Ishmael and Hagar -- Lot's wife -- Aaron and his problem of innocence -- Miriam the prophetess and her melancholy fate -- Nadab and Abihu: a story of fire and silence -- Esau and Jethro: gentiles in the Bible -- Gideon, a judge who is special -- Samson: the weakness of a hero -- Saul and his lost kingdom -- Samuel and the quest for mercy -- Isaiah, a prince of prophets -- Hoshea: the strangest of all prophets -- Rabbi Tarfon's humility -- Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi -- Abbaye and Rava: the greatness of dialogue -- Converts in the Talmud -- Talmudic sketches -- Zanz and Sadigur -- The world of the Shtetl.