Joseph Goldberg suggests (and asks for comments on) using the classic midrashei halachah such as Mechilta and Sifrei as a preparation for the study of Gemarah. I have 3 comments
1) INDEPENDENTLY USEFUL. One should teach Mechilta and Sifrei anyway. Such study has several utilities: A) It sheds light and expands on many Rashis which are simply summarizing sifrei.
It prepares for **certain** Gemarahs (See point #2 below). C) It exposes students to religiously acceptable higher textual criticism the students can see how Rishonim formulated halachic text by reviewing and selecting texts from the Gemarah Bavli, Jerushalmi and midrashei halachah. D) It trains people to understand certain Midrash as the Peshat in the text (See point #3 below)
2) DEPENDS ON WHICH GEMARAH: Certain tractates Nazir, Sotah, parts of Baba Kama, almost all of Kodoshim are heavily dependent on interpretation of Pesukim. For example, I recommend to anyone learning Seder Kodoshim, in even advanced Talmudic institutions, to learn Sifrei with Malbim. Very often, the entire Talmudic commentary on a mishnah is nothing but a chapter from Sifrei.
I **do** recommend learning the pesukim tractates. But, there are other tractates and other interests in Talmudic study. Perhaps you are learning Beracoth where the issues are not biblical textual but rather the development of halachah and minhag in rishonim and acharonim (When are the zemanim?; which beracoth are said? etc). Perhaps you are learning Shabbos where the major issue is clear, succinct, rigorous definition: the criteria for the major 39 Shabbos categories and their applicability to a variety of old (and modern) contexts.
So Midrash has a place in learning Gemarah but not an exclusive place
3) MALBIM: Too often when discussing modern issues I hear echoes of the viewpoint that Midrash consists of reading into the text (I believe Livni coins or emphasizes that term). This reduces Judaism to a smorgasbord. Different *authorities* read-in - take what fits your taste and needs today. (Byron Sherwin coined the smorgasbord analogy to halacha describing some of what goes on today).
One component of a remedy to this problem (it is a problem because you are in effect equally legitimizing all opinions) is to place greater emphasis on correct inference from biblical texts. I dont agree with everything Malbim said. But, modern scholarship has ignored the beautiful yet precise sensitivity to biblical nuances which he presented. My own (harsh) feeling is that if Judaism is to survive confronting modern problems we must have a firm logical foundation and that should begin with a re-emphasis of the Peshat intrinsic to many (not necessarily, all) so called Derashoth. At any rate perhaps my views are extreme if you are studying Mechiltah and Sifrei I would emphasize accompaniment with Malbim
Russell Jay Hendel; Ph.D., A.S.A
Dept of Mathematics, Towson University
Towson, Maryland
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