Midrash Hashkem

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Midrash Hashkem, also known as Midrash ve-Hizhir, is an

Pentateuch. It roughly follows the Torah from Exodus 8 to Numbers
20.

Names

The midrash begins with a haggadic passage, which, belonging to Exodus 8:16 ("Vayomer hashkem ba-boker"), is found also in the earlier editions of Tanḥuma.[1] The work was called "Hashkem" after the second word in this introductory sentence. Other authors called the midrash "VeHizhir," after the standing formula "VeHizhir haḲadosh barukh Hu," with which nearly all the pericopes in the midrash as now extant begin, and which is occasionally found at the beginning of a new section in the middle of the pericope. No one, however, quotes Hashkem and VeHizhir together as two different works.

Contents

The first part of the Munich codex, after which the work was published by

Bo
".

This midrash took its

Bemidbar' to the 'dine bekor'".[3]

The aggadic portions are those mentioned above; also part 1, pp. 4a et seq. (from the

Vayikra Rabbah 9); p. 128b (from Sifra
), etc.

The midrash, which ends in the edition with the

Grünhut
assume). The differences are not important, and both differences and omissions may be due to variations in the copies or to different revisions.

The work is quoted as early as the mid-11th century as a recognized authority. Zunz dates its authorship to the tenth century.

The assumption of the editor expressed even in the title, that Ḥefeẓ Alluf is the author of the work, lacks support.

The quotations from Hashkem by the old authors have been collected by Grünhut.[6]

References

  1. ^ ed. Stettin, s.v. "Va'era," p. 14
  2. ^ Part 1, Leipsic, 1873; part 2, Warsaw, 1880
  3. ^ Zunz, G. S. 3:258
  4. ^ l.c. pp. 251 et seq.
  5. A. Geiger
    's Jüd. Zeit. 1875, pp. 95 et seq.
  6. ^ "Sefer ha-Liḳḳuṭim," part i.
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainSinger, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Midrash Haggadah". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
  • Text of Midrash Hashkem (scrolling up displays the introduction with which the midrash was published in Otzar Midrashim, New York, 1915)