What is Midrash?
Midrash is the rabbinic tradition of interpreting the Bible — reading closely between the lines to draw out law, story, and meaning the text doesn't state outright. The word comes from the Hebrew root meaning "to seek" or "inquire." Midrash fills the Torah's gaps and silences with explanation, parable, and moral insight, and is collected in many classic works. Where the biblical text is spare, Midrash asks "why?" and "what happened in between?" — and answers in the voice of the rabbis.
What are the two main kinds of Midrash?
- Midrash Halacha — interpretation that derives law from the close reading of the Torah's wording.
- Midrash Aggadah — interpretation that draws out story, ethics, and theology: the famous tales, parables, and imaginative expansions that fill in the lives of biblical figures.
Why does Midrash matter?
Midrash is how the tradition keeps the text alive and speaking to new questions. It teaches a way of reading — attentive to every word, every gap, every oddity — and it's the source of countless beloved stories about figures like Abraham and Moses that aren't spelled out in the Torah itself. It's part of the broader Oral Torah.
In short: Midrash is rabbinic biblical interpretation — drawing law (halacha) and story (aggadah) out of the text by reading it closely. The word means "to seek."
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