“The Midrash does not explain the Torah: the does talk.”
— Emmanuel Levinas (French philosopher of jewish origin)

1) What is “Midrash Rabbá”

“Midrash Rabbá” it is not a single unified workbut a collective title the modern-printed to ten midrashim agádicos: five on the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) and five on the Meguilot (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther). The label “Rabbá/‘Rabbot’” (“Great”) was born with Genesis Rabbá and later spread to other; only in the press, a venetian of the SIXTEENTH century it consolidated the whole as the “Midrash Rabbot”.

Key point: are separate compilationsof periods, styles and different purposes (between late antiquity and the high Middle Ages). Should not be read as a “corpus” closed-homogeneous.

2) Composition of the set (picture per book)

Pentateuch

• GENESIS RABBÁ (Bereishit Rabbá)
  Date/Place: Palestine late-roman, ca. centuries V beginning VI (approx. 426-500 d.C.).
  Features: exegetical-continuous, verse to verse; Hebrew mishnaico with arameísmos; abundantísima aggadá. Critical edition classic: Theodor–Albeck, 1912-1936.
• EXODUS RABBÁ (Shemot Rabbá)
  Composite structure (two sections of different hand and date) and a strong dependence of the literature Tanchuma-Yelammedenu (gender homiletical medieval). Final draft medieval (older kernels).
• LEVITICUS RABBÁ (Vayikra Rabbá)
  Date/Place: current consensus: century V in the Land of Israel (although Zunz proposed later). Homilies organized with prologues (petiḥtot) following the ancient three-year cycle. Critical edition more: M. Margulies, 5 vols., 1953-1960.
• NUMBERS RABBÁ (Bamidbar Rabbá)
  Work double:
  – Part I (chaps. 1-14): exegetical, probably more early.
  – Part II (chaps. 15– end): almost identical to the Midrash Tanchuma in Num. 8-36; drafting high/full medieval (s. XI–XII).
• DEUTERONOMY RABBÁ (Devarim Rabbá)
  Linked to the gender Tanchuma; there two traditions so-called “Devarim Rabbá”; that circulates in “Rabbá” is homiletic, closing medieval, with previous materials.

Five Meguilot

• Song OF SOLOMON RABBÁ (Shir ha-Shirim Rabbá / Aggadat Ḥazita)
  Compilation ancient palestine (tanná–amoraica) read allegorically (D-Israel). Cited by Rashi; served as a source for Pesiqta Rabbati.
• RUTH RABBÁ
  Spirit palestinian; baby Yerushalmi, Genesis Rabbá, Leviticus Rabbá and Eijá Rabbatí. First print edition: Pesaro, 1519; the title “Rabbá” is imposed in printed venetians later.
• LAMENTATIONS RABBÁ (Eijá Rabbatí)
  Between midrashim oldest, with 36 prologues consecutive and abundant material on the destruction of the Temple; jewish-palestinian, with loans greeks.
• ECCLESIASTES RABBÁ (Kohelet Rabbá)
  Comment verse to verse; tradition compilatoria complex (materials of the fourth century in Galilee; essays later).
• ESTHER RABBÁ
  Two pieces fused together:
  – Esther Rabbá I (older, ca. s. VI, Palestine, exegetical).
  – Esther Rabbá II (later, ca. s. XI, a narrative that expansive).
  Fusion s. XII–XIII.

“Where the story ends, begins the interpretation.”
— Rabbi Yehuda ben Shimon, according to tradition midráshica medieval

3) Genres and literary techniques

• Exegetical continuous (e.g., Genesis Rabbá, parts of Exodus/Numbers): comments verse-by-verse, juxtaposed voices rabbinical integrates philology popular and aggadá.
• Homiletical (Tanchuma-Yelammedenu): organization for passages of reading; prologues (petiḥtot) that link back to a verse outside with the torah portion of the day; formulas of opening “Yelammedenu rabbenu...”. This brand Leviticus Rabbá and a good part of Exodus/Deuteronomy/Numbers Rabbá.

4) Language, fonts, and milieux

• Hebrew mishnaico with aramaísmos; in ancient works appear helenismos (e.g., Eijá Rabbatí).
• Internal sources: Yerushalmi, other midrashim palestinians (e.g., Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana), tradition tanná-amoraica; in sections medieval, use/absorption Tanchuma.
• Context: Palestine tardoantigua (Genesis and Leviticus Rabbá) with critical dialogues in front of Rome; stages in medieval Europe/Provence and Catalonia (consolidation “Rabbot”).

5) Transmission: manuscripts, early prints and critical editions

• Manuscripts key (Genesis Rabbá): Brit. Mus. Add. 27169; Vatican, 30 and 60, among others; the basis of the edition Theodor–Albeck.
• Editio princeps (Pentateuch): Constantinople, 1512milestone but with inaccuracies.
• First impression joint Pentateuch + Meguilot: Venice, 1545 (please print venetian; consolidation of the label “Midrash Rabbot”).
• Meguilot (ed. princeps): Pesaro, 1519 (Ruth, etc).
• Critical editions modern highlights:
  – Genesis Rabbá: Theodor–Albeck, 1912-1936.
  – Leviticus Rabbá: Mordechai Margulies, 1953-1960.

“In every generation, the Midrash re-written, because the man continues to ask.”
— Martin Buber

6) Contents and sample topics

• Theology and history: establishment, patriarchs, exiles, Temple, relationship, God-Israel (e.g., Sing Rabbá in key allegorical).
• Preaching and liturgy: petiḥtot multiple in Eijá Rabbatí (36 in a row), indication of use sinagogal in fasting and Tishá BeAv.
• Methods: etymologies midráshicas, parables, proverbs, quotations chained; integration of materials hagiographic and folklore rabbinic. (Overview academic).

7) Timeline guidance (consensus current academic)

• Old (s. V–VI, Palestine): Genesis Rabbá, Leviticus Rabbá, Lamentations Rabbá, older layers of Sing and Esther Rabbá I.
• Intermediate/mixed: Ruth Rabbá, Ecclesiastes Rabbá (ancient tradition with redactions further).
• Medieval or closing medieval: Exodus Rabbá (composite), Numbers Rabbá (Part II ~ Tanchuma), Deuteronomy Rabbá (Tanchuma).

8) How to read them today (use academic and pedagogical)

• Filológicamente: always critical editions and equipment variants (Theodor–Albeck; Margulies to Vayikra Rabbá).
• Comparatively: compare Tanchuma-Yelammedenu in Exodus/Numbers/Deuteronomy to distinguish layers and loans.
• Contextually: locate homilies on the cycles of the liturgical three-year/holiday) and in controversial late-roman (e.g., critical legality roman in Leviticus Rabbá).
• Digital access (text and translation/indices): Sefaria it offers ten “Rabbá” with introductory notes useful to date, structure and bibliography.

“Interpreting is a way of praying.”
— Abraham Joshua Heschel

9) common Mistakes you should avoid

1. Try “Midrash Rabbá” as unique work: it is not.
2. Assume that everything is tardo-antique: several sections are medieval with a strong imprint Tanchuma.
3. Cite without critical edition: e.g., Genesis Rabbá should be consulted Theodor–Albeck; Leviticus Rabbá with Margulies.

“Who sits to the Midrash, it sits at the heart of judaism.”
— Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz