Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer
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Search complete. 39 mentions across 7 episodes found for "Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer".
Sep 24, 2026
Meyer YedidHOST
We're familiar with the story of Avraham going to sacrifice his son following the order of the Creator.
Meyer YedidHOST
So I wanna share with you a Midrash in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, thirty-first Perek.
Meyer YedidHOST
Over there it gives a little more detail about what actually happened with Avraham and Yitzchak as they got to the mountain, and they're ready to perform the sacrifice.
Meyer YedidHOST
In the Torah, there's not much information.
Lea MühlsteinHOST
The problem with Babel is not only that everyone speaks the same language.
Lea MühlsteinHOST
In Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer, a collection of midrashim from the eighth century, we read, "The tower had seven steps from the east and seven steps from the west.
Lea MühlsteinHOST
Bricks were hauled up from one side and the descent would be from the other.
Lea MühlsteinHOST
If a man fell down and died, no heed was given to him, but when a brick fell down, they stopped work and wept saying, 'Woe unto us.
Ari BarbalatHOST
I am your host, Ari Bar-Galat.
Ari BarbalatHOST
Today it's my honor to engage in a conversation with Gavin McDowell regarding his newly published book, The Rewritten Bible in Late Antiquity: Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer, Jubilees, and the Cave of Treasures, published in Berlin by De Gruyter 2025.
Ari BarbalatHOST
This monograph delves into the rewritten Bible genre, which narrates the history of ancient Israel independently from biblical text.
Ari BarbalatHOST
The findings suggest that the author's portrayal of the ancient prophets and patriarchs was influenced more by regional factors than religious ones.
Ari BarbalatHOST
Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer is particularly notable for incorporating several legends about biblical figures that are absent from the classical rabbinic texts of Talmud and Midrash.
Ari BarbalatHOST
Contemporary scholars view the non-rabbinic legends in Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer as a remnant of Second Temple literature within Jewish tradition.
Ari BarbalatHOST
However, this study aims to interpret the non-rabbinic elements in Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer as a result of the author's integration and modification of influences from the surrounding Christian and Muljim- Muslim cultures rather than through a direct lineage of Second Temple texts among Jews.
Ari BarbalatHOST
This hypothesis will be evaluated by analyzing two works that are similar to Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer in both form and content, Jubilees from the second century BCE, and The Cave of Treasures from the sixth century of the Common Era.
Fishel OsterHOST
But this itself needs an explanation.
Fishel OsterHOST
Why is Moshe Rabbeinu using this unique special donkey and not just using a number of donkeys or a horse or a camel to travel in a different way? Another thing that needs to be explained, in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, it mentions also that this is the same donkey that was created bein hashmonas amongst unique things that were created then.
Fishel OsterHOST
Rashi doesn't bring that point.
Fishel OsterHOST
Why not? If Rashi wants to point out what's special about this donkey, it would seem that that is appropriate to bring even more than speaking about the fact that in the future, this donkey will be specially used by Mashiach.
Fishel OsterHOST
[speaking foreign language] Why is Moshe Rabbeinu taking this unique donkey? [speaking foreign language] And utilizing this one unique donkey to have his whole family ride on it with all their belongings? [speaking foreign language] Why didn't he travel naturally with a number of donkeys or a horse or a camel that would be natural the way you would travel with his family? [lip smacks] [speaking foreign language] Another question on this Rashi here is, [speaking foreign language].
Fishel OsterHOST
The source of Rashi is in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer but there's a difference although some Makdim there it says another point first about what's unique about this donkey that [speaking foreign language] this is a unique donkey that was created in twilight hour at the, the end of the sixth day of creation amongst the other unique things created in that time.[speaking foreign language] Rashi though omits this detail about this specialty of the donkey.
Fishel OsterHOST
[speaking foreign language] Now it's not Rashi style necessarily to quote something that he brings from a Midrash, from Gemara as is with all of its details.
Fishel OsterHOST
[speaking foreign language] Rashi will only quote what's relevant for the simple understanding of the Pasuk which is Bar Kamapam, this was explained a number of times.
Fishel OsterHOST
So not necessarily here does Rashi have to quote this detail as well.
Fishel OsterHOST
[speaking foreign language] In Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer this whole thing about the uniqueness of this donkey is brought earlier regarding Avraham Avinu when he takes it for the Akedah.[speaking foreign language] Rashi quotes it here to explain the Pasuk in this week's Parsha so it's not even addressing the same points so Rashi is not gonna quote it accurately and fully.
Fishel OsterHOST
But Kol Mokim however,[speaking foreign language] if the point of the explanation about this donkey is to explain what's unique about this donkey [speaking foreign language] why doesn't Rashi bring this detail that's known about this uniqueness of the donkey even from before from creation that it's created from Twilight amongst the other unique things created then? [speaking foreign language]The point that this is the donkey that in the future Mashiach will ride on it and be revealed on it [speaking foreign language] That's something that happens much later on in the end of time.
Fishel OsterHOST
[speaking foreign language] How do we explain in Pshat of the Pasuk why now and today this is a unique donkey that Moisha Rabbeinu is using? On the other hand bringing from the creation of the donkey-from cre-beginning of creation that's a much better explanation in the Pshat why this is a unique donkey.
Moshe SpalterHOST
But why does he need it for? Why can't he just send them on a normal ride through the desert, which is a bunch of camels? More things that need to be explained about this Rashi.
Moshe SpalterHOST
This teaching comes from the Pirkei Rebbelezer, But over there, he tells us more about the donkey.
Moshe SpalterHOST
He says, first of all, that this donkey is the son, the progeny, of the original donkey that was created at the last moments of the six days of creation, Friday, just before sundown.
Moshe SpalterHOST
So the Mishnah says that Hashem created the donkey that spoke to Bilaam.
8 MINS LATER
Moshe SpalterHOST
The poor man riding on the donkey.
Moshe SpalterHOST
So he should have said, this is the donkey that Malachi Moshiach will ride upon.
Moshe SpalterHOST
Why does he say to be revealed upon? In fact, the Pirkei Rebbelezer, from which it comes, as we said, over there does say about Moshiach, will ride on it.
Moshe SpalterHOST
So the reason is, in Pirkei Rebeleza, as we said before, he's merely trying to explain the uniqueness of this donkey.
Moshe SpalterHOST
It's the one that Mashiach will ride on.
Moshe SpalterHOST
In fact, the Pirgadah of Eleazar, from which we said before, Rashi quotes this teaching, there it does say the one that the Melech HaMashiach will ride on, but Rashi changes it to be revealed on.
Moshe SpalterHOST
Another change that we see in the Rashi, in that source of Rashi's teaching, which is in the Pirgadah of Eleazar, there it's written, the son of David, which is of course a it means Mashiach.
Moshe SpalterHOST
So over there it says that it's the son of David.
Moshe SpalterHOST
Where Rashi uses the term the king Mashiach.