My hand lays hold on judgment…