Profile of a Midrash
The Art of Composition in Leviticus Rabba
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8201169 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joseph Heinemann (University of Manchester, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1971 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 141-150 |
| Publication date | 1971-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the American Academy of Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-7189 • E-ISSN: 1477-4585 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/jaarel/xxxix.2.141 |
| OpenAlex | W2024439145 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
HE unknown, fifth-century author of Leviticus Rabba' has produced a highly individual piece of work, original in conception and executed skillfully and imaginatively. Even though he was but a compiler of traditional material, which he collected and arranged, and although he did not, presumably, create any aggadot of his own-in this respect he was not different from the authors of the other old midrashim--he undoubtedly succeeded in leaving the imprint of his personality on his work. For one thing, consider the choice of the biblical book to which he devoted his compilation. There can hardly be a less promising field for aggadic treatment than Leviticus, most of which is devoted to details of sacrificial ritual, laws of impurity, lists of forbidden and permitted fowl, and the like. The first part of the book, comprising more than half, would appear extremely barren ground for developing themes concerning faith or creeds, moral behavior or piety, or the suffering of Israel and its hope of redemption. There seems to be little opportunity here to present sermons of more general significance, which would be likely to appeal to a wide circle of readers, who expect not intricate and involved details of halakhah-most of it no longer even applicable in practice after the destruction of the Temple!-but edification, religious insights, and words of hope and encouragement relevant to their own situation of increasing despondency and despair under Roman-Christian rule, which became more and more oppressive as time went on. Surely it is no mean feat to provide all that and more in homilies based on texts dealing with the details of meal-offerings and sin-offerings, with cloven-footed beasts that are chewing the cud, or with
Art · Composition (language) · Judaism · Literature · Midrash · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Mormonism, Religion, and History · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,07 |
| Citation span | 1981 - 2022 (42) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |