Ancient exegetes, such as the Midrash and the Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan, suggest something even more sinister behind the killing.

) It explores the views of the rabbis in the Mishnah, Talmud and Midrash about the nature of Torah, the revelation of God to mankind, prophecy, and the ways that Jews have used scriptural exegesis to expand and understand these core Jewish texts.

There is a wealth of stories and additional information about Moses in the Jewish apocrypha and in the genre of rabbinical exegesis known as Midrash, as well as in the primary works of the Jewish oral law, the Mishnah and the Talmud.

In discussions about the necessity of circumcision for those born of a Jewish mother, lending some support to the need for circumcision of converts, the Midrash states: " If thy sons accept My Godhead undergoing circumcision I shall be their God and bring them into the land ; but if they do not observe My covenant in regard either to circumcision or to the Sabbath, they shall not enter the land of promise " ( Midrash Genesis Rabbah xlvi ).

Afterwards follows the midrashim -- Midrash haNe ` elam on the megillot: Shir haShirim, Ruth, and Eikhah.

There are two opinions in the Midrash as to how old Rebekah was at the time of her marriage and, consequently, at the twins ' birth.

When Laban planned to deceive Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, the Midrash recounts that both Jacob and Rachel suspected that Laban would pull such a trick ; Laban was known as the " Aramean " ( deceiver ), and changed Jacob's wages ten times during his employ ( Genesis 31: 7 ).

Not the sons of Moses — as Moses himself had expected — but Joshua was appointed successor to the son of Amram ( Midrash Numbers Rabbah xii ).

This Midrash was reconstructed and published by Saul Lieberman.

" ( Genesis 1: 31 )— Midrash: Rabbi Nahman said in Rabbi Samuel's name: " Behold, it was good " refers to the Good Desire ; " And behold, it was very good " refers to the Evil Desire.

The Institute for Contemporary Midrash was formed to facilitate these reinterpretations of sacred texts.

According to the Midrash, only the Pharaoh was spared to give testimony to the miracle that occurred.

Because of the large number of merchant-scholars who came from throughout the Jewish world to attend the great fairs in Troyes, Rashi was able to compare different manuscripts and readings in Tosefta, Jerusalem Talmud, Midrash, Targum, and the writings of the Geonim, and determine which readings should be preferred.

According to Midrash Tehillim, the shamir was brought from paradise by Solomon's eagle ; but most of the rabbis state that Solomon was informed of the worm's haunts by Asmodeus.

According to a Midrash, the Torah was created prior to the creation of the world, and was used as the blueprint for Creation.

In the Midrash, it said that the top of the tower was burnt, the bottom was swallowed, and the middle was left standing to erode over time.

In this literature, Balaam gradually acquired a position among the non-Jews, which was exalted as much as that of Moses among the Jews ( Midrash Numbers Rabbah 20 ); at first being a mere interpreter of dreams, but later becoming a magician, until finally the spirit of prophecy descended upon him ( ib.

This view was adopted by the later Midrash and by the majority of Masoretes.

The Talmud holds it was for rebelling against Moses ( Eruvin 63b ) and the Midrash ( Vayikra Raba ) says the only hint we have is the commandment not to drink wine given to Aaron immediately after their death-an indication that they were drunk.

In the Midrash ( Tanchuma Lekh Lekhah 6 ) and later Rabbinical literature, Amraphel was identified with Nimrod ( this is also attested to in the 11th Chapter of the Book of Jasher ).

According to the Midrash, Sisera engaged in sexual intercourse with Jael seven times, but because she was attempting to exhaust him in order to kill him, her sin was for Heaven's sake and therefore praiseworthy.

According to one Midrash, it was God, or the angels, who gathered the animals to the ark, together with their food.

The Midrash Tanhuma holds that manna melted, formed liquid streams, was drunk by animals, flavored the animal flesh, and was thus indirectly eaten by Gentiles, this being the only manner that Gentiles could taste manna.

According to Midrash Leviticus rabbah he said " As in a theater and circus the statues of the king must be kept clean by him to whom they have been entrusted, so the bathing of the body is a duty of man, who was created in the image of the almighty King of the world.

Traditional Jewish exegesis such as Midrash ( Genesis Rabbah 38 ) says that Adam spoke Hebrew because the names he gives Eve-" Isha " ( Book of Genesis 2: 23 ) and " Chava " ( Genesis 3: 20 )-only make sense in Hebrew.

Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, is said by Talmud and Midrash to have been a descendant of Joshua by his marriage with the proselyte Rahab.

Midrash Sifre, Numbers 2 Friedmann, p. 2a ).

* A Midrash included in Genesis Rabba attributes a major act of iconoclasm to Abraham.

Even so, all Jewish religious movements are, to a greater or lesser extent, based on the principles of the Hebrew Bible and various commentaries such as the Talmud and Midrash.

Halakha, the rabbinic Jewish way of life, then, is based on a combined reading of the Torah, and the oral tradition-the Mishnah, the halakhic Midrash, the Talmud and its commentaries.

According to the Midrash, he came into the world on the same day that Rabbi Akiva died a martyr's death.

According to the Midrash, the plural form of the word " weeping " indicates the double sorrow that Rebecca also died at this time.

The Midrash says that during Rebekah's pregnancy whenever she would pass a house of Torah study, Jacob would struggle to come out ; whenever she would pass a house of idolatry, Esau would agitate to come out.

18 ) is construed as a reference to Joshua ( Midrash Numbers Rabbah xii.

), as is also the first part of the same verse, " Whoso keepes the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof " ( Midrash Yalk., Josh.

According to the Talmud, the Midrash, and the Kabbalistic work, the Zohar, the ' deadline ' by which the Messiah must appear is 6000 years from creation.

The Midrash is one of the few ancient religious texts that makes reference to same-sex marriage.

After collaborating with a Jewish convert to assist him with the Hebrew, Justin published an attack on Judaism based upon a no-longer-extant text of a Midrash.

Likewise it discusses individual subjects more thoroughly than the Midrash.

It includes a much broader selection of halakhic subjects than the Midrash.

This is in contrast with the Midrash halakha, works in which the sources of the traditionally received laws are identified in the Tanakh, often by linking a verse to a halakha.

The Hebrew term Midrash (; plural midrashim, " story " from " to investigate " or " study ") also " Interpretation " or " Exposition " is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis.

Midrash is a way of interpreting biblical stories that goes beyond simple distillation of religious, legal or moral teachings.

The Midrash concentrates somewhat on remez but mostly on derash ( Some thinkers divide PaRDeS into pshat, remez, din ( law ) and sod.

It is unclear whether the Midrash assumes these dialogues took place in reality or if this refers only to subtext or religious implication.

Some Midrash discussions are highly metaphorical, and many Jewish authors stress that they are not intended to be taken literally.