Menachem Mendel

The Tali Educational Fund has published a well made web site of visual representations of biblical stories, events, and characters. The web site has plans to expand the selection of images that it already offers.

Posted on January 20th, 2010 under Bible Studies, Midrash. Comments: None

Martin Cohen explains here how the story of the Hanukkah “miracle oil” may be a midrash on the story of Elisha and the flask of oil in 2 Kings 9.

Posted on December 11th, 2009 under Hanukkah, Midrash. Comments: 3

Biblia Hebraica has started a series of posts on Genesis Rabbah with the original text, translation, and commentary. The first post is here.

Posted on October 23rd, 2009 under Midrash, Rabbinic Literature. Comments: 1

The midrash Sifre be-Midbar (Sifre on Numbers) has been added to Accordance. The text is from MS Oxford Bodleian 151.

Posted on September 23rd, 2009 under Apple, Computers, Midrash. Comments: None

There’s a new book, דרשוני, of midrashim by women. Here are a few. I particularly liked this one. מצווֹת הבן והבת/ נעמה שקד “כל מצות הבן המוטלות על האב לעשות לבנו – אנשים חייבין, ונשים פטורות. תנינא להא, דתנו רבנן: האב חייב בבנו למולו, ולפדותו, וללמדו תורה, ולהשיאו אשה, וללמדו אומנות. ויש אומרים: אף להשיטו [...]

Posted on July 16th, 2009 under Midrash. Comments: 6

I have come across a synoptic edition of Midrash Esther Rabbah by Prof. Joseph Tabory and Dr. Arnon Atzmon.

Posted on January 13th, 2009 under Manuscripts, Midrash, Purim. Comments: None

In the Middle has some comments on Eric Lawee’s article, “The Reception of Rashi’s Commentary on the Torah In Spain: The Case of Adam’s Mating with the Animals,” Jewish Quarterly Review 97.1 (2007): 33-66. See here for Hirhurim’s summary of some of the article.

Posted on November 17th, 2008 under Bible Studies, Middle Ages, Midrash. Comments: None

A while ago I posted here on the folk tale about Two Brothers, a Field and the building of the Temple. Recently, Admiel Kosman has published an article about this folk tale with a different approach and conclusion than most of those scholars whom I quoted in my earlier post. Using Bible scholar Yair Zakovitch’s [...]

Posted on October 7th, 2008 under Midrash, Rabbinic Literature. Comments: None

A quick midrash which I love from this past week’s parashah from Sotah 35a. ויאמרו כל העדה לרגום אותם באבנים וכתיב (במדבר יד) וכבוד ה’ נראה באהל מועד אמר רבי חייא בר אבא מלמד שנטלו אבנים וזרקום כלפי מעלה “But the entire community of Israel thought to pelt them with stones” and it is written [...]

Posted on June 23rd, 2008 under Midrash, Talmud. Comments: 3