|
Classical Rabbinical Literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire corpus of works authored by rabbis throughout Jewish history. The term typically refers to literature from the Talmudic era (70–640 CE), as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writings. It aligns with the Hebrew term ''Sifrut Chazal'' (), which translates to “literature f oursages” and generally pertains only to the sages (''Chazal'') from the Talmudic period. This more specific sense of "Rabbinic literature"—referring to the Talmud, Midrashim (), and related writings, but hardly ever to later texts—is how the term is generally intended when used in contemporary academic writing. The terms ''mefareshim'' and ''parshanim'' (commentaries and commentators) almost always refer to later, post-Talmudic writers of rabbinic glosses on Biblical and Talmudic texts. Mishnaic literature The Midr'she halakha, Mishnah, and Tosefta (compiled from materials pre-dating the year 200 CE) are the earliest extant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rabbi
A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of the rabbi developed in the Pharisees, Pharisaic (167 BCE–73 CE) and Talmudic (70–640 CE) eras, when learned teachers assembled to codify Judaism's written and oral laws. The title "rabbi" was first used in the first century CE. In more recent centuries, the duties of a rabbi became increasingly influenced by the duties of the Clergy, Protestant Christian minister, hence the title "pulpit rabbis." Further, in 19th-century Germany and the United States, rabbinic activities such as sermons, pastoral counseling, and representing the community to the outside all increased in importance. Within the various Jewish denominations, there are different requirements for rabbinic ordination and differences in opinion regarding who is recognized as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geonic
''Geonim'' (; ; also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated Gaonim, singular Gaon) were the presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, Babylonian Talmudic Academies of Sura Academy , Sura and Pumbedita Academy , Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate. They were generally accepted as the spiritual leaders of the Jewish community worldwide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the ''Resh Galuta'' (exilarch) who wielded secular authority over the Jews in Islamic lands. ''Geonim'' is the plural of (''Ga'on'') , which means "pride" or "splendor" in Biblical Hebrew and since the 19th century "genius" as in modern Hebrew language, Hebrew. As a title of a Babylonian college president it meant something like "His Excellency". The ''Geonim'' played a prominent and decisive role in the transmission and teaching of Torah and Halakha, Jewish law. They taught Talmud and decided on issues on which no ruling had been rendered during the period of the Talmud. Era The per ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Midrash Proverbs
Midrash Proverbs (Hebrew: מדרש משלי, Midrash Mishlei) is the aggadic midrash to the Book of Proverbs. Names It is first mentioned under the title "Midrash Mishlei" by R. Hananeel b. Ḥushiel. Nathan of Rome called it "Aggadat Mishlei". In addition, it was erroneously called "Shocher Tov", a name which properly refers to Midrash Tehillim. Content This midrash is different from all the other aggadic midrashim, in that its interpretations approach the simple exegesis then in vogue, being brief and free from the prolixity found in the other midrashim, so that this work is in the form of a commentary rather than in that of a midrash. The interpretations follow immediately upon the words of the text, without the introductory formulas found in the other midrashim, "as Scripture says," or "Rabbi N. N. began" (the latter formula, however, occurs at the beginning of the midrash). The editor of the midrash drew upon the Mishnah, Tosefta, Mekhilta, Sifre, Pesikta de-Rav Kaha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leviticus Rabbah
