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A midrash on Genesis, it offers explanations of words and sentences and haggadic interpretations and expositions, many of which are only loosely tied to the text. It is often interlaced with maxims and parables.
Aggadah (Hebrew: אַגָּדָה, romanized: Aggāḏā, or הַגָּדָה Haggāḏā; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אֲגַדְתָּא, romanized: Aggāḏṯā; 'tales', 'fairytale', 'lore') is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly the Talmud and Midrash.
The midrash begins with a haggadic passage, which, belonging to Exodus 8:16 ("Vayomer hashkem ba-boker"), is found also in the earlier editions of Tanḥuma. [1] The work was called "Hashkem" after the second word in this introductory sentence.
The Haggadah explores the meaning of those verses, and embellishes the story. This telling describes the slavery of the Jewish people and their miraculous salvation by God. This culminates in an enumeration of the Ten Plagues: Dam (blood) – All the water was changed to blood; Tzefardeyah (frogs) – An infestation of frogs sprang up in Egypt
The midrash, however, does not entirely cover the Biblical books; but as it contains all the passages quoted from it by other authorities, it may be assumed that (with two exceptions added by later copyists: chapter 4:1 [7] and chapter 32:3 et seq. [8]) it never contained any more than it does now, and that its present form is that into which ...
The phrase "Midrash halakha" was first employed by Nachman Krochmal, [6] the Talmudic expression being Midrash Torah = "investigation of the Torah". [7] These interpretations were often regarded as corresponding to the real meaning of the scriptural texts; thus it was held that a correct elucidation of the Torah carried with it the proof of the halakha and the reason for its existence.
In its interpretation of 3:3, the midrash shows the necessity of honoring Shabbat by wearing special garments. In 3:13 there is a version of the story of Elisha ben Abuyah, the main source of which is Hagigah 14b. The midrash terminates with a statement to the effect that the Messiah is to descend from Ruth through David.
Simon Duran, in quoting this midrash, says that it is a Judean aggadic collection. [4] The sources which it uses directly are from the Jerusalem Talmud.No direct borrowing from the Babylonian Talmud appears, and, although it contains many interpretations and comments found in the Babylonian Talmud, most of them vary greatly in form, the agreement being confined to their contents.