Editing Midrashic hermeneutical resources (section)

==Ancient and pre-modern sources who make use of midrashic hermeneutical methodologies==
* The "[[derash|midrashic]]" label used on this page originates from the work of [[Chazal]], the Jewish sages responsible for the Mishnah, Midrash, and Talmud
* Patristic:
** The hymns of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephrem_the_Syrian Ephrem the Syrian] often interweave symbols from different parts of Scripture in insightful ways.
* Rishonim
** Sometimes Rashi. Rabbi David Fohrman has a theory that Rashi alternates between two entirely different approaches in his commentary, and it is important to know which you are dealing with. When his contemporary readers would need help with the [[peshat]] layer of the text, e.g. meanings of archaic Hebrew words, he supplies that. But with texts that are already easy to understand on your own he goes deeper, introducing you to the world of midrash by alluding to the stories, pointing to the [[gunpowder and trigger]], etc.
** Rabbeinu Bachya is one of the more frequent users of midrashic materials (as per ChatGPT)
** Ramban frequently ''interacts'' with the actual Midrash texts, but more from an analytical perspective
* Puritan "flavoring." Although the Puritans don't generally tend to engage in ''full on'' midrashic-style interpretation, they do nevertheless frequently make ''micro-usage'' of it in colorful illustrations that add spice and memorability to their writings, for example:
** "The tree of the cross being cast into the waters of affliction hath rendered them wholesome and medicinal."<ref>John Owen, Pneumatologia, Book IV, Chap 4, pg 447.</ref>
* Relatively recent precursors:
** Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck’s ''Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Midrash'' from the 1920s precedes our classification of [[the modern midrashic hermeneutical reformation]].
** "It is difficult to give a precise date for the inception of the literary approach to biblical study. Many 20th century scholars incorporated elements of this method in their work, including Martin Buber, Franz Rosensweig, Benno Jacob, Umberto Cassuto, and Nehama Leibowitz. More recently though, scholars such as Adele Berlin, Michael Fishbane, Meir Sternberg, and Robert Alter can be credited as the first to fully embody the literary approach as defined above. With Alter being the most well-known of the group, let’s examine his approach.<br/> In his seminal work, ''The Art of Biblical Narrative'', Alter [1981] argues that the literary structure and unity of the Torah indicate a deliberate authorial intent..."<ref name=curwin>Curwin, David. "[https://dafaleph.com/s/Orthodox-Literary-Approach.pdf The Orthodox Literary Approach: Opening Doors and Closing Gaps]." https://dafaleph.com. Cited Feb 2, 2025.</ref>