Midrash

Midrash (Hebrew darash,”interpretation”), term applied to Jewish expository and exegetical writings on the Scriptures. These writings consist of the interpretations by different rabbis of the laws and customs set forth in the Old Testament. The earliest elements of the Midrashic writings appear to have been produced before 100 bc by the scribes. The material contained in the Midrash is divided into three groups; the abstract Halakhah, consisting of the traditional law; the Halakhah Midrash, a deduction of the traditional law from the written law; and the Haggadic Midrash (see Haggada), consisting of legends, sermons, and interpretations of the narrative parts of the Bible and concerning ethics and theology rather than law. The forms and styles of these writings show considerable flexibility, ranging from parables to sermons to codifications of law.