Questions tagged [midrash]
Exegetical interpretation, often of verses in Tanach. The term also refers to books based on these interpretations, e.g., Midrash Rabba, Midrash Tanchuma, et al.
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What’s the deal with צרויה?
Found out recently that צרויה as in (Yoav Ben Tzruyah) was actually Yoav’s mom and not his father. Why is Yoav constantly referred to as the son of his mother, when the Tanach norm is to use their ...
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Is the aleph bet of Ben sira canonical? [closed]
Is אלפא ביתא אחרת לבן סירא (excluding the passages brought in the gemara) in the sefer אוצר מדרשים part of the jewish mesorah?
Specifically this passage:
כתיב עושה גדולות עד אין חקר ונפלאות עד אין ...
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Medrash about Adam originally not having fingers
I'm looking for the medrash that says that Adam (or another hunanoid creation) originally didn't have fingers but had spoon like appendages instead.
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Why did the Rambam single out Ribui?
In Sefer HaMitzvos, Shoresh 2, the Rambam says that anything derived using Rabbi Yishmael's 13 principles of derivation, or a Ribui (extraneous wording which tells us to include new laws), does not ...
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How can a name exist before anything was Created
BH
I heard “before the world was created it was the Holy one blessed be He and His Great Name alone”
עד שלא נברא העולם, היה הקדוש ברוך הוא ושמו הגדול בלבד
Source
How can a name exist before ...
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Why was Adam created age 20? [duplicate]
The Midrash says Adam and Chava were created age 20.
Why so? Looking mainly for an answer as to why they weren't made babies and raised like we are (rather than asking what's special about 20?).
Happy ...
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Difference between aggadah in gemara and midrash
Much of the non-halachic aggadah quoted in the gemara overlaps with aggadah from the midrash such as midrash tanchuma or midrash rabbah and others. Yet there are some aggadah that are only found in ...
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Solomon and Nebuchadnezzar
In 1 Kings 10:13, Rashi says there that:
He cohabited with her and Nebuchadnezzar was born to her. He later destroyed the Temple that had stood 410 years in the territory of the twelve tribes. From ...
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Did Queen Vashti have a child?
Usually, the reason for Queen Vashti's punishment (leprosy or the growth of a tail) is related to the prophecy about the extinction of the Babylonian royal line.
Rav said: “Everything God promised [to ...
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Preserving the planet - Is damage irreversible according to this midrash?
The medrash in kohelet rabah 7:13
says to not destroy the planet on grounds that there's no one who will be able to repair the damages.
Is this an endorsement for Jews to be concerned with climate ...
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Losing 1/500th of your eyesight
The Gemara in Taanit says that when you take large strides, you lose 1/500th of your eyesight, and commentaries bring down that the remedy for this each week is to look at the Shabbos Candles when ...
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Midrash that Paul changed sabbath to sunday [duplicate]
I have heard a few times that there is a midrash (or other rabbinic source) that Paul, as some kind of "undercover pharisee" type situation, deliberately changed the sabbath to sunday in the ...
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Skills of the Shevatim
I recently read this story - 'Warrior Prophets' by Ben Tzion: https://ben-tzion.com/warrior-prophets/#:~:text=A%20Biblical%20Fiction%20Novel%20based,chaos%20sweeping%20the%20ancient%20world.
(Highly ...
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Moshe vs Eliyah
Torah says that there is no prophet like him and will never come a prophet like him. We know that Eliyah HaNavi will reveal the secrets of Torah which Moshe also didn't know, so then will Eliyah ...
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Any case of midrash contradicting Tanakh?
I believe that most Midrash stories were used for homiletic lessons that shouldn't be taken literally and according to some writers, midrash has some contradictory statements and opinions about the ...
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