10-29-2008, 02:52 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-29-2008, 02:56 PM by Director Michael.)
No, learning straight Midrash Rabbah (which is part of the in-depth Oral Tradition teachings passed down by the Talmudic Sages) is not appropriate for Gentiles, since it is classed along with learning parts of Talmud that are not relevant to fulfillment of the Noahide Commandments.
But if a Gentile is learning an appropriate Torah source and it happens to make brief quotes of Midrash here and there, that is not a problem, because that is not considered to be an in-depth study of the Midrash (compared to going straight to the full source text).
For example, it is appropriate for a Noahide to read the commentary of Rashi on the Hebrew Bible, to gain a correct understanding of the simple meaning of the verses. Occasionally Rashi quotes a sentence of Midrash here and there to clarify a point, and that is not a problem for the Noahide reader.
But if a Gentile is learning an appropriate Torah source and it happens to make brief quotes of Midrash here and there, that is not a problem, because that is not considered to be an in-depth study of the Midrash (compared to going straight to the full source text).
For example, it is appropriate for a Noahide to read the commentary of Rashi on the Hebrew Bible, to gain a correct understanding of the simple meaning of the verses. Occasionally Rashi quotes a sentence of Midrash here and there to clarify a point, and that is not a problem for the Noahide reader.