If the Mishnah explained the “how” of the Torah, and Rashi explained the “what” of the Torah, Midrash explains the “so what” of the Torah. Halachic Midrash seeks to explain the deeper meaning of the text, while Aggadic Midrash seeks to explain the missing parts of the stories. For example, what did Cain and Abel talk about in their last conversation? The Torah only says that they talked, so Midrash seeks to fill in the gaps. Classical Midrashic texts were written between 200 CE and 1200 CE. The Mechilta covers Exodus, Sifra is about Leviticus, and Sifrei covers Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Tanchuma covers all 5 books. There’s also Midrash Rabbah, with books covering each book in the Torah and each of the 5 megillot - Esther, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes. People still write midrashim today.
People of the Book: Canon, Meaning, and Authority, by Moshe Halbertal
pp. 19-20
The sealing of Scripture arrested the prophetic activity that had been instrumental in its formulation...The moment the text was sealed, authority was removed from the writers of the text and transferred to its interpreters...The sealing of Scriptures does indeed indicate recognition of the exclusive authority of these texts, but at the same time the authority is redistributed. Thus the sealing of the Scriptures instigates a comprehensive upheaval within the Jewish community. The new leadership model of the Torah scholar arises, the religious ideal of Torah study becomes central, and new institutions such as the beit midrash acquire a prestigious position in the community. A new genre of writing also develops, that of interpretive texts linked to Biblical verses.
(2) I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
And you shall be a blessing.
(3) I will bless those who bless you
And curse the one who curses you;
And all the families of the earth
Shall bless themselves by you.” (4) Abram went forth as יהוה had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. (5) Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the wealth that they had amassed, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan,
Abraham and the Idols
Abraham's father, Terach was an idol-manufacturer. Once he had to travel, so he left Abraham to manage the shop. People would come in and ask to buy idols. Abraham would say, "How old are you?" The person would say, "Fifty," or "Sixty". Abraham would say, "Isn't it pathetic that a man of sixty wants to bow down to a one-day-old idol?" The man would feel ashamed and leave.
One time a woman came with a basket of bread. She said to Abraham, "Take this and offer it to the gods".
Abraham got up, took a hammer in his hand, broke all the idols to pieces, and then put the hammer in the hand of the biggest idol among them.
When his father came back and saw the broken idols, he was appalled. "Who did this?" he cried. "How can I hide anything from you?" replied Abraham calmly. "A woman came with a basket of bread and told me to offer it to them. I brought it in front of them, and each one said, "I'm going to eat first." Then the biggest one got up, took the hammer and broke all the others to pieces."
"What are you trying to pull on me?" asked Terach, "Do they have minds?"
Said Abraham: "Listen to what your own mouth is saying? They have no power at all! Why worship idols?"
(Midrash Bereishit 38:13)
The Moon and the Stars
When Abraham was 3 years old, he went out of the cave and, observing the world, wondered in his heart: "Who created heaven and earth and me?
All that day he prayed to the sun. In the evening, the sun set in the west and the moon rose in the east. Upon seeing the moon and stars around it, he said: "This one must have created heaven and earth and me – these stars must be the moon's princes and advisors. So all night long he stood in prayer to the moon.
In the morning, the moon sank in the west and the sun rose in the east. Then he said: "There is no might in either of these. There must be a higher ruler over them – to You I will pray and before You I will prostrate myself."
(Midrash)
The Palace
The Eternal said to Abram, "Lech Lecha from your land, etc".....
Rabbi Yitzhak said there is a parable about one that wandered from place to place, and saw a certain palace that was on fire/illuminated.
He said, "will you say that this palace is without a master?".
The master of the palace looked out at him, and said "I am he, the master of the palace".
So it was with Abraham our father that he said, "will you say that this world is without a director?"
The Holy Blessed One looked out at him and said "I am the master of the world
(Genesis Rabbah 39)
Bereshit Rabbah 1:2
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sichnin in the name of Rabbi Levi opened [with the verse (Tehillim 111:6),] "The power of God's works God told to God's people [Yisrael]." Why did Hashem reveal to Yisrael that which was created on the first day, and the second day [and so forth]? Because of the idolaters - so that they will not embitter Yisrael and say to them, "Are you not a nation of thieves?" And Yisrael would reply to them, saying, "Aren't your own lands stolen? Didn't (Devarim 2:23) 'The Caphtorim emerge from Caphtor and destroy [the Aviyim] and settle in their stead?' [Furthermore,] the entire world belongs to Hashem; thus, when it pleased God, God gave it to you, and when it pleased God, God took it from you and gave it to us." As it is written (Tehillim 111:6), "[In order] to give them an inheritance of the nations," God told [Yisrael] all of the generations.
(10) Rabbi Yonah said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Why was the world created with a "bet"? Just as a bet is closed on all sides and open in the front, so you are not permitted to say, "What is beneath? What is above? What came before? What will come after?" Rather from the day the world was created and after. Bar Kappara said: "For ask now of the days past, which were before you [since the day that God created humanity on the earth, and from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has been any such thing as this great thing is, or has been heard like it?]" (Deuteronomy 4:32). From the moment they were created you may speculate, however you may not speculate on what was before that. "From one end of Heaven to the other" you may speculate and investigate, but you do not speculate and investigate on what was before. Rabbi Yehudah ben Pazzi explained the Creation story according to Bar Kappara. Why was the world created with a "bet"? To teach you there are two worlds: this world and the world-to-come. Another interpretation: Why with a "bet"? Because it is an expression of "blessing." And why not with an "aleph"? Because it is an expression of "cursing." Another interpretation: Why not with an "aleph"? So as not to give an argument to the heretics, who would say 'how could the world endure since it was created with an expression of curse?' Rather, the Holy One of Blessing said: 'behold I create it with an expression of blessing, and hopefully it will endure.' Another interpretation: Why with a "bet"? The bet has two points, one on its top and one behind it, they say to the "bet": 'who created you?' and it points with its point on top, and says: 'the One Above created me'. 'And what is Their name?' and it shows with its point of behind, and says 'Hashem is God's name.' Said Rabbi Eleazar Bar Chanina in the name of Rabbi Acha: for 26 generations the "aleph" screamed 'injustice!' in front of the throne of the Holy One of Blessing, saying to God: 'Master of the Universe! I am the first of the letters and You did not create the world with me!' The Holy One of Blessing said to it [the aleph]: the world and all that it contains were only created due to the merit of Torah, as it is written: "Adonai set the earth with wisdom [with understanding God established the heaven]" (Mishlei/Prov 3:19). Tomorrow I come to give Torah at Sinai and I am going to open at first instance only with you, as it says Anochi 'I am Adonai your God' (Exodus/Shemot 20:2).
“Why are you distressed,
And why is your face fallen?
(7) Surely, if you do right,
There is uplift.
But if you do not do right
Sin couches at the door;
Its urge is toward you,
Yet you can be its master.” (8) Cain said to his brother Abel … and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him. (9) יהוה said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”