Midrash Tehillim

Title page of Midrash Tehillim (Prague,

1613), from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia.
Rabbinic literature
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Midrash Tehillim (Hebrew: ) or Midrash to Psalms is a
haggadic midrash known since the 11th century, when it was quoted by
Nathan of Rome in his Aruk (s.v. ), by R. Isaac ben Judah ibn Ghayyat
in his Halakot (1b), and by Rashi in his commentary on I Sam. xvii. 49, and
on many other passages. This midrash is called also "Agadat Tehillim"
(Rashi on Deut. xxxiii. 7 and many other passages), or "Haggadat Tehillim"
(Aruk, s.v. , and in six other passages). From the 12th century it was
called also Shocher Tov (see Midrash Tehillim, ed. S. Buber, Introduction,
pp. 35 et seq.), because it begins with the verse Prov. xi. 27, "
", etc.
Contents [hide]
1 Editions
2 Nature of the work
3 Legends and myths
4 Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
5 External links
Editions [edit]
The true midrash covers only Ps. i.-cxviii., and this is all that is found either
in the manuscripts or in the first edition (Constantinople, 1512). In the
second edition (Thessaloniki, 1515) a supplement was added covering,
with the exception of two psalms, Ps. cxix.-cl. The author of this supplement was probably R. Mattithiah Yihari of
Zaragoza, who collected the scattered haggadot on Ps. cxix.-cl. from the Yalu, adding comments of his own. Since Ps.
cxxiii. and cxxxi. are in the Yalu, the author of the supplement included no haggadic interpretations on these two
psalms. This omission has been supplied by S. Buber, in his very full edition of the Midrash Tehillim, by printing, under
the superscription of the two psalms, collectanea from the Pesita Rabbati, Sifre, Numbers Rabbah, and the Babylonian
Talmud, so that the midrash in its present form covers the entire Book of Psalms.
Nature of the work [edit]
The name of the editor and the date of the redaction of the true midrash (Ps. i-cxviii.) cannot now be determined. The
assumption that Rav Johanan or Rav Simon, the son of R. Judah ha-Nasi, edited it can not be substantiated (comp.
Buber, l.c. pp. 34). It may, on the contrary, be shown that the midrash is not the work of a single editor. There are
many passages containing the same thought. Substantially the same haggadot appear in different forms in different
passages, e.g., Ps. vii., No. 6 and Ps. xviii., No. 13; Ps. xviii., No. 25 and Ps. xcv., No. 3; Ps. xviii., No. 26 and Ps. ciii., No.
2; Ps. xxvii., No. 7 and Ps. xciv., No. 5; Ps. xlv., No. 4 and Ps. c., No. 4; Ps. xci., No. 6 and Ps. civ., No. 3.
It has been said that the date of the redaction of the midrash cannot be determined. Haggadic collections on the Psalms
were made at a very early time, and are mentioned several times in the Talmudim and in Genesis Rabbah, e.g., Yer. Kil.
ix. 32b; Yer. Ket. xii. 3, 35a; Gen. R. xxxiii. 2; id. 33a (comp. Rashi ad loc.). But it cannot possibly be assumed that the
aggadah collections on the Psalms are identical with the present Midrash Tehillim, since the latter contains many
elements of later date.
It can not be denied, however, that much material from those old collections is included in the present midrash. It must
therefore be assumed that parts of the old collections had been preserved among the later haggadists. Then, when a
midrash to the Psalms was undertaken together with the other midrashim, homilies and comments on single verses were
collected from the most diverse sources, and were arranged together with the earlier haggadic material on the Psalms,
following the sequence of the Psalms themselves. In the course of time this collection was supplemented and enlarged
by the additions of various collections and editors, until the Midrash Tehillim finally took its present form.
