Introduction

One of my “hobbies” extending from my study of Medieval Jewish History is the study of Midrash Tanhuma which apparently was a favorite of the rabbinical leaders of the time, and extracting the lessons that Chazal embedded within the midrash. In 1989 John Townsend translated the Midrash Tanhuma of Genesis into English, using the Oxford Manuscript text that was researched by Solomon Buber in 1885. I have used the common Warsaw text and will endeavor to include the variations from the Buber text in footnote form. (Townsend later published the Tanhuma on Exodus and Leviticus in 1997) I have included my free hand English translation in alternating paragraphs. As I develop this medium further I will experiment with different formats that will hopefully make the midrashim more accessible.