Midrash Hashkem
Encyclopedia
Midrash Hashkem, also known as Midrash ve-Hizhir is a purely haggadic midrash on the Pentateuch. It took its halakic portion from the Talmudic sources, the baraita on the erection of the Tabernacle
, the She'eltot of Aḥa of Shabḥa, and the Halakot Gedolot, the She'eltot also being arranged according to the one-year cycle and being in its minor portions especially dependent on Tanḥuma
.
," is erroneously combined with a passage to Ex. x. 21—which also, perhaps, was taken from Tanḥuma—as belonging to the pericope "Bo
" The midrash was called by other authors "We-Hizhir," after the standing formula "We-hizhir ha-Ḳadosh, baruk 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 We-Hizhir together as two different works. "The halakic expositions refer in 'Bo' to the tefillin
; in 'Beshallaḥ' to the rest on the Sabbath
and the 'dine 'erub'; in 'Yitro' to the commandments connected with the Decalogue
; in 'Mishpaṭim
' to the requirements of the judge; in 'Terumah
' to the priestly gift; in 'Wayaḳhel' to the Sabbath; in 'Wayiḳra
' to slaughtering; in 'Ẓaw
' to the oath and the testimony of witnesses; in 'Shemini
' to the 'dine ṭerefah'; in 'Tazria
' 'to the 'dine yoledot'; in 'Meẓora
' 'to the 'dine ṭum'ah'; in 'Aḥare
' and 'Ḳedoshim' to forbidden marriages; in 'Beḥuḳḳotai' to vows; in 'Bemidbar' to the 'dine bekor'" (Zunz
, G. S. iii. 258). The haggadic portions are those mentioned above; also part i., pp. 4a et seq. (from the Mekilta); pp. 19a et seq. (from Tanḥuma
, ed. S. Buber, and Mekilta); p. 23a (from Mekilta); p. 76b (after Tanḥuma); pp. 115a et seq., 121b (after Tanḥuma); p. 128b (after Tanḥuma, ed. Buber); part ii., pp. 34b et seq. (from Wayiḳra Rabbah, ix.); p. 128b (from Sifra
), etc.
The midrash, which ends in the edition with the halakic passage (to Num. v. 11 et seq.) שכל מי שמקניה לאשתו וכו' והזהיר הקב"ה, is probably defective at the end as well as in some other passages (following the manuscript), and it can not be determined whether it covered Book of Numbers
only or Numbers and Deuteronomy
. Several passages quoted by the old authors, but not found in the edition, may have been included in the missing portion of the work. Zun
z, who closely examined the manuscript after which the edition was subsequently printed (l.c. pp. 251 et seq.), comes to the conclusion that We-Hizhir and Hashkem are one and the same work. This view must be unhesitatingly accepted (comp. also A. Geiger's Jüd. Zeit. 1875, pp. 95 et seq.). The fact that some passages quoted by the old authors from the Midrash Hashkem do not correspond entirely with the edition, and that some are not found in it at all, does not prove that these are two different works (as Freimann, Buber, and 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, which is quoted as early as the middle of the 11th century as a recognized authority, is assigned by Zunz 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 ("Sefer ha-Liḳḳuṭim," part i.).
Baraita on the Erection of the Tabernacle
Baraita on the Erection of the Tabernacle is a Baraita cited several times by Hai Gaon, by Nathan ben Jehiel in the Aruk, as well as in Rashi, Yalḳut, and Maimonides. Rashi calls it a "Mishnah". It treats in fourteen sections of the boards Baraita on the Erection of the Tabernacle is a Baraita...
, the She'eltot of Aḥa of Shabḥa, and the Halakot Gedolot, the She'eltot also being arranged according to the one-year cycle and being in its minor portions especially dependent on Tanḥuma
Tanhuma
Midrash Tanhuma is the name given to three different collections of Pentateuch haggadot; two are extant, while the third is known only through citations. These midrashim, although bearing the name of R. Tanḥuma, must not be regarded as having been written or edited by him...
.
Publication Details
The first part of the Munich codex, after which the work was published (by I. M. Freimann, under the title "We-Hizhir." part i., Leipsic, 1873; part ii., Warsaw, 1880), is doubtless somewhat defective. It begins with a haggadic passage, which, belonging to Ex. viii. 16 ("Wa-yomer hashkem ba-boker"), is found also in the earlier editions of Tanḥuma (ed. Stettin, s.v. "Wa'era," p. 14).Contents
The work was called "Hashkem" after the second word in this introductory sentence. In the editions as well as in the codex this first passage, as well as the beginning of the following haggadic passage to Ex. ix. 22, included in both Tanḥumas in the pericope "Wa'eraVa'eira
Va'eira, Va'era, or Vaera is the fourteenth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the second in the book of Exodus...
