The Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash

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ISBN: 9780761834892 | 0761834893
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 6/28/2006

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The Rabbinic Midrash, founded on a theological system and structure, is comprised by active category formations that turn facts into knowledge and knowledge into propositions of a theological character. This work defines the principal parts of the theological system that animated the Rabbinic sages' encounters with Scripture as embodied in the Rabbinic Midrash, and shows how these parts form a cogent theological system.

PREFACE

xiii

INTRODUCTION

xix

i. The Proposition of this Study

xix

ii. System and Structure

xxi

iii. What is "Midrash"?

xxii

iv. What Do I Mean by "Theology"?

xxiii

v. Defining the Proposition: What Do I Mean by "Theological Foundations"?

xxviii

vi. What, Exactly, Do I Mean by "Category-Formation"?

xxxi

vii. Scoping Out the Theological Foundations: Three Questions of Method

xxxv

a. How to Turn Random Data into the Stuff of Cogent Generalizations? Inductively Defining Theological Category-Formations within Rabbinic Midrash

xxxvi

b. How Do We Know We Discern a System? Demonstrating the Active Working of Theological Category-Formations and the System and Structure that They Comprise

c. Do All Midrash-Compilations Participate in a Theological system? Setting Forth a Null-Hypothesis: Data and Documents that Do not Expose Foundations of a Theological Character at All

xlvi

viii. The Way Forward

xlviii

PART ONE THE COMMON THEOLOGY OF RABBINIC MIDRASH

1. THE THEOLOGICAL CATEGORY-FORMATIONS OF RABBINIC MIDRASH [1]: GOD AND MAN, GOD AND ISRAEL

(28)

i. Defining the Category-Formation

(2)

ii. Pesiqta deRab Kahana

(3)

iii. Genesis Rabbah

(2)

iv. Song of Songs Rabbah

(4)

v. Leviticus Rabbah

(2)

vi. Lamentations Rabbati

(2)

vii. Ruth Rabbah

(1)

viii. Esther Rabbah I

(1)

ix. Sifré to Deuteronomy

(1)

x. Mekhilta Attributed to R. Ishmael

(2)

xi. Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash: The Doctrine of God in relationship to Man and to Israel

(8)

2. THE THEOLOGICAL CATEGORY-FORMATIONS OF RABBINIC MIDRASH [2]: GOD, ISRAEL, AND THE NATIONS

(34)

i. Defining the Category-Formation

(3)

ii. Pesiqta deRab Kahana

(2)

iii. Genesis Rabbah

(1)

iv. Song of Songs Rabbah

(2)

v. Leviticus Rabbah

(2)

vi. Lamentations Rabbati

(2)

vii. Ruth Rabbah

(1)

viii. Esther Rabbah I

(1)

ix. Sifré to Deuteronomy

(1)

x. Mekhilta Attributed to R. Ishmael

(1)

xi. Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash: The Doctrine of God, Israel, and the Nations

(19)

3. THE THEOLOGICAL CATEGORY-FORMATIONS OF RABBINIC MIDRASH [3]: GOD'S JUSTICE AND GOD'S MERCY

(28)

i. Defining the Category-Formation

(1)

ii Pesiqta deRab Kahana

(1)

iii. Genesis Rabbah

(1)

iv. Song of Songs Rabbah

(1)

v. Leviticus Rabbah

(1)

vi. Lamentations Rabbati

(3)

vii. Ruth Rabbah

(1)

viii. Esther Rabbah I

(1)

ix. Sifré to Deuteronomy

(1)

x. Mekhilta Attributed to R. Ishmael

(2)

xi. Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash: The Doctrine of Divine Justice and Mercy

(18)

4. THE THEOLOGICAL CATEGORY-FORMATIONS OF RABBINIC MIDRASH [4]: GOD'S JUDGMENT, ISRAEL'S REPENTANCE AND ATONEMENT; GOD'S REMORSE, ISRAEL'S CONSOLATION

(16)

i. Defining the Category-Formation

(1)

ii Pesiqta deRab Kahana

(2)

iii. Genesis Rabbah

(1)

iv. Song of Songs Rabbah

(1)

v. Leviticus Rabbah

(1)

vi. Lamentations Rabbati

(1)

vii. Ruth Rabbah

(1)

viii. Esther Rabbah I

(1)

ix. Sifré to Deuteronomy

(1)

x. Mekhilta Attributed to R. Ishmael

(1)

xi. Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash: The Doctrine of Repentance and Reconciliation

(8)

