Midrash Vayosha () is an 11th-century CE
midrash
''Midrash'' (;["midrash"]
. ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ; or ''midrashot' ...
, one of the
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.
Despite their late date, some of these works preserve material from the Apocrypha and P ...
. It is based on
Exodus 14:30-15:18. It is an exposition in the style of the later
aggadah
Aggadah (, or ; ; 'tales', 'legend', 'lore') is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly the Talmud and Midrash. In general, Aggadah is a compendium of rabbinic texts that incorporat ...
, and seems to have been intended for
Shabbat Shirah or for the seventh day of
Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt.
According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...
.
Sources
Entire sections of ''Midrash Vayosha'' are taken verbatim from the
Tanhuma
Midrash Tanhuma (), also known as Yelammedenu, is the name given to a homiletic midrash on the entire Torah, and it is known in several different versions or collections. Tanhuma bar Abba is not the author of the text but instead is a figure to w ...
, such as the passage on
Exodus 15:3 and on 15:5. The story in the exposition of Exodus 14:30, concerning
Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
, who appeared before
Abraham
Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...
and
Isaac
Isaac ( ; ; ; ; ; ) is one of the three patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith. Isaac first appears in the Torah, in wh ...
as they went to the sacrifice, may be compared with similar stories in several other works of midrash. The midrash on Exodus 15:2,7 also contains extracts from the ''
Chronicle of Moses''; the passage on Usa, the genius of Egypt, agreeing word for word with the excerpt in
Yalkut Shimoni
The ''Yalkut Shimoni'' (), or simply ''Yalkut'', is an aggadic compilation on the books of the Hebrew Bible. It is a compilation of older interpretations and explanations of Biblical passages, arranged according to the sequence of those portions ...
§ 241. Here the first edition has merely "Midrash," while other editions give the ''
Midrash Abkir'' as the source, although it is doubtful whether this aggadah ever occurred in that work.
Contents
The sections begin for the most part with the words ''ameru hachamim'', although
Joshua ben Levi and
Samuel ben Nahman
Samuel ben Nahman (), or Samuel arNahmani (), was a rabbi and amora mentioned throughout the Talmud and Midrashic literature who lived in the Land of Israel from the beginning of the 3rd century CE until the start of the 4th century CE.
Biograp ...
are occasionally given as the authors.
In the exposition of Exodus 15:18 on the sorrows and the redemption in the Messianic time, the terrible figure of
Armilus
Armilus (; also spelled Armilos and Armilius) is an anti-messiah figure in medieval Jewish eschatology who will conquer the whole Earth, centralizing in Jerusalem and persecuting the Jewish believers until his final defeat at the hands of the Je ...
is described. It is said that he will slay the
Messiah son of Joseph, but will himself be slain by the
Messiah who is the son of David; God will then gather together the scattered remnant of Israel and hold the final judgment. The wonderful beauty of a new world full of joy and happiness is revealed.
Editions
The midrash was first published at Constantinople in 1519, and has been reprinted by
A. Jellinek.
[''Bet. Ha.Midrash'' i. 35-57, Jerusalem 1967, 3rd Ed.]
References
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
*
Zunz, G. V. p. 282
* Rab Pe'alim, p. 55
*
A. Jellinek, Bet. Ha.Midrasch Band I., IV, Einl. p. xvii. p. 35-57; German Transl. A. Wünsche, I, S.93
*
Benjacob, Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 299
{{Authority control
Smaller midrashim