This Is My God: Midrash and Multiple Interpretations

Rabbinic writings are typically divided into two categories, halakhah and aggadah. In some ways, they are worlds apart from each other. Halakhah is the articulation and elucidation of the 613 mitzvot that constitute the Torah. It was developed foundationally in the Mishnah, Tosefta, and the Talmuds. The Babylonian Talmud continues to be the primary halakhic study text of traditional Jews. Meanwhile, aggadah concerns subjects that are non-halakhic, such as folk tales, stories about the sages, and ethical and practical advice, but its most important contribution is its biblical commentary,