5. THE THEOLOGICAL CATEGORY-FORMATIONS OF RABBINIC MIDRASH [5]: RESTORATION. THE END OF DAYS

107

(26)

i. Defining the Category-Formation

107

(1)

ii. Pesiqta deRab Kahana

108

(1)

iii. Genesis Rabbah

109

(4)

iv. Song of Songs Rabbah

113

(1)

v. Leviticus Rabbah

114

(1)

vi. Lamentations Rabbati

115

(2)

vii. Ruth Rabbah

117

(2)

viii. Esther Rabbah I

119

(1)

ix. Sifré to Deuteronomy

119

(1)

x. Mekhilta Attributed to R. Ishmael

119

(1)

xi. Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash: The Eschatological Doctrine

120

(13)

PART TWO SPECIAL CASES AND GENERAL CONCEPTIONS

6. SPECIAL CASES: THEOLOGICAL CATEGORY-FORMATIONS PARTICULAR TO A SINGLE DOCUMENT

133

(55)

i. The Nine Documents' Distinctive Theological Category-Formations

133

(1)

ii Pesiqta deRab Kahana

134

(4)

a. The Proposition Particular to Pesiqta deRab Kahana

134

(1)

b. The Singular Statement of Pesiqta deRab Kahana

135

(1)

c. Does Pesiqta deRab Kahana Form a Theological Statement on its Own?

136

(1)

d. In the Context of the Theology of Rabbinic Judaism. What Does Pesiqta deRab Kahana Contribute?

137

(1)

iii. Genesis Rabbah

138

(7)

a. Category-Formations Particular to Genesis Rabbah [1] The Torah Contains the Design for Creation

140

(1)

b. Category-Formations Particular to Genesis Rabbah [2]. Abraham Represents the Beginning of God's People on Earth. The Merit that Accrues in one Generation to the Benefit of Another Generation

141

(2)

c. What Is Particular to Genesis Rabbah?

143

(2)

iv. Song of Songs Rabbah

145

(5)

a. Words of Torah Form the Medium for Israel to Know God's Love

146

(1)

b. The Commandments are the Marks of Israel's Distinction before God

146

(2)

c. Sexual Restraint Characterizes Israel

148

(1)

d. Does Song of Songs Rabbah Form a Theological Statement on its Own?

148

(1)

e. In the Context of the Theology of Rabbinic Judaism: What Does Song of Songs Rabbah Contribute?

149

(1)

v. Leviticus Rabbah

150

(8)

a. Moses Was the Most Favored of all Those with Whom God communicated

151

(1)

b. An offering that Atones for Sin is Superior to One that Does not

151

(1)

c. God Asks Little, but Even That the Soul Cannot accommodate

151

(1)

d. Atonement Is Effected through the Temple Offerings

152

(1)

e. The Temple mount is Source of All Blessings

152

(1)

f. The Inductive Category-Formations and their Coherence

152

(1)

g. Does Leviticus Rabbah Form a Theological Statement on its Own?

153

(1)

h. In the Context of the Theology of Rabbinic Judaism: What Does Leviticus Rabbah Contribute?

154

(4)

vi. Lamentations Rabbati

158

(10)

a. Restoration: God will Bring the End through the Royal messiah at a Time of his Own Choosing, and His Hand is Not to be Forced

159

(1)

b. Teleology without Eschatology: What Has Become of "the End of Days"?

160

(1)

c. The Absence of Future History Discerned in Scripture: Creation Contains within Itself Signals of What Would Happen in Future History 160 The Absence of Zekhut, The Merit that Accrues in One Generation to the Benefit of Another Generation

161

(1)

e. The Absence of the Doctrine, The Righteous Receive their Reward Later On

162

(1)

f. The Absence of the Doctrine, the Commandments are the Marks of Israel's Distinction before God

162

(1)

g. The Theological Category-Formation Particular to Lamentations Rabbati: God Showed Special Favor to Israel by Punishing Israel for Sin

163

(1)

h. The Statement of Lamentations Rabbati in the Context of the Theology of Rabbinic Judaism

163

(5)

i. What Does Lamentations Rabbati Contribute?

168

(1)

vii. Ruth Rabbah

168

(7)

a. The Proposition Particular to Ruth Rabbah

169

(1)

b. The Singular Statement of Ruth Rabbah

170

(4)

c. Does Ruth Rabbah Form a Theological Statement on its Own?

174

(1)

d. In the Context of the Theology of Rabbinic Judaism, What Does Ruth Rabbah Contribute?

