Instructor Midrash Barry W. Holtz Is The Theodo

NameInstructor CourseDate MidrashBarry W. Holtz is the Theodore and Florence Baumritter Professor of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary. He served as dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education between 2008 and 2013 (Holtz, 2006). His area of specialization include; teaching classical texts, professional development for teachers, philosophy of Jewish education, and current issues confronting Jewish education. On his chapter on midrash, Professor Holtz tries to explain Midrashim and its importance in the interpretation of biblical texts. Most importantly, Holtz explains the similarities and differences of halachah and aggadah which are often confusing to many scholars. A fine line is created between the two because the explanation of halachah can rely on aggadah and vice versa. This document will discuss this genre of biblical commentary, its purposes, how it work and nature of the Torah's text that makes midrash possible.Midrashim is an interpretation process by which the rabbis filled in gaps found in the Torah. “It is a genre that seeks to ask the questions that lie on the tips of our tongues and to answer them even before we have posed them” (Holtz, 2011). For instance, it is difficult for many Jews and Christians