THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
from a smaller and shorter midrash based upon
Rabbi Oshaya's work. The term rabba, " large,"
was in late times applied to the most common hag-
gadic midrash on the Pentateuch and
4. Genesis even to that on the Rolls. This mid- Rabba, rash on Genesis is an explanation both
Midrashim of words and of things, taking fully the
on Lamen- character of public lectures. Halachic
tations, exposition is rare in it. The range of
Pesikta, and interpretation is large; the basis is
Tanhuma. traceable to Rabbi Oshaya; though the artistic working-out of the plan is later, it is still not subsequent to the time of the redaction of the Palestinian Talmud, and intrusions of later matter occur. From xxxii. 4 on, the materials have the stamp of the later haggada, and the later manuscripts add many details. Apparently this midrash was never fully completed, for after xliv. 18 the progress is no longer verse by verse; chap, xlviii. is lacking in the manuscripts, and chap, xlix. in the codices has the earmarks of a late recension. The view that it was first edited as a whole between 650 and 750 a.d. does not seem well supported. In most editions this midrash is in 100 chapters; the manuscripts vary between 97 and 101 chapters, though all agree in their limits as far as chap, xcvi., beginning with Gen. xlvii. 28. The basis of the chapter division is not consistent or uniform. Editions are: the midrash on the Pentateuch, Constantinople, 1512; on the Rolls, Pesaro (?), 1519, Constantinople, 1520; of the whole, Venice, 1545; with commentary of Issachar Baer Kohen, Cracow, 1587-88; of Samuel Japheh Ashkenazi on Genesis, Venice, 1597 sqq., on Exodus, ib. 1657, on Leviticus, Constantinople, 1648; of David Luria and Samuel Straschun, Vilna, 1843- 1845. Other editions are: Berlin, 1866; Vilna, 1878. The midrash on Lamentations {Midrash Eykah) is one of the oldest of Palestinian origin. It is exceedingly rich in proems owing to the fact that the celebration of the destruction of Jerusalem was accompanied by lectures on that book. These lectures are the source of a great part of the expositions of which the midrash is composed. The redaction is later than that of the Palestinian Talmud, though very early materials are used. The exposition is of the same character as that of Genesis rabba — smooth comment with interspersed haggadic pieces that are only loosely attached to their context. The redaction is prior to 650 a.d. An old midrash of the name Pesikta was long known through citations. Its recovery shows that it consists of thirty-two homilies delivered on specified festivals or Sabbaths, and that it was composed of two collections, one beginning with New Year's day, the other with Tammuz 17. The manuscripts 6how considerable variations in contents, especially at the beginning. The question of the date depends upon literary relations — it is a question whether Pesikta is dependent upon Genesis rabba and the midrash on Lamentations, or whether it is older than these. In the first case its date would be about 700 a.d.; in the second case it would be earlier than this. It is no longer in its original form, but has undergone many alterations and has received many additions. The name means " sec-
tion," and is derived from the fact that each chapter was entitled " Section of .". It was edited by S. Buber (Lyck, 1868), but unfortunately not on the basis of the Oxford manuscript. The Midrash Yelamdenu or Tanhuma covers the entire Pentateuch. Originally it contained only one homily for each Sabbath reading; in its present shape each homily has a halachic exordium, several introductions, exposition of the first verse of the lesson Messianic conclusion. This formed the model of many collections. Editions are: Constantinople, 1520-22; Venice, 1545; Mantua, 1563; Verona' 1595; with commentaries, Vilna-Grodno, 1831; Stettin, 1864.
The Exodus rabba or Shemoth rabba is in fifty-two sections, of which the first fourteen are continuous expositions of the verses in each Sabbath lesson, while the rest have introductions and treatment of
the first verse only. This indicates
5. Homiletic that two parts are to be distinguished,
Midrashim. the first of which is derived from an
early exegetical midrash, while the second is dependent upon Tanhuma. Its date is probably the eleventh or the twelfth century. Leviticus rabba or Vayyikra rabba is made up of thirtyseven homilies on the sections appointed for festival readings. It appears to belong to the seventh century. Numeri rabba or Bemidhbar rabba or Bemidhbar Sinai rabba, in twenty-three sections, is in two very different parts. The first (sections 1- 14, about one-third of the whole) is a late haggadic exposition of Num. i.-vii., of which Num. i.-iv. are expansions of Tanhuma, while in Num. v.-vii. there is an effort to discuss the entire text by compilations from halachic and haggadic works. This part is not earlier than the twelfth century. The second part is essentially Tanhuma to the eight sections beginning with Num. viii., but with a different introductory formula. The nine chief sections correspond to as many Sabbath readings in the single-year cycle; but thirty homilies are distinguishable. Deuteronomium rabba or Debarim rabba follows generally in the printed editions the single-year cycle in eleven sections. But in fact there are twenty-seven separate homilies which are related to the three-year cycle of reading. These homilies begin with a halachic exordium, then one or more introductions of quite independent homiletical character, exposition of the beginning of the Scripture lesson, and a hortatory or comforting conclusion. The time of compilation of this mishna is about 900 a.d. The authors of the thirteenth and later centuries often refer sections of this collection to Tanhuma, though there is little in common between them in the printed text. There are in this mishna only three homilies completed according to the rules for such discourse. It was published by S. Buber (Vienna, 1885) from a Munich manuscript. Aggadath Bereshith, consisting of homilies, is later than the close of Genesis rabba. A late edition is by B. Epstein (Shitomir, 1899). Pesikta rabbathi is a collection of homilies for festivals, and is not earlier than 850 a.d., though it is claimed that the details on which this dating depends are glosses. It is believed to have been the work of at least four authors. A critical edi-