"For Instruction shall come forth from Zion, The word of the L-rd from Jerusalem." -- Isaiah 2:3

Jerusalem

Torah Verses

Excerpt Sources

Complete List of Source Books

Navigate the Excerpts Browser

Before accessing the excerpts, please review a word about copyright.

Are you more of an "I'll dive right in and figure it out" person, or a "Show Me How This Thing Works" person?  If the former, go right ahead and try the excerpts browers on the right side of this page and/or scroll through the excerpts that start below the following information -- although we still suggest reading the information first.  If you are the latter, click here for a video demonstrating the Excerpts Browser. Either way (or both), enjoy! 

This page is recommended for searches limited to specific Torah books, weekly portions (parshiot), chapters, verses, and/or sources (authors). For keyword and/or for exact phrase (including verse and source) searches of the entire excerpts database, we recommend using the Search Engine page.  For broadest results, use both pages and alternative search strategies. 

This page displays the full text of all or "sorted" (filtered) excerpts in the database.  Use the "Torah Verses" and/or "Excerpt Sources" browsers at the right to locate the excerpts associated with your desired Torah book, portion, chapter. verse, or author.  Or, simply scroll through the excerpts, using the "boxes" at the bottom of any page displaying excerpts to "jump" ahead or back. 

Also note that immediately below the chapter, verse, and keyword of each excerpt is a highlighted line comprised of multiple links.  Clicking on any of the links will limit (filter) the excerpts display to the selected category.  

Transcription of excerpts is incomplete.  For current status, please see "Transcribed Sources" on the Search Engine page.  To assist with completion, please see "Contributors" page. 

140

GENESIS | 32:29 Israel — GEN1393 Midrashic sources show that individuality...

GEN1393 Midrashic sources show that individuality is at the very essence of being a Jew.  There are three classical names in the Scripture for the person who today is called a Jew: Hebrew, Israelite, and Jew.   The first Jew, Abraham, was called a Hebrew Genesis 14:13 because, according to Genesis Rabbah 42:13, the terms means that, regarding belief and action, the entire world was on one side while Abraham was on the other side (Ever).  Abraham’s actions and belief separated him from all others. The name Israel was given to Jacob after he fought the Angel of God [this verse].   Through this name change, he was thus transformed from Jacob, which means “following on the heels of another,” to Israel, which means “wrestled with God.” This transformation might be understood as a change within Jacob from a follower, a conformist, into a leader, an individualist. Finally, the most common name used today, Jew, was first sued in its present context with reference to Mordechai in the Purim story. Until that time, the term “Jew” (Yehudi) was a description of a person from the tribe of Judah. When Megillat Esther 2:5 described Mordechai, who was from the tribe of Benjamin, as a Yehudi, Esther Rabbah 6 naturally asks what is the meaning of this terms. Among the answers given, Mordechai was thus described because he was an individualist, refusing to follow the norms of the Persians and to bow down to Haman. The term Yehudi, says the Midrash, comes from the Hebrew Yechidi, an individualist. Therefore, it can be seen that all three biblical names for the term Jew describe, in some fashion, the characteristics of individuality. AMEMEI 122

Share

Print
Source KeyAMEMEI
Verse32:29
Keyword(s)Israel
Source Page(s)(See end of excerpt)

Comment

Collapse Expand Comments (0)

You are replaying to

Your comment was added, but it must be approved first.

Please enter your name
Please enter your email adressPlease enter valid email adress
Please enter a comment
Please solve Captcha.
Add Comment
Back To Top