---
title: midrash — Judaism dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «midrash» in the Judaism dictionary: A Jewish way of explaining the Bible by looking closely at its words and telling stories about them; also a book of such explanations. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# midrash

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Jewish way, Bible, I, alliteration, Wondrous Ways · **What happens:** explain, look, tell, word, translate, find · **To what, where:** Bible, stories, phrase, choice · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«midrash» in the Judaism dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 1 example, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [midrash in the Judaism dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/midrash.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Jewish way of explaining the Bible by looking closely at its words and telling stories about them; also a book of such explanations.

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:midrash:m1:1
# text = A Jewish way of explaining the Bible by looking closely at its words and telling stories about them; also a book of such explanations.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	Jewish	Jewish	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	explaining	explain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Bible	Bible	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
9	looking	look	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
10	closely	closely	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	at	at	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	telling	tell	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	conj	_	_
16	stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obj	_	_
17	about	about	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	22	punct	_	_
20	also	also	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	_
21	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
23	of	of	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
24	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	25	amod	_	_
25	explanations	explanation	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	22	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | gerund | a Jewish way and a book of such explanations *not said here* | the Bible |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bible=Topic |
| 2 | **look** | gerund | a Jewish way and a book of such explanations *not said here* |  |  |  |  | at Bible's words; closely *property* | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at word=Theme |
| 3 | **tell** *speech: assert* | gerund | a Jewish way and a book of such explanations *not said here* | stories |  |  |  | about stories *= story* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent story=Recipient about they=Topic |
| 4 | **word** |  | Bible |  |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Midrash Tanchuma 1:5 on \[Genesis 1:1\], Zohar 1:3a inter alia.\] \[note 8: Though the phrase is usually translated the ‘Thirty-Two Paths’, I find that the alliteration of ‘Wondrous Ways of Wisdom’ neatly approximates the SY’s choice of poetic vocabulary. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Midrash Tanchuma 1:5 on \[Genesis 1:1\], Zohar 1:3a inter alia.\]

<!-- fold The tree, 10 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:midrash:x1:1
# text = Midrash Tanchuma 1:5 on [Genesis 1:1], Zohar 1:3a inter alia.]
1	Midrash	Midrash	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	Tanchuma	Tanchuma	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	flat	_	_
3	1:5	1:5	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	1	list	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	[	[	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Genesis	Genesis	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
7	1:1	1:1	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	6	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	]	]	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	Zohar	Zohar	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	flat	_	_
11	1:3a	1:3a	X	FW	_	10	dep	_	_
12	inter	int	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	13	amod	_	_
13	alia	alia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	]	]	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* \[note 8: Though the phrase is usually translated the ‘Thirty-Two Paths’, I find that the alliteration of ‘Wondrous Ways of Wisdom’ neatly approximates the SY’s choice of poetic vocabulary.

<!-- fold The tree, 31 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:midrash:x1:2
# text = [note 8: Though the phrase is usually translated the ‘Thirty-Two Paths’, I find that the alliteration of ‘Wondrous Ways of Wisdom’ neatly approximates the SY’s choice of poetic vocabulary.
1	[	[	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	note	note	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	8	8	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	2	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	10	punct	_	_
5	Though	though	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	phrase	phrase	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux:pass	_	_
9	usually	usually	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	translated	translate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	parataxis	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
12	‘	'	PUNCT	``	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	Thirty	thirty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	15	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	Two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	16	nummod	_	_
16	Paths	path	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	’	'	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
19	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	_
20	find	find	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
21	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	32	mark	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	alliteration	alliteration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	32	nsubj	_	_
24	of	of	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
25	‘	'	PUNCT	``	_	27	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	Wondrous	wondrous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	27	amod	_	_
27	Ways	Way	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	23	nmod	_	_
28	of	of	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
29	Wisdom	Wisdom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	27	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	’	'	PUNCT	''	_	27	punct	_	_
31	neatly	neatly	ADV	RB	_	32	advmod	_	_
32	approximates	approximate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	ccomp	_	_
33	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	34	det	_	_
34	SY	SY	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	36	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	’s	's	PART	POS	_	34	case	_	_
36	choice	choice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	32	obj	_	_
37	of	of	ADP	IN	_	39	case	_	_
38	poetic	poetic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	39	amod	_	_
39	vocabulary	vocabulary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
40	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **translate** | present · passive |  | the phrase |  |  |  | usually *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **find** | present | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 3 | **approximate** | present | the alliteration of Wondrous Ways of Wisdom | the SY's choice of poetic vocabulary |  |  |  | neatly *property* | vn estimate-34.2-1-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Agent choice=Value |
| 4 | **alliterate** |  | Wondrous Ways of Wisdom |  |  |  |  |  | nom alliteration «communication intransitive»: of=agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:midrash:x1:3
# text = (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Sefer	Sefer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	Yetzirah	Yetzirah	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	Sefaria	Sefaria	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
6	community	community	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	translation	translation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

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**Text:** the Judaism dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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