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Rahab was a Canaanite woman, described in the biblical text as a prostitute, who lived in the walls of Jericho. She hid two Israelite spies in her home, and in return, the Israelites spared her and her family when they conquered Jericho. Rabbinic tradition teaches that she converted, and she and Joshua married and had a family with prominent offspring. Mystical and chasidic interpretations discuss the power of her repentance and the symbolism of her crimson cord.
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Rahab's Act of Faith and Salvation
TANAKH
When the people of Israel arrive on the banks of the Jordan River, they make plans to conquer the land of Israel. The book of Joshua, the first of the prophetic books of Tanakh, recounts the story of Rahab, who helped the Israelite cause by protecting spies sent by Joshua.
Rahab's Unifying Repentance
CHASIDUT
Chasidic teachings, based on Kabbalah, often discuss the unification of the Divine through human actions. Ben Porat Yosef, an 18th-century Chasidic text by Rabbi Jacob Joseph of Polonne, discusses Rahab’s unification of the divine in helping the Israelite spies.
Rahab's Path to Acceptance
COMMENTARY
The book of Deuteronomy prohibits Israelites from marrying the seven nations that resided in the land of Israel when the Israelites arrived. Rabbi Hayyim Joseph David Azulai, an 18th-century rabbi and scholar from Jerusalem, discusses the permissibility of Joshua marrying Rahab in light of this prohibition.
The Crimson Cord and the Shift of Leadership
KABBALAH
In the book of Joshua, the Israelite spies gave Rahab a crimson cord to hang from her window as as sign that she should be saved when the Israelites invaded. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, interprets the meaning of this sign.
Rahab's Lasting Legacy
TALMUD
In the book of Isaiah, King Hezekiah falls ill and prays to God. In tractate Sanhedrin of the Jerusalem Talmud, an ancient corpus of law, ethics, and stories from the land of Israel, the rabbis understand Rahab as his inspiration.
Rahab's Window of Redemption
JEWISH THOUGHT
In the book of Joshua, the Israelite spies tell Rahab to hang a crimson cord out of her window as a sign to the Israelites to save her when they invadeds. Rivkah Lubitz, a writer, activist, and advocate in rabbinic courts, writes a modern midrash that connects women who have looked out windows and the hope they inspire.
The Flight of the Spies, James Tissot, 1896-1902
The Flight of the Spies, James Tissot, 1896-1902
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