," is erroneously combined with a passage to Ex. x. 21—which also, perhaps, was taken from Tanḥuma—as belonging to the pericope "Bo
Bo (parsha)
Bo is the fifteenth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the book of Exodus...
" The midrash was called by other authors "We-Hizhir," after the standing formula "We-hizhir ha-Ḳadosh, baruk 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 We-Hizhir together as two different works. "The halakic expositions refer in 'Bo' to the tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
; in 'Beshallaḥ' to the rest on the Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and the 'dine 'erub'; in 'Yitro' to the commandments connected with the Decalogue
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
; in 'Mishpaṭim
Mishpatim
Mishpatim is the eighteenth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the sixth in the book of Exodus...
' to the requirements of the judge; in 'Terumah
Terumah
Terumah is a Hebrew word, originally meaning lifted apart, but meaning donation in modern Hebrew. It can refer to:*Heave offerings - a type of sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible...
' to the priestly gift; in 'Wayaḳhel' to the Sabbath; in 'Wayiḳra
Vayikra (parsha)
Vayikra, VaYikra, Va-yikra, or Vayyiqra is the 24th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the first in the book of Leviticus...
' to slaughtering; in 'Ẓaw
Tzav
Tzav, Tsav, Zav, Sav, or in Biblical Hebrew Ṣaw is the 25th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the second in the book of Leviticus...
' to the oath and the testimony of witnesses; in 'Shemini
Shemini
Shemini, Sh’mini, or Shmini is the 26th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the book of Leviticus...
' to the 'dine ṭerefah'; in 'Tazria
Tazria
Tazria, Thazria, Thazri’a, Sazria, or Ki Tazria’ is the 27th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fourth in the book of Leviticus...
' 'to the 'dine yoledot'; in 'Meẓora
Metzora (parsha)
Metzora, Metzorah, M’tzora, Mezora, Metsora, or M’tsora is the 28th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the book of Leviticus...
' 'to the 'dine ṭum'ah'; in 'Aḥare
Acharei
Acharei, Achrei Mos, Aharei Mot, or Ahare Moth is the 29th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the sixth in the book of Leviticus...
' and 'Ḳedoshim' to forbidden marriages; in 'Beḥuḳḳotai' to vows; in 'Bemidbar' to the 'dine bekor'" (Zunz
Zunz
Zunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, G. S. iii. 258). The haggadic portions are those mentioned above; also part i., pp. 4a et seq. (from the Mekilta); pp. 19a et seq. (from Tanḥuma
Tanhuma
Midrash Tanhuma is the name given to three different collections of Pentateuch haggadot; two are extant, while the third is known only through citations. These midrashim, although bearing the name of R. Tanḥuma, must not be regarded as having been written or edited by him...
, ed. S. Buber, and Mekilta); p. 23a (from Mekilta); p. 76b (after Tanḥuma); pp. 115a et seq., 121b (after Tanḥuma); p. 128b (after Tanḥuma, ed. Buber); part ii., pp. 34b et seq. (from Wayiḳra Rabbah, ix.); p. 128b (from Sifra
Sifra
Sifra is the Halakic midrash to Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah, as appears from Tanḥuma, quoted in Or Zarua, i. 7b. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim" , and in two passages also "Sifra debe...
), etc.
The midrash, which ends in the edition with the halakic passage (to Num. v. 11 et seq.) שכל מי שמקניה לאשתו וכו' והזהיר הקב"ה, is probably defective at the end as well as in some other passages (following the manuscript), and it can not be determined whether it covered Book of Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
only or Numbers and Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
. Several passages quoted by the old authors, but not found in the edition, may have been included in the missing portion of the work. Zun
Zun
The zun or yi is an ancient type of Chinese bronze or ceramic wine vessel with a round or square vase-like form, and sometimes in the shape of an animal, dating from the Shang Dynasty. Used in religious ceremonies to hold wine, the zun has a wide lip to facilitate pouring. Vessels have been...
z, who closely examined the manuscript after which the edition was subsequently printed (l.c. pp. 251 et seq.), comes to the conclusion that We-Hizhir and Hashkem are one and the same work. This view must be unhesitatingly accepted (comp. also A. Geiger's Jüd. Zeit. 1875, pp. 95 et seq.). The fact that some passages quoted by the old authors from the Midrash Hashkem do not correspond entirely with the edition, and that some are not found in it at all, does not prove that these are two different works (as Freimann, Buber, and 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, which is quoted as early as the middle of the 11th century as a recognized authority, is assigned by Zunz 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 ("Sefer ha-Liḳḳuṭim," part i.).