This first German translation of Pirke de-Rabbi Elieser (approx. 9^th cent.) is based on the Venice printed edition of 1544, which is the textual basis for the textus receptus (Warsaw 1852) with the commentary by David Luria (1798-1855). The deletions made for the 1852 Warsaw edition are marked in the Hebrew text which is included with the translation. These marked passages make it clear that the deletions in the 1852 Warsaw edition related particularly to comments which could have been seen as polemical by non-Jews.

Vol. 2 contains the Midrashim on Ester: Panim Acherim A and B, Midrash Megillat Ester, Pirqe deRabbi Elieser, chap. 49-50, Midrash Megilla, Leqah Tov and Jalqut Shimoni on Ester, Midrash Abba Gurion, Ester Rabba, Sefer Josippon, chap. 9 and Midrash Psalm 22. This source publication of commentaries in Talmud and Midrash on the Book of Ester provides German translations which make visible the flow of argumentation, the structure of the texts and parallel passages within rabbinical literatur. The texts show different approaches to declaring the book of Ester a holy book by means of...

Der Jalkut Schimoni ist ein Sammelwerk rabbinischer Auslegungen zur gesamten hebraischen Bibel. Unerforscht ist, nach welchen Kriterien die Auslegungen ausgewahlt wurden und ob das Werk als umfassendes Nachschlagewerk fur exegetische Fragen, zur Verbindung von Bibelauslegung in Talmud und Midrasch oder zur Reform der rabbinischen Auslegungstradition konzipiert wurde. Die Ubersetzung des Werkes ist ein erster Schritt, diese Fragen zu beantworten.