How do I know if a midrash is accepted?

Question

I have found many different types of midrashic works. Some are, as far as I can tell, accepted as being authoritative. Meaning they were written (compiled?) by the sages in roughly the Talmudic era. Examples would be Bereshis Rabba, Midrash Tanchuma, Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer.

Then there are midrashim that seem to be apocryphal. Such as Sefer Zerubavel, The Sword of Moses and others which seem to be more like fiction based on Torah/Chazal. They also seem to be of a later origin.

Finally there are some midrashim which seem to be in a gray area, they are not the mainstream but I have seen referenced in traditional rabbinic writing, such as Midrash Abba Gorion, the Alphabet of Ben Sira, etc. (there have been termed "smaller midrashim")

I would like to know if there is a list of 'kosher' midrashim. I.e. ones which Orthodox Judaism has accepted as authentic.

Answer 1

I don't believe there is any formal list as such. Even רב פעלים by R. Abhraham b. ha-Gr"a doesn't really vet midrashic works so much as it catalogues their existence and notes where references to them are made and where they can be found (if extant).

That said, I do think that we can develop guiding principles that can help us to independently assess whether a given work passes muster.

I would consider those Midrashim recorded in the Talmud as canonical, and those found in external works non-canonical. The origins and authorship of non-canonic midrashic works are often unknown and were not transmitted with the same authority as that of the Talmud. That does not mean non-canonic midrashim ought not be studied, but their stature ought be considered. When considering non-canonic midrashim, I would look at whether the Geonim/Rishonim cite it authoritatively (e.g. Midrash Rabbah), on the one end, or whether they are dismissive/questioning of it, on the other (e.g. Shiur Qomah).

With these principles in mind, I think one can determine how much weight to put into a given midrashic work. It ought be evident, the conclusion is not always a simply binary of acceptable/unacceptable. One will inevitable end up with works falling on a spectrum with acceptable/unacceptable at its two poles, and varying grades of acceptance/questionable-authority in between. The gray areas naturally will reflect long-standing divisions within rabbinic Judaism, many of which persist to this day.

Accordingly, there can not be a list that would universally reflect THE Orthodox view, as Orthodox Judaism is not monolithic.

Answer 2

The responses you received were unfounded and not truthful at all and could lead people into doubts BaTorah, and greater Apikorsis as a result. Firstly the claim “judaism has changed” is obviously coming from a person who isn’t on the proper Hashkafa. Secondly we can verify a Midrash in a few ways

• Rashi and the Tosafos making Pshat commentaries could easily discern that which was completely authentic and strong Midrash and that which wasn’t due to the accuracy of their commentary especially in relation to their intense literalist usage of Midos SheHaTorah Nedrashos B’Hein, which was corroborated by their contemporaries and their living predecessors. One can also discern that a Midrash is authentic if it is repeated multiple different times in different compilations or areas in certain texts. The source of all Midrashim can be located by looking at compiled chains of transmission for their appropriate narrations and comparing it to works such as the Tosefta. Determining whether a Midrash is read in the Pshat or not is a different question.

Answer 3

Midrash is very subversive. The midrashim now known as "classic" today, and taught by every 3rd grade rebbe, weren't necessarily learned or accepted by all Jews throughout history. Different communities had their own work, whether it was Midrash Hagadol by Yemenite Jews in the Middle Ages, to Midrash Rabbah around the 400-500s C.E, to the Tosedta, written much earlier and in Israel.

Point is, at various times and locations,there were many different "authentic" midrashic collections floating around and getting redacted and assembled. Nowadays, certain midrashim are very popular, either because they are quoted by Rashi, or have other appeal, but there are certainly midrashim that aren't learned today that were once revered.