The books

Sources

This is a short map of the books these episodes actually use. A fuller note on how a line gets onto the page is in the method.

Torah, and the rest of the Hebrew Bible

The story itself. In these first episodes that means Genesis, and once a verse from Psalms that the Zohar quotes. We say “Bible” in the titles because that is the ordinary English word. Torah and Tanakh belong in the body, where they are accurate.

Talmud

The ancient book of Jewish wisdom, in the series’ own phrase: records of sages teaching, arguing, and telling. When the page itself records a dispute, we name the sage instead of saying “the Talmud says.”

Midrash

Ancient rabbinic teachings that read a verse closely, often by telling more of the story. A midrash is not an extra verse. Bereshit Rabbah, Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma, and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer appear in these episodes.

Commentators

Rashi is the great Bible commentator. Later voices in this library include Ramban, the great medieval commentator; Ibn Ezra; Sforno; Radak; Abarbanel, sometimes quoting Rabbeinu Nissim; Or HaChaim, an eighteenth-century Torah commentator; and the Netziv in Haamek Davar.

The Zohar and later mystical books

The Zohar is the foundational book of Kabbalah. Tikkunei Zohar is a pillar of that literature. Nefesh HaChaim is a classic of Jewish mysticism by the Vilna Gaon’s leading student. The Vilna Gaon is the great Kabbalist of his commentary on Sifra DeTzniuta. The Arizal is the great Kabbalist of Safed; Etz Chaim, Pri Etz Chaim, and Sha’ar HaPesukim are books that carry his teaching.

Chassidic teaching

Later masters who read these same verses as a way to live. In these articles: the Baal Shem Tov as heard by his grandson in Degel Machaneh Ephraim, the Sefat Emet, Bnei Yissaschar, Kedushat Levi, the Tanya, Rebbe Nachman’s Likutei Moharan, the Noam Elimelech, and the Be’er Mayim Chaim. A line is theirs only when the article names the book.

A book of character

Mesillat Yesharim, chapter 11, is quoted in the Cain episode on jealousy. Pirkei Avot, though it sits with the Mishnah, is quoted there too, for the lines on rejoicing in one’s portion and on jealousy.