This study analyzes mythic narratives, found in the 8th century midrashic text Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer (PRE), that were excluded, or ‘repressed’, from the rabbinic canon, while preserved in the Pseudepigrapha of the Second Temple period. Examples include the role of the Samael (i.e. Satan) in the Garden of Eden, the myth of the Fallen Angels, Elijah as zealot, and Jonah as a Messianic figure. The questions are why these exegetical traditions were excluded, in what context did they resurface, and how did the author have access to these apocryphal texts. The book addresses the assumptions that underlie classic rabbinic literature and later breaches of that exegetical tradition in PRE, while engaging in a study of the genre, dating, and status of PRE as apocalyptic eschatology.

Haaretz recently had an article about Shoham Smith’s new book, Ha-Agadot Shelanu (“Our Legends”). Smith, who has already published a book of Greek legends for children, has now published a book of Talmudic legends for children. The article describes a number of earlier books that did just this, including one by H.N. Bialik hiimself.

Smith was interviewed on the Israel Radio program Be-Shalosh im Anat Dolev about how she came about to write the book and the challenges that she faced in reworking the aggadot for children.

She was first exposed to Talmudic legends at Alma, a “home for Hebrew culture.” If you’re looking for something to read to your children, what’s better than the story about the Queen of Sheba’s hairy legs.

Here is the interview (Hebrew) in three parts (12 minutes total).

סיפור שני אחים

ש: מה המקור לסיפור על שני אחים, אחד נשוי ואחד רווק, שהעבירו חיטים זה לזה על הר הבית?
ת: זה מקור גוי. עיין אגדות היהודים לגינצבורג.

Did the tanaim and amoraim believe that the midrashim they created (Assuming at least some of them were created) were telling a true history, or were useful spiritual tools, but never intended to reflect reality? This question never really bothered me – as I felt it was obvious that some midrashim were never meant to be interprented literally. However, over time I’ve met more and more people who seem to believe certain midrashim were historical. I started wondering when did people start to believe that all midrashim are meant to be taken as an historical truth. This quickly led me to the question of whether those creating the Midrashim thought they were uncovering history, or whether they believed that their Midrashim are spiritual if not historical truths.

See the entire post here.

Here are the articles that appear in this issue:

From Veils To Goatskins – The Female Ruse in Genesis
Rachel Adelmann
Matan, The Sadie Rennert Women’s Institute for Torah Study

When Women Confer with Rabbis: On Male Authority and Female Agency in The Mishnah
Naftali S. Cohn
Concordia University

A Cup of Affront and Anger: Yaltha as an Early Feminist in the Talmud
Admiel Kosman
Potsdam University and Geiger College, Berlin

“Guerrilla Girls”: Thematizing the Female (Counter) Voice in the Rabbinic Legal System
Gail Labovitz
The American Jewish University

The first volume of Rabbi Benny Lau’s popular work on the sages of the Rabbinic period has been translated into English. The Sages: Character, Context, and Creativity is being published by Koren.