Collection
Based on source material from Talmud and Midrash, sheets in this collection include those form the "Midrash Theatre Company", a fictional Talmudic era theatre house where some of the greatest Jewish tales were written and performed.
Sheets
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Ancient Jewish Theatre Workshop (Limmud Oz - Sydney 2024)
Three selected passages from Tractate Shabbat are used in a workshop on ancient Jewish theatre. These are likely fragements of a longer play, and now incorporate space for readers to complete the scenes.
The Hungry Dogs of Jerusalem (A Talmudic Play)
A play inspired by Talmud Shabbat. In this story, David and Bathsheba get into a big argument.
The Queen's Ransom
A short story on how Queen Ifra of Persia helped release Jewish hostages (based on Bava Batra 8a).
The Chasid and the Ghosts (Berakhot 18b with introduction)
Berakhot 18b with introduction
A Golden Chicken and a Man Eating Rabbit (Tales of Foolish Authoritarians)
Three foolish authoritarians in Midrash and Talmud
Moses vs The Angel of Death
The Midrash offers a three part drama surrounding the death of Moses.
Yalta: The Story Arc of a Rabbinic Woman
The famous Yalta wine tale is presented alongside two other Yalta stories. Combined, these produce a three-part narrative arc of one of the most frequently mentioned women in the Talmud.
Peleimu vs Satan (Midrash Theatre Company)
The Talmud recounts a bizzare tale of the Sage Peleimu and Satan. The scene is set for a Yom Kippur eve showdown.
The Satan Clause & Other Angel of Death Tales (Midrash Theatre Company)
The Talmudic accounts of the Angel of Death are reimagined as theatrical performances by the great Amora and Drashan, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi (Joshua Ben-Levi).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi himself is reimagined as a playwright in a "Midrash Theatre Company" in Alexandria, Egypt in the Third Century (CE).
Rivka bat Ḥanina (An Experiment in Aggadah)
This sheet offers new Aggadic material, inspired by passages from Eruvin 57b, Shabbat 156b, Avodah Zara 18a.
Torah of the Shuk: The Market as a Site for Ethical Learning in Midrash and Aggadah
The market is a site that features in many tales in Midrash and Talmudic Aggadah. Rather than conjuring up a portrait of matters of the mundane or even the profane, the market of Midrash is transformed into a site of ethical and moral learning.
Talmudic Ghost Stories (Berakhot 18b)
Ta Shma! Gather round the Babylonian campfire and hear some Talmudic ghost stories.
The Friends We Made Along the Way (Eruvin 53b)
A series of short tales by Yehoshua ben Chananya are typically read as strange incidents where this notable Sage of Israel loses three debates to seemingly unworthy opponents. This sheet offers a reading based on the view of Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad who sees these tales as parables about aging and death.
The Swooning Souls at Sinai
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi is reimagined as delivering an intense Shavuot discussion to his students on the innermost meaning of the events at Sinai.
The Farmhand from Peki'in (A Talmudic Play)
A rendition of a rabbinic tale (Shabbat 127b) featuring Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer
The Raatan Virus (A Talmudic Drama)
Short play format of Joshua ben Levi vs the Angel of Death (Ketubot 77b)
Elazar and the Magic Wheatstalk
In a seemingly delightful tale, the Talmud offers a portrait of a pious man who will stop at nothing to give charity. But as the story continues, we find that the pious man's actions place an undue burden on the members of his family...
Kahana's Defense League (A Cautionary Tale)
That time when Rabbi Kahana kills an informant, flees to Israel, meets Rabbi Yochanan and gets himself killed for being too smart...
More Adventures of Joshua ben Levi (Midrash Theatre Company)
This sheet is presented as added material to the Sefaria worksheet titled: The Satan Clause & Other Angel of Death Tales