“The Midrash literature is more free, and at the same time, more faithful never written on a sacred text.”
—Gershom Scholem (historian of the jewish mystic)

1) Definition and etymology

Midrash (מדרש) means “inquiry/interpretation” and designates both a method rabbinical interpret Scripture as the corpus builds that use that method. He was born in the late Antiquity to to resolve apparent contradictions in the bible, substantiate laws, and to extract new meanings of the text.

2) Two large families: halacha and agadá

The scholars distinguish between:

• Midrash halachah: exegesis, legal (regulatory), focused on lead or support laws from the Torah (e.g., Sifrá, Sifré, Mekhilta).
• Midrash agadá: exegesis narrative/theological (ethics, satellite dish, homiletic), which fills the silences of the story, shaping characters and extracts lessons.

3) The corpus classic (map fast)

3.1. Midrashím halájicos (tannaítas, s. II–III)

• Mekhilta of R. Ishmael (Exodus).
• Sifrá (Leviticus).
• Sifré (Numbers and Deuteronomy).

3.2. Midrashím agadicos (amoraítas and later, s. IV–VII)

• Bereshit/Genesis Rabbah (on Genesis), exhibition verse to verse. Dated approx. s. V.
• Vayikrá/Leviticus Rabbah (homiletic, famous for its próemios). Dated in the Land of Israel, s. V–VI.
• Eijá/Lamentations Rabbah (very narrative). Among the oldest
• Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana (homilies for parties and shabatot special; s. V–VI).
• Other “Rabbot” on Ruth, Song Of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Deuteronomy, etc (with strata of a different date).

3.3. Collections and anthologies medieval (s. XI–XIV+)

• Yalkut Shimoni (compilation aggádica that covers all of the Bible; s. XIII).
• Other collections (e.g., Yalkut Reubeni, s. XVII).

“In the Midrash, the imagination is a form of theology.”
—Jacob Neusner (scholar of rabbinic judaism)

4) hermeneutical Methods (middot)

The midrash operates with “rules” (middot) of reading. The two schools canonical are:

• Hilel (7 rules, antecedent).
• R. Ishmael (13 rules): analogy, gezerá shavá, binyán av, general-particular, etc Are preserved in the baraita of R. Ishmael at the beginning of Sifrá.

the 13 rules provide guidance on how to linking verses, terms and structures to derive a rule or direction.

5) literary Forms typical

• Petihtá / próemio: a homily opens with a “verse-far” (often Psalms/Proverbs), establishes bridges rhetorical and returns to the “verse close” is preached. Distinctive feature of Leviticus Rabbah, Genesis Rabbah and the Pesiqtot.
• Derashá homiletics: development central with quotations, parables (mashal), maximum and applications.
• Structure by cycles of the liturgical: several midrashím are sorted based on readings holiday or a week (e.g., Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana).

6) historical Context and linguistic

The midrashím arise and are fixed between the ages II and VII in Land of Israel (and, later, in circles babylonian and european), in Hebrew rabbinical and aramaic, with loans of Greek and Latin. Met functions sinagogales and pedagogicalby integrating with misná, Talmud and piyyut (liturgical poetry).

7) representative Works

• Genesis Rabbah (Bereishit Rabbah): comment an exhibition Genesis; comp. s. V; base of much exegesis later.
• Leviticus Rabbah: a collection of homiletics; strong use of petihtot; Land of Israel, s. V–VI.
• Lamentations Rabbah: emphasis narrative, proemios extensive, and among the most ancient.
• Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana: homilies for festivities and shabatot special; very early (V–VI); classic translation JPS (Braude).
• Mekhilta–Sifrá–Sifré: triad legal on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers/Deuteronomy.
• Yalkut Shimoni: great anthology of medieval “collects” passages of midrashím above, covering the entire Bible.

“Each Midrash is a conversation between the Torah and the soul of those who read it.”
—Abraham Joshua Heschel

8) Method vs. genre: how-to “makes sense” in the midrash

More than “telling stories”, the midrash read microscopically words, letters and silences of the text, for re-mean and update. As a method, it does not replace the plain sense (peshat), but expand (derash), within the classical framework of PaRDeS (peshat-remez-derash-sod).

9) Receipt of medieval and modern

• Medieval: the Rabbot circulate; commentators like Rashi integrated agadá midráshica in his exegesis.
• Science of Judaism (s. XIX): Leopold Zunz inaugurates the study of historical-critical of the midrash (Gottesdienstliche Vorträge der Juden., 1832). Reference Manual: Strack & Stemberger, Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash.

10) Midrash today: continuities contemporary

In the last few decades proliferate midrashím modern (including the production feminist and womanist), which used the classic forms give voice to biblical characters and to address current issues, without pretending to replace the ancient texts.

11) How to read the midrash in an academic manner (practical guide)

1. Ubicá gender: do not fall or agadá? (impacts the tone, purpose, and technical).
2. Pinpoint the way: is there petihtá? what are parables? what chain of verses? (key Rabbot and Pesiqtot).
3. Rastreá sources: what verse “far away” opens? how to return to the “close”? (cartografiá bridges rhetorical).
4. Read with the liturgical cycle: many parts are best understood in their use sinagogal (parties, haftarot).
5. Don't confuse history with theology: in agadá, the goal is moral-theological, non-chronic factual. (See academic manuals).

12) Summary

The midrashím are readings rabbinical —legal and homiléticas— that, since Antiquity up to today, anchor jewish life in Writing by rules of hermeneutics, ways homiléticas (especially the petihtá) and compilations ranging from Mekhilta/Sifrá/Sifré to Rabbot and Pesiqtot, passing through anthologies and medieval re-enactments contemporary.

“The exegesis midráshica is the living memory of the jewish people: remember playing.”
—Leopold Zunz (founder of the Wissenschaft des Judentums)