Rabbinic preachers and their audiences in the amoraic midrashim Pesikta deRav Kahana and Leviticus Rabbah: The development of homiletical midrash in its Late Antique historical-cultural context

Rachel Anisfeld, University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

This dissertation explores the homiletical character of the amoraic midrashic collections Pesikta deRav Kahana and Leviticus Rabbah (redacted circa fifth century C.E.) from two perspectives, that of history and that of rhetorical and literary theory. The historical argument is that these two midrashic collections represent a new more homiletical genre in the history of midrashic literature when compared to their more exegetical and intellectual tannaitic predecessors (redacted circa third century C.E.). In addition, it is shown that the particular type of new homiletical midrashic rhetoric which is developed, a down-to-earth rhetoric of intimacy and inclusiveness, is similar in certain important thematic and stylistic respects to the rhetoric of contemporary Christian sermons. The hypothesis presented here is that both for Christianity as well as for rabbinic Judaism this new humble and intimate rhetoric is part of a general trend among religious elites of this period toward greater involvement with and influence among a wider population. The second half of the dissertation makes a more theoretical argument, using rhetorical and literary theory to argue that the recent trend toward hermeneutical emphases in midrash scholarship has led to an overly exegetical and intellectual depiction of both the rabbis who wrote these midrashim and of the texts themselves. The goal here is to try to nuance the picture by showing how important the homiletical and rhetorical aspects of these midrashic texts are. First, it is shown that the rabbis depict themselves in these midrashim (via the "implied preacher") not exclusively as teachers and scholars, but also as preachers and communal care-takers. Second, it is shown that these midrashic texts present themselves as having been created as a response not just to exegetical factors but also to the needs and concerns of their contemporary audiences (the "implied audience" in the text).

Recommended Citation

Rachel Anisfeld, "Rabbinic preachers and their audiences in the amoraic midrashim Pesikta deRav Kahana and Leviticus Rabbah: The development of homiletical midrash in its Late Antique historical-cultural context" (January 1, 2004). Dissertations available from ProQuest. Paper AAI3125779.
http://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI3125779