Midrash VaYosha: A Medieval Midrash on the Song at the SeaRachel S. Mikva undertakes a close examination of Midrash vaYosha, a medieval rabbinic text which explicates the Song at the Sea (Ex 15:1-18) and the events of the exodus from Egypt leading up to that climactic moment. Relatively short midrashim focusing on a brief biblical narrative or theme were composed in large numbers during the medieval period, and their extant manuscripts are sufficient in number to demonstrate the great popularity of the genre. Based on early manuscripts, two different recensions are transcribed and translated with significant annotation exploring variants, parallels, exegetical significance and literary style. A thorough historical analysis suggests that the midrash was performed as explication of the Torah reading at a certain point in its development - part of the gradual attenuation of live Targum. As Midrash vaYosha leaves the synagogue, its narrative dimension grows tremendously, yielding significant insight into the development of medieval Jewish exegesis. |
Contents
1 Then Moses sang | 9 |
Manuscripts and Stemmatic Analysis | 10 |
63 | 21 |
E Recension B and the Development of Narrative | 25 |
301518 | 39 |
Evolution of an Exegetical Narrative | 80 |
2 Yah is my strength and my song | 98 |
3 The Lord is a man of | 112 |
12 You put out Your right hand | 196 |
14 The peoples hear | 210 |
15 Now they are dismayed | 218 |
Manuscript Descriptions | 253 |
Endnotes | 269 |
98 | 277 |
99 | 283 |
103 | 289 |
4 Pharaohs chariots | 122 |
5 The deeps covered them | 132 |
6 Your right hand O Lord is glorious in power | 135 |
7 In Your great triumph | 144 |
Character Development The Transformation of Pharaoh | 186 |
196 | 298 |
| 323 | |
| 343 | |
| 356 | |
Common terms and phrases
Abraham Aggadah akeidah angel Aramaic Armilos Ashkenazi biblical Binding of Isaac Blessed Holy Chronicles of Moses commentary Copied Divine drowned Edom Egypt Egyptians Eliezer exegesis exegetical Exodus explication Family B2 first-born God's Hebrew Hebrew Manuscripts interpretation Isaac Israel Israelites Jerusalem Jethro Jewish Theological Seminary king lemma Lord medieval Messiah Midrash vaYosha midrashim Moses motif narrative Oxford paleography parallel Passover Pesiq Pharaoh Pirqe piyyut plague prayerbook rabbinic literature Recension redaction Related publication right hand Sages Satan scribe Sefer Zerubbabel Shavuot Shimoni Song Stemberger story synagogue Talmud Tanh Targum Targum Pseudo-Jonathan textual Torah reading tradition translation verse אברהם אותם אחד אלא באותה שעה בו בים בני בשעה דבר הב"ה הביא עליהם הים הקב"ה ואחר ואמר ואמרו וכל יי ים יצחק ישראל כן לו לי לך לכך נאמר מיד מן מפני מצרים משה פרעה רבונו של עולם שהיה שהיו שלא שנאמר