Menorah Review (No. 16, Spring, 1989)

Jewish Renewal -- Israel and the Modern Jew -- Looking for God in Conservative Judaism -- The Meaning of Midrash -- Book Briefing

Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash

Reviewed Book: Stemberger, Günter . Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash. London: T & T Clark, 1991

The theme of redemption in Midrash Tehillim as reflected in its Meshalim

This thesis investigates whether or not an overall unity can be detected in Midrash Tehillim. The present dissertation will argue that there is a unity and coherence in Midrash Tehillim that transcends its discrete pericopes, however these are defined. This coherence takes place in a number of ways. Midrash Tehillim is a lemmatic commentary on the book of Psalms and it follows the sequence, topics and argument of the Psalms. The unity of Midrash Tehillim is also evident at a linguistic level. It is in Rabbinic Hebrew, with some intermingling of Jewish Aramaic. On a third level unity is found in the exegetical techniques of Midrash Tehillim. Also the limited repertory of themes, namely the figure of David, the Temple, including its destruction, and redemption provide unity. It is redemption that is the most characteristic theme of Midrash Tehillim. Finally Midrash Tehillim is unified by the use of a number of literary structures which permeate the work. Two literary structures stand out, namely the Petichah and the Mashal. These Meshalim are particularly artfully composed and a number of them are thematically linked to the redemption. The analysis of the Meshalim of Redemption in Midrash Tehillim has been contextualized in a variety of ways - in terms of previous scholarly work on Midrash, in terms of the state of the text as found in the manuscripts and in terms of the relationship of Midrash Tehillim to other Midrashim

Jewish Midrash in Jesuit Classrooms

Storytelling is of paramount importance in the Jewish tradition. The retelling of ancient stories by rabbinical sages is known is as Midrash. This article examines Midrash on multiple levels. Topics include an analysis of how Midrash can serve as a case study for cultural change within higher education; how Midrash can assist with the process of creating a vision and mission statement for an institution; how stories from Midrash exemplify that components of the Jewish tradition of Midrash can serve as a fundamental component of the Jesuit classroom; and how to apply them in a Jesuit classroom setting

Midrash and exegesis – distant neighbours?

The term Midrash should be reserved for the specific quotation literature of the rabbinic sources of classical Judaism. Decisive is its literary form: the combination of rabbinic statement and biblical quotation. All other rabbinic and non-rabbinic texts should better not be called Midrash. Great caution is needed in the use of the term exegesis in relation to Midrash. For the modern mind exegesis is something connected with critical philology and history. In principle Midrash is something completely different and could more aptly be called ‘a kind of theology’ than the usual designation as ‘a kind of exegesis’. In fact, the association of Midrash with exegesis implies a great injustice towards Midrash. Despite all appearances, Midrash is not exegesis, nor a ‘kind of exegesis’, although it does contain elements of biblical exegesis. Although Midrash has certainly played a role in the origin and history of modern biblical exegesis, this particular role is a matter of the past. The relation between Midrash and modern exegesis now has become merely platonic, a source of inspiration and, possibly, admiration as an example of textual sensitivity&&as a vehicle of rabbinic theology&&and – eventually – as a model for a new post-modern system of hermeneutics

A Midrash On Water

(Excerpt) Jews and Christians share a common foundation of Scripture. It is within this common, sacred text that we shall find the source of Grace upon Grace: Living Water. It requires little religious imagination to link the use of water as a purification rite in the Biblical world to the use of the mikveh in the early rabbinic period, and ultimately to the transformative ritual of Baptism as an essential sacramental rite in Christianity. My task this evening is not to trace that course of ritual development, but rather to consider the many and varied texts of Scripture from within which we find water, Mayim, as a central metaphor for God\u27s presence and human struggle. I offer a midrash-an open interpretation of Biblical texts on water, a Jewish understanding of the religious significance of water, for our ongoing interfaith conversation on ritual and liturgy. Midrash is a form of rabbinic literature in which the text is used liked a prism and understanding, like light from many different sources, allowed to shine through the angles of glass, and if we are both lucky and skillful we shall see the bright colors of the spectrum suspended like a rainbow in front of our eyes. Midrash is a discipline of reading and rereading classic sacred texts, always allowing for our reality as readers and the overflowing surplus meaning of scripture to find their own new horizons of understanding

The Animalistic Gullet and the Godlike Soul: Reframing Sacrifice in Midrash Leviticus Rabbah

This article proposes an analysis of two homiletic units in the Palestinian Midrash Leviticus Rabbah, which revolve around biblical chapters pertaining to sacrifices. A theme that pervades these units is that of eating as an animalistic activity that often entails moral depravity. In contrast, the act of sacrificing is constructed in these units as one in which one is willing to give up one's own nourishment, and in a sense one's own “soul,” in order to offer it to God. Many of the motifs used to vilify eating in the Midrash can be traced in moralistic Greek, Roman, and early Christian diatribes preaching for moderation in eating or for asceticism; the homilists in Leviticus Rabbah, however, utilize these popular motifs in order to present sacrifice as the spiritual contrary of eating, and thus to give the obsolete practice of sacrifice cultural cachet and compelling meanings

Restoring RLUIPAs Equal Terms Provision

The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act\u27s (RLUIPA) equal terms provision prohibits government from implementing a land-use regulation in a manner that treats religious assemblies and institutions less favorably than secular assemblies and institutions. Lower courts have only begun to interpret and apply RLUIPA\u27s equal terms provision, but already they have significantly weakened its protections of religious liberty by giving the provision unnecessarily restrictive interpretations. Not surprisingly, in light of the Supreme Court\u27s invalidation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), the lower courts\u27 restrictive readings seen? driven by concerns that a broader interpretation would exceed Congress\u27s Fourteenth Amendment enforcement power. Yet the lower courts\u27 concerns about the constitutionality of a broader interpretation are misplaced, and their restrictive readings of the equal terms provision severely weaken RLUIPA\u27s protections of religious liberty. This Note argues that a textual interpretation of the provision, which would strictly prohibit unequal treatment of religious assemblies and institutions as compared to secular assemblies and institutions, falls within Congress\u27s prophylactic power under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. Moreover, a textual interpretation is more consistent with Congress\u27s intent to broadly protect religious liberty

The Red Tent a Case Study for Feminist Midrash

This thesis puts forth the argument that two contrasting models of modern feminist midrash evolved in the late nineteenth century. Both models successfully bridge Jewish tradition and modern experience. The Red Tent serves as a primary text and a case study in this discussion of modern feminist midrash