174

(1)

viii. Esther Rabbah I

175

(5)

a. The Statement of Esther Rabbah I in the Context of the Theology of Rabbinic Judaism

176

(4)

b. Does Esther Rabbah I Contribute?

180

(1)

ix. Sifré to Deuteronomy

180

(6)

a. Propositions Particular to Sifré to Deuteronomy

180

(1)

b. The Statement of Sifré to Deuteronomy in the Context of the Theology of Rabbinic Judaism

181

(1)

c. Does Sifré to Deuteronomy Form a Theological Statement on its Own?

181

(1)

d. The Implicit Theology of Sift-6 to Deuteronomy: Israel and the Covenant, the Meaning of History, the Community and its Governance

181

(5)

e. The Implicit Theology: The Theology of Rabbinic Judaism in Exegetical Form

186

(1)

x. Mekhilta Attributed to R. Ishmael

186

(2)

a. Propositions Particular to Mekhilta attributed to R. Ishmael

186

(1)

b. What Does Mekhilta Attributed to R. Ishmael Contribute?

187

(1)

XI. SPECIAL CASES AND GENERAL CONCEPTIONS: HOW WEIGHTY ARE THE CATEGORY-FORMATIONS PARTICULAR TO THE SEVERAL DOCUMENTS?

188

(63)

a. Special Cases

188

(1)

b. General Conceptions: Modes of Thought Common to the Rabbinic Midrash-Compilations

188

(1)

c. The Rabbis' Recombinant Exegesis: From Parts to Whole to Parts Again

189

(6)

PART THREE MIDRASH-COMPILATIONS WITHOUT CONVENTIONAL THEOLOGICAL CATEGORY-FORMATIONS

7. THE IMPLICIT THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SIFRA

195

(18)

i. Identifying Sifra

195

(7)

ii. The Topical Program of Sifra

202

(4)

a. God and Man, God and Israel

204

(1)

b. God and the Nations, Israel and the Nations

204

(1)

c. Divine Justice and Mercy

205

(1)

d. God's Judgment, Israel's Repentance and Atonement; God's Remorse, Israel's Consolation

205

(1)

e. Restoration; God will Bring the End through the Royal Messiah at a Time of his Own Choosing, and His Hand is Not to be Forced

206

(1)

iii. Sifra's Implicit Theology of Revelation

206

(7)

8. MIDRASH WITHOUT THEOLOGY: SIFRÉ TO NUMBERS

213

i. Midrash without Theology: The Case of Sifré to Numbers

213

(1)

ii. The Theological Propositions of Sifré to Numbers: How They Cohere in an Inductive Reading

214

(3)

a. God and Man, God and Israel

214

(1)

b. God and the Nations, Israel and the Nations

215

(1)

c. Israel's Encounter with God through the Torah

215

(1)

d. Divine Justice and Mercy

215

(1)

e. God's Judgment, Israel's Repentance and Atonement; God's Remorse. Israel's Consolation

216

(1)

f. Restoration: God will Bring the End through the Royal Messiah at a Time of his Own Choosing, and His Hand is Not to he Forced

216

(1)

g. The End of Days

216

(1)

h. Midrash without Theology

216

(1)

iii. What Does Sifré to Numbers Contribute? The Contrast with Mishnah-Tosefta Sotah

217

(1)

iv. How Sifré to Numbers Reads Numbers 5

218

(16)

v. How the Halakhic Documents, the Mishnah and the Tosefta, Read Numbers 5

234

(12)

vi. The Null-Hypothesis: What Would a Midrash-Compilation Look Like if it Lacked a Theological Component

246

(5)

PART FOUR RABBINIC JUDAISM: THE THEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION

9. THE PLACE OF THE RABBINIC MIDRASH-COMPILATIONS IN THE ENCOMPASSING THEOLOGY OF RABBINIC JUDAISM, AGGADIC AND HALAKHIC

251

i. The Aggadic Theology of the Rabbinic Midrash-Compilations in Canonical Context: The Aggadah and the Halakhah

251

(3)

ii. The Principal Parts of the Rabbinic Theology: The Aggadic System

254

(3)

iii. The Principal Parts of the Rabbinic Theology: The Halakhic System

257

(6)

iv. The Halakhah in the Context of the Aggadah

263

(8)

v. The Place of the Rabbinic Midrash-Compilations in the Encompassing Theology of Rabbinic Judaism, Aggadic and Halakhic

271

(3)

vi. Exegesis or Eisegesis: Do the Rabbinic Sages Accurately Replicate the Program of Scripture?

274

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The Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

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The Theological Foundations of Rabbinic Midrash

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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