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.
Afterlife of the Righteous
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.
In the eyes of the foolish they seem to have died,
and their departure was thought to be a disaster,
and…
The Good in the Bad Inclination
Naḥman [taught] in the name of R. Samuel: Behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). This refers to the good inclination. And behold it was very good. This refers to the evil inclination. And is the…
Torah with Work Is Best
R. Gamaliel the son of R. Judah the Prince said: Excellent is the study of Torah when combined with a worldly occupation, for toil in them both keeps sin out of one’s mind. But [study of] Torah that…
Commerce Breeds Sin
A merchant can hardly keep from wrongdoing,
nor is a tradesman innocent of sin.
Many have committed sin for gain,
and those who seek to get rich will avert their…
Attendance at Festivals
Further, he does not consent to those who wish to perform the rites in their houses, but bids them rise up from the ends of the earth and come to this temple. In this way he also applies the severest…
Prescriptions and Pilgrimage to Jerusalem
Now on the fifteenth day of the same month, when the season changes to winter, he [Moses] enjoins each household to pitch tents, in apprehension of the cold and for protection at that time of year…
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…
Eating and Drinking after Bloodletting
[Hebrew] If one has let blood and has nothing to eat, let him sell the shoes of his feet and provide the requirements of a meal. What [are the] requirements of a meal? Rav said, “Meat,” while Samuel…