Leviticus Rabbah, Vayikrah Rabbah, or Wayiqra Rabbah is a homiletic midrash to the Biblical book of Leviticus (''Vayikrah'' in Hebrew). It is referred to by Nathan ben Jehiel (c. 1035–1106) in his ''Arukh'' as well as by Rashi (1040–1105). According to Leopold Zunz, Hai Gaon (939-1038) and Nissim knew and made use of it. Zunz dates it to the middle of the 7th century, but ''The Encyclopaedia Judaica'' and Jacob Neusner date it to the 5th century. It originated in the Land of Israel, and is composed largely of older works. Its redactor made use of Genesis Rabbah, Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, and the Jerusalem Talmud, in addition to other ancient sources. The redactor appears to have referred also to the Babylonian Talmud, using several expressions in the sense in which only that work employs them. Contents Leviticus Rabbah is not a continuous, explanatory interpretation to Leviticus, but a collection of exclusive sermons or lectures on the themes or texts of that book. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamentations Rabbah
The Midrash on Lamentations () is a midrashic commentary to the Book of Lamentations. It is one of the oldest works of midrash, along with Genesis Rabbah and the '' Pesikta de-Rav Kahana''. Names The midrash is quoted, perhaps for the first time, by Chananel ben Chushiel under the name "Aggadat Eichah." Many passages are quoted by R. Nathan, who invariably calls the work ''Megillat Eichah''. The term ''Eichah Rabbati'', which is general even now, is used to designate the many extracts in ''Yalkut Shimoni'' which have been included with the other Biblical books. In ''Lamentations Rabbah'' itself, the sources are almost always missing. The names ''Midrash Eichah'', ''Midrash Kinot'', ''Megillat Kinot'', are also found in the old authors. In ''Yalkut Shimoni'', there are likewise long extracts from a Midrash on Lamentations published under the name ''Midrash Zutta''. Date According to Galit Hasan-Rokem, ''Lamentations Rabbah'' was composed in Roman Palestine "approximately in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Midrash Tanhuma
Midrash Tanhuma (), also known as Yelammedenu, is the name given to a homiletic midrash on the entire Torah, and it is known in several different versions or collections. Tanhuma bar Abba is not the author of the text but instead is a figure to whom traditions are frequently attributed to (indicated by the formula "Thus began R. Tanḥuma" or "Thus preached R. Tanḥuma"), though he may have preserved a collection of midrashim used by other midrash editors. The name ''Yelammedenu'' derives from the Hebrew phrase ''yelammedenu rabbenu'', which initiates a typical textual unit in the text. The earliest manuscript may be from the late 8th or 9th century. The most significant publication on the text so far was an edited volume of studies by Nikolsky and Atzmon from 2022. Recensions There are many different recensions of Midrash Tanhuma, although the main ones are the standard printed edition, first published in Constantinople in 1520/1522 (and then again in Venice in 1545 and Mantu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genesis Rabbah
Genesis Rabbah (, also known as Bereshit Rabbah and abbreviated as GenR) is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is an expository midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical interpretations of the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Torah, whose authorship in tradition has been attributed to Hoshaiah Rabbah in the period of the Amoraim, flourishing in 3rd century Roman-ruled Syria Palaestina. The midrash forms an aggadic commentary on Genesis, in keeping with the midrashic exegesis of that age. In a continuous sequence, broken only toward the end, the Biblical text is expounded, verse for verse, often word for word. Only genealogic passages and passages that furnish no material for exposition (as the reiterated account of Abraham's servant in 24:35-48) are omitted. Name The name ''Genesis'' or ''Bereshit Rabbah'' for the text is attested in the ''Halakhot Genesis'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seder Olam Rabbah
''Seder Olam Rabbah'' (, "The Great Order of the World") is a 2nd-century CE Hebrew language chronology detailing the dates of biblical events from creation to Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia. It adds no stories beyond what is in the biblical text, and addresses such questions as the age of Isaac at his binding and the number of years that Joshua led the Israelites. Tradition considers it to have been written about 160 CE by Jose ben Halafta, but it was probably also supplemented and edited at a later period. Name In the Babylonian Talmud this chronicle is several times referred to simply as ''Seder Olam'', and it is quoted as such by the more ancient biblical commentators, including Rashi. But starting in the 12th century, it began to be designated as ''Seder Olam Rabbah'' to distinguish it from a later, smaller chronicle, '' Seder Olam Zuṭa''; it was first so designated by Abraham ben Nathan Ha-Yarhi. Structure In its present form, ''Seder Olam Rabbah'' consist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alphabet Of Akiba Ben Joseph
Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva (, ''Alpha-Beta de-Rabbi Akiva''), otherwise known as Letters of Rabbi Akiva (, ''Otiot de-Rabbi Akiva'') or simply Alphabet or Letters, is a midrash on the names of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Two versions or portions of this midrash are known to exist. Version A of ''Alphabet'' Version A, which is considered by Adolf Jellinek to be the older form, and bBlochto be of a much more recent origin, introduces the various anthropomorphized letters of the Hebrew alphabet that God engraved from His crown with a pen of fire contending with each other for the honor of forming the beginning of creation (bereshit). It is based upon Genesis Rabbah 1 and Shir haShirim Rabbah on 5:11, according to which Aleph (א) complained before God that Bet (ב) was preferred to it, but was assured that the Torah of Sinai, the object of creation, would begin with Aleph (אנכי = Anochi = I am); it, however, varies from the Midrash Rabbot. The letters, beginning with the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sifre Zutta
Sifre Zutta () was a Mishnaic Hebrew-language midrash on the Book of Numbers. Medieval authors mention it under the titles ''Sifre shel Panim Acherim'' and ''Vi-Yeshallehu Zutta''; and to distinguish from it the '' Sifre'', Isaac ben Moses of Vienna calls the latter ''Sifre Rabbati''. The ''Sifre Zutta'' has not been preserved and was no longer extant by the time of Abraham Lévy-Bacrat (around 1500). However, fragments of the work have been discovered in the Cairo Geniza, and excerpts from it are quoted in the '' Midrash HaGadol'' and in ''Yalkut Shimoni''. Compilations have been published. Quotations in other early works Earlier authors knew of it and occasionally quoted it, such as Samson ben Abraham of Sens in his commentary on the mishnaic orders Zera'im and Ṭohorot. Numerous fragments are found in the section of ''Yalkut Shimoni'' on the Book of Numbers. Quotations are found also in Numbers Rabbah to Naso. The "Mekhilta to Numbers" frequently quoted by Maimonides ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sifre
Sifre (; ''siphrēy'', ''Sifre, Sifrei'', also, ''Sifre debe Rab'' or ''Sifre Rabbah'') refers to either of two works of '' Midrash halakha'', or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Talmudic era Sifre The title ''Sifre debe Rav'' (lit. "the books of the school of Abba Arikha") is used by Chananel ben Chushiel, Isaac Alfasi, and Rashi; it occurs likewise in Makkot 9b. The 8th century author of Halachot Gedolot names four "exegetical books belonging to the Scribes" (Heb. ''Midrash sofrim'') and which, in all appearances, seem to refer to "Sifre debe Rav" and which comprised the following compositions: 1) ''Genesis Rabbah'' 2) '' Mekhilta of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai'' (on Exodus), 3) ''Sifrei'' (on Numbers) and 4) ''Sifrei'' (on Deuteronomy). Regarding the reference in Sanhedrin 86a to the Sifre of Rabbi Simeon, see ''Mekhilta of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai''; the question has likewise been raised whether, given ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sifra
Sifra () is the Midrash halakha to the Book of Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called Torat Kohanim, and in two passages ''Sifra debbe Rav''. Authorship Maimonides, in the introduction to his '' Yad ha-Ḥazaḳah'', and others have declared that the title ''Sifra debbe Rav'' indicates Abba Arikha is the author. I.H. Weiss attempts to support this. His proofs are not conclusive, though neither are the opposing arguments of Friedmann, who tries to show that the expression ''Sifra debbe Rav'' does not refer to the midrash under discussion. Malbim wrote in the introduction to his Sifra edition that Hiyya bar Abba was the redactor of the ''Sifra''. There are no less than 39 passages in Jerusalem Talmud and the midrashim in which expositions found also in the ''Sifra'' are quoted in the name of Ḥiyya, and the fact that no tannaim after Judah ha-Nasi are me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
