Midrash Aseret ha-Dibrot
Encyclopedia
Midrash Aseret ha-Dibrot (Hebrew: מדרש עשרת הדיברות) or Midrash of the Ten Statements is one of the smaller midrashim
which dates, according to A. Jellinek, from about the 10th century, and which is devoted entirely to the Feast of Weeks, being actually called in a Vatican library
manuscript "a haggadah for Shabu'ot."
by citing pertinent tales of a moral and religious nature, and he employs, in addition to much material from unknown sources, many passages from treatises on the Creation, revelation, and similar topics, which he introduces with the phrase "ameru ḥakamim" (the sages say); he seldom cites his authorities. He writes in a lucid Hebrew style. The separate commandments are prefaced by a general introduction based on Ps.
cvi. 2: "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?" This verse is explained, with reference to Pirḳe R. El. iii., as follows: "Even the angels are unable to recount His mighty acts; only faintly may be shown what He hath created and what shall come to pass, that the name of the King of all kings, the Holy One, blessed be He! may be praised and honored."
of the strife of the letters, which contended with each other for the honor of forming the beginning of creation. The victor in this contest was the letter "bet," the initial of the word בראשית, while "alef" was comforted by the promise that with it, as the first letter of אנכי, the revelation of the Ten Commandments
should begin (comp. the recension of the Midrash of the Alphabet in A. Jellinek, B. H. iii. 50 et seq.; Gen. R. i., ed. Theodor, p. 9).
The word אנכי is explained as a noṭariḳon
and as Egyptian (comp. Shab. 105a; Pesiḳ.
109a). This section is followed by a mystic and cosmological discussion of the magnitude of the world, of the waters above and below the firmament, and of the seven heavens (comp. Seder Rabbah de-Bereshit in Wertheimer, Batte Midrashot, i. 9, 22 et seq.). The introduction then makes excursus on the modesty of Moses
, which gained for him the honor of God's revelation of the Torah
; on the preexistence of the Torah, and on God's invitation to the Gentiles to accept it, which they all refused; and on the pledges which God required of Israel to keep the Torah, these pledges being their children (comp. Cant. R. to Cant. i. 3).
In the discussion of the several commandments (דיבור ראשון, etc., to דיבור תשיעי, which are included in the editions of this midrash) only the first and sixth commandments, which have no story attached to them, are treated at any length in haggadic fashion. In the case of the other commandments, legends form the principal part of the discussion, and are arranged as follows:
Smaller midrashim
A number of midrashim exist which are smaller in size, and generally later in date, than those dealt with in the articles Midrash Haggadah and Midrash Halakah....
which dates, according to A. Jellinek, from about the 10th century, and which is devoted entirely to the Feast of Weeks, being actually called in a Vatican library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
manuscript "a haggadah for Shabu'ot."
Goals of the Midrash
The author of the Midrash seeks to inculcate the doctrines of the DecalogueTen Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
by citing pertinent tales of a moral and religious nature, and he employs, in addition to much material from unknown sources, many passages from treatises on the Creation, revelation, and similar topics, which he introduces with the phrase "ameru ḥakamim" (the sages say); he seldom cites his authorities. He writes in a lucid Hebrew style. The separate commandments are prefaced by a general introduction based on Ps.
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
cvi. 2: "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?" This verse is explained, with reference to Pirḳe R. El. iii., as follows: "Even the angels are unable to recount His mighty acts; only faintly may be shown what He hath created and what shall come to pass, that the name of the King of all kings, the Holy One, blessed be He! may be praised and honored."
Sample of Contents
After a few sentences follows the aggadahAggadah
Aggadah refers to the homiletic and non-legalistic exegetical texts in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash...
of the strife of the letters, which contended with each other for the honor of forming the beginning of creation. The victor in this contest was the letter "bet," the initial of the word בראשית, while "alef" was comforted by the promise that with it, as the first letter of אנכי, the revelation of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
should begin (comp. the recension of the Midrash of the Alphabet in A. Jellinek, B. H. iii. 50 et seq.; Gen. R. i., ed. Theodor, p. 9).
The word אנכי is explained as a noṭariḳon
Notarikon
Notarikon is a method of deriving a word, akin to the creation of an acronym, by using each of its initial or final letters to stand for another word, forming a sentence or idea out of the words. Another variation entails using the first and last letters, or the two middle letters of a word,...
and as Egyptian (comp. Shab. 105a; Pesiḳ.
Pesikta
Pesikta refers to two collections of rabbinic literature:* Pesikta de-Rav Kahana* Pesikta Rabbati...
109a). This section is followed by a mystic and cosmological discussion of the magnitude of the world, of the waters above and below the firmament, and of the seven heavens (comp. Seder Rabbah de-Bereshit in Wertheimer, Batte Midrashot, i. 9, 22 et seq.). The introduction then makes excursus on the modesty of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, which gained for him the honor of God's revelation of the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
; on the preexistence of the Torah, and on God's invitation to the Gentiles to accept it, which they all refused; and on the pledges which God required of Israel to keep the Torah, these pledges being their children (comp. Cant. R. to Cant. i. 3).
In the discussion of the several commandments (דיבור ראשון, etc., to דיבור תשיעי, which are included in the editions of this midrash) only the first and sixth commandments, which have no story attached to them, are treated at any length in haggadic fashion. In the case of the other commandments, legends form the principal part of the discussion, and are arranged as follows:
- commandment ii., the mother and her seven children, the limping Jew;
- commandment iii., one who never swore;
- commandment iv., the pious man and the cow; Joseph, who kept holy the Sabbath-day, the emperor and R. Joshua b. Hananiah, Tinnius Rufus and Rabbi Akiba
- commandment v., three examples of the love of children, the child and the Book of Genesis
- commandment vii., the temptation of Mattithiah b. Ḥeresh, Rabbi MeïrRabbi MeirRabbi Meir or Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishna. He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the fourth generation . According to legend , his father was a descendant of the Roman Emperor Nero who had converted to Judaism. His wife Bruriah is...
and the wife of his host, Mattaniah's wife and death; the history of SaulSaul-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
, who by the help of Elijah was reunited with his wife after a long separation - commandment viii., SolomonSolomonSolomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
and the thief, the merchant and the thievish innkeeper; - commandment ix., the son of the publican Baya.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- ZunzZunzZunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, G. V. pp. 142, 144; - JellinekJellinekJellinek is a surname and may refer to:* Adolf Jellinek , an Austrian rabbi and scholar.** Max Hermann Jellinek , son of Adolf Jellinek* E...
, B. H. i., p. xviii.; - text of the Midrash, ib. pp. 62-90;
- Benjacob, Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 301;
- Horowitz, Uralte Tosefta's, v. 66 et seq.;
- Wertheimer, Batte Midrashot, ii. 8, 26. On another recension of this midrash in the Ḥibbur ha-Ma'asiyyot, Verona, 1647, which contains a story on the honor due the Torah, as well as on a , and which is contained in a manuscript of historical miscellanies, comp. A. Epstein in Ha-Shaḥar, i. 67;
- Maḥzor Vitry, Introduction, p. 183.
- Winter and Wünsche's Die Jüdische Litteratur, i. 669 et seq., contains a translation of some fragments of another midrash to the Ten Commandments, attributed to Saadia GaonSaadia GaonSaʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...
(comp. - Eisenstadter, Arabischer Midrasch zu den Zehn Geboten, Vienna, 1868; see also Weiss, Dor, iv. 152).