Shared by David Seidenberg on י״ד בשבט ה׳תשע״ב (February 7, 2012) 
From [the Holy One’s] form/to’ar the constellations are shimmering, and God’s form projects the exalted ones. And Her crown blazes [with] the mighty, and His garment flows with the precious. And all the trees will rejoice in the word, and the plants will exult in His rejoicing, and His words shall drop as perfumes, flowing forth flames of fire, giving joy to those who search them, and quiet to those who fulfill them. . . . → Read More: On Sweet Fruit and Deep Mysteries: Kabbalistic and Midrashic Texts to Sweeten your Tu Bishvat Seder by R’ David Seidenberg
Shared by Chaya Kaplan-Lester on י״ח בטבת ה׳תשע״ב (January 13, 2012) 
[In Parshat Vayigash] we read of the members of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. There were 53 grandsons listed, but only a single granddaughter – Seraḥ, the daughter of Asher. The commentators wonder, what was so exceptional about this girl that her name was recorded? The Midrash spills forth with stories portraying an image of a unique and endearing Biblical heroine. Seraḥ stands as a trusted, beloved sage of the people. She possessed an uncommon gift of healing through poetry and music. Somewhat as Orpheus is to Greek myth, so is Seraḥ to the Biblical myth – the archetypal poet and bard. . . . → Read More: In Search of Seraḥ: A Prayer to Seraḥ by Chaya Kaplan-Lester
Shared by Aharon Varady on י״ג באב ה׳תשע״א (August 13, 2011) 
Since the Jewish calendar is not affixed to the sun, but corrected by a leap year to its seasons, Tu B’Av does not normally fall on the summer solstice. And yet, the relationship between Tu B’Av and the zenith of the summer is alluded to in Rav Menashya’s statement regarding Tu B’Av, “From this day onwards, he who increases [his knowledge through study as the nights grow longer] will have his life prolonged.” . . . → Read More: Tu B’Av: sources for study and celebration on the 15th of Av
Shared by Devora Steinmetz on י״ז בכסלו ה׳תשע״א (November 24, 2010) Dr. Devora Steinmetz shared the following midrashim related to the celebration of Ḥanukah. (Ḥanukah begins every year on the 25th of the month of Kislev in the Jewish calendar.) Dr. Steinmetz’s translation of the source from the Talmud Yerushalmi, and Aharon Varady’s footnotes are shared with a CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported license. All other translations are . . . → Read More: Ḥanukah Sources in Rabbinic Midrash
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