Its definitive completion must, according to Zunz, be assigned to the last
centuries of the period of the Geonim, without attempting to determine
an exact date. But Zunz's assumption, that the midrash was compiled in
Italy, cannot be accepted. The work was edited in Palestine, as appears
from the language, style, and manner of haggadic interpretations. Nearly
all the amoraim mentioned in it are Palestinian rabbis, and the few
Babylonian amoraim referred to, e.g., R. ida, are mentioned also in
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Halakhic Midrash
Mekhilta de-Rabbi Yishmael on Exodus
Mekhilta de-Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai on Exodus
Sifra on Leviticus
Sifre on Numbers & Deuteronomy
Sifre Zutta on Numbers
Mekhilta on Deuteronomy
Baraita of Rabbi Ishmael
Aggadic Midrash
Tannaitic
Seder Olam Rabbah
Alphabet of Akiba ben Joseph
Baraita of the Forty-nine Rules
Baraita on the Thirty-two Rules
Baraita on Tabernacle Construction
400600
Genesis Rabbah Eichah Rabbah
Pesikta de-Rav Kahana
Esther Rabbah Midrash Iyyov
Leviticus Rabbah Seder Olam Zutta
Midrash Tanhuma Megillat Antiochus
650900
Avot of Rabbi Natan
Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer
Tanna Devei Eliyahu
Alphabet of Ben-Sira
Kohelet Rabbah Canticles Rabbah
Devarim Rabbah Devarim Zutta
Pesikta Rabbati Midrash Shmuel
Midrash Proverbs Ruth Rabbah
Baraita of Samuel Targum sheni
9001000
Ruth Zuta Eichah Zuta
Midrash Tehillim Midrash Hashkem
Exodus Rabbah Canticles Zutta
10001200
Midrash Tadshe Sefer haYashar
Later
Yalkut Shimoni Yalkut Makiri
Midrash Jonah Ein Yaakov
Midrash HaGadol Numbers Rabbah
Smaller midrashim
Rabbinic Targum
Torah
Targum Onkelos
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
Fragment Targum Targum Neofiti
Nevi'im
Targum Jonathan
Ketuvim
Targum Tehillim Targum Mishlei
Targum Iyyov
Targum to the Five Megillot
Targum Sheni to Esther
Targum to Chronicles
v t e
Babylonian amoraim referred to, e.g., R. ida, are mentioned also in
Yerushalmi (comp). Buber, l.c. p. 32, note 131).
The midrash contains homilies on the Psalms and comments on single
verses and even on single words. The homilies are as a rule introduced
with the formula "as Scripture says." In only a few cases are they
introduced as in the other midrashim, with the formula "Rabbi N. N. has
begun the discourse," or "Rabbi N. N. explains the Biblical passage."
Among the comments on single verses are many which are based on the
difference of "eri" and "ketib" (differences of enunciated and written
forms, resulting usually from transcription error; see also Masoretes) as
well as on the variant spellings of words, plene and defective. Many words,
also, are explained according to the numerical value of the letters
(Gemaria) or by analysis of their component parts (Noarion) as well as
by the substitution of other vowels ("al-tiri"; comp. the collation of all
these passages in Buber, l.c. p. 10a, b). The midrash is prone to
interpreting numbers, contributing likewise thereby important
observations on the number of the Psalms and of the sections of the
Pentateuch as well as on the number of verses in various Psalms. Thus it
enumerates 175 sections of the Pentateuch, 147 psalms (Midr. Teh. to Ps.
xix. 22), and nine verses in Ps. xx. (Midr. Teh. to Ps. xx. 2).
Legends and myths [edit]
The midrash contains a number of stories, legends, parables, proverbs,
and sentences, with many ethical and halakic maxims. Of the interesting
myths may be mentioned that of Remus and Romulus, to whom God
sends a she-wolf to suckle (Midr. Teh. to Ps. x. 6; Buber, l.c. p. 45a), and
the legend of Emperor Hadrian, who wished to measure the depth of the
Adriatic Sea (Midr. Teh. to Ps. xciii. 6; Buber, l.c. p. 208a, b). Among the
proverbs which are found only in this midrash may be mentioned the
following:
Walls have ears (Midr. Teh. to Ps. vii. 1; Buber, l.c. p. 31b), i.e., care
should be taken in disclosing secrets even in a locked room (comp.
Rashi in Ber. 8b, who quotes this proverb).
Woe to the living who prays to the dead; woe to the hero who has
need of the weak; woe to the seeing who asks help of the blind; and
woe to the century in which a woman is the leader (Midr. Teh. to Ps.
xxii. 20; Buber, l.c. p. 96b).
Many a custom may be traced to this midrash, e.g., that of not drinking
any water on the Sabbath before the evening (ur and Shulan Aruk,
Ora ayyim, 291; comp. Midr. Teh., ed. Buber, p. 51b, note 48).
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography [edit]
Midrash Tehillim, ed. Buber, Introduction, Wilna, 1891;
J. Theodor, Ueber S. Buber's Midrasch, Tehillim, reprinted from the
Menorah, Literaturblatt, Hamburg;
Zunz, G. V. pp. 266268.
External links [edit]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilhelm Bacher and Jacob Zallel Lauterbach
(19011906). "Midrash Tehillim" . Jewish Encyclopedia.
Categories: Aggadic Midrashim Psalms
Midrash Tehillim - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 15/04/2014
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