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Hebrew Studies 32 (1991) 176 Reviews DAS KONTRASTGLEICHNIS IN DER RABBINISCHEN LITERATUR . By Talia Thorion-Vardi. ludentum und Umwelt 16. pp. 149. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1986. Paper. This small volume, apparently a doctoral dissertation in the Rijksuniversiteit , Leiden, concerns itself with a particular form of rabbinic parable, the masha/, which, although recognized by P. Bloch one hundred years before the writing of this essay. has not before been described and analyzed in detail. The author begins with a defmition of parable based on one previously offered by C. Thoma: ''The rabbinic parable is a narrative literary unit that presents in figurative fashion something drawn from life experience that is used to explain phenomena in the divine and human world" (p. 8). The contrast parable (her term) unlike the direct parable that occasionally has but one part-mashal without a nimshal-always has two: called theme A and theme B. The first is seldom a narrative but describes a common human experience; the second describes a divine. occasionally human, activity. These two are contrasted in that they present a particular occurrence over against a generalized one. Having set up her paradigm, she offers two examples comparing the contrastive to the direct parable. Following this she provides a more detailed presentation of the contrastive parable: (a) General introduction (b) Introduction to theme A (c) Theme A (d) Introduction to theme B (e) ThemeB Come and see that the characteristic of God is unlike that of humankind: The characteristic of humankind is that the inferior may not say to the superior, "Wait until I come to you." But, contrariwise, of God it is written, "If I have found favor in your eyes, do not go on past your servant" (Gen. 18:3 [b. Shah 127a» She concludes: a, b, and d are optional and are thus called "introductory" while parts c and e are required. The body of the work consists of a detailed analysis of contrastive parables as they occur in forty-four rabbinic texts. In chap. 1 the formal textual criteria are noted: the various kinds of introductions to both parts A and B. These are presented in tabular form, and the occurrence of each in the texts examined is noted. This is particularly valuable in demonstrating the ubiquity of the form. Chapter 2 examines the kinds of images found in contrastive royal parables: the behavior of kings; that of ordinary persons; Hebrew Studies 32 (1991) 177 Reviews of natural phenomena; etc. It concludes with a comment on the likeness but ultimate dissimilarity between the contrastive parable and paradox. Chapter 3 looks at the syntactical and semantic relations between the two parts of the parables, themes A and B. It describes the formal linguistic means for expressing the contrast between the two parts (A and B). Chapter 4 deals with the role of the contrastive parable after attending with care to the functions of the direct and the royal parable. Chapter 5 describes the stylistic characteristics of the contrastive parable: (1) direct speech; (2) inclusion of the addressee; (3) symmetrical structure; and (4) the unity of language and content in the royal parables including the contrastive. The retrospective that brings this work to a conclusion offers a thoughtful comment on the material traversed and ends with these words: Das Kontrastgleichnis. diese rabbinische literarische Erfindung. mit all seinen Varianten spiegelt auf eine eindeutige und ausschliesslich Weise das zentrale Verlangen. den wichtigsten Gedanken und die lautere philosophische Wahrheit der Rabbinen wider: GOll und seine Verherrlichung. (p. 135) One must be grateful to the author for the care with which she has examined the texts, avoiding the all-too-prevalent practice of writing about texts but seldom reading them or enabling others to observe how the boldly proclaimed results were arrived at. Not only is it of value for established scholars in the field of midrash but it will certainly serve as a splendid model for students who are learning to make their way into the field. Lou H. Silberman University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85716 '?'t!)~Oi"n ~i'pn :il?'El:> il:1'C!)PElOiEl:1 l")':1il '0':1 n'i:1l1il ili'rDil .,~ 1:J'M' nM.C...

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