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Learning to Read Midrash
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Midrash
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Contents
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IntroductionChapter 1; Understanding the Mashal (The Midrashic Parable)Chapter 2; The Methodology of the Mashal; God and Avraham as King and WarriorChapter 3; The Petihta; Using a Verse to Interpret a Verse; The Passerby and the FortressChapter 4; The Role of the Prooftext; The Lady and Her AttendantsChapter 5; Engaging the Reader in Dialogue; The Servant in the GraveyardChapter 6; Mashal as Dialectic; Questioning God About the AkedaChapter 7; The Affective Force of a Mashal; Aharon "Purifies" GodChapter 8; Understanding the Narrative ExpansionChapter 9; Exploring a Midrashic Story; Avraham Breaks the IdolsChapter 10; Resolving a Discrepancy; Moshe and His Father's VoiceChapter 11; Exploring the Significance of a Gesture; Moshe Hides His FaceChapter 12; Interpreting Dialogue I; Moshe Resists His MissionChapter 13; Interpreting Dialogue II; What is God's Name?Chapter 14; The Meaning of a Chronological Problem; Connecting Yosef and YehudaChapter 15; Portrait of a Biblical Personality; Exploring David's Heart in the Aftermath of SinChapter 16; Reading Between the Lines; Hazal "Rewrite" the Story of Hana
Appendix; Hebrew Sources
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About This Text

Author: Simi Peters
Learning to Read Midrash is a 21st-century English book that presents a systematic approach to studying Midrash. Its introduction defines Midrash, discusses why it can be so difficult to understand, and explains how the rabbinic sages used midrash to interpret the biblical text. The book's main sections explore two genres of Midrash, the parable (mashal) and the midrashic story, and utilize detailed readings to demonstrate how to "translate" the language of the sages into contemporary terminology. The book aims to convey a sensitivity to the language and meanings of the Tanakh and to develop a reverent appreciation for the language and teachings of the sages.

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