<li>Lavan as Bilam – <multilink><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanBemidbar22-5" data-aht="source">Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanBemidbar22-5" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 22:5</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a></multilink>.<fn>Cf. Bavli Sanhedrin 105a above which equates Lavan with BiIam's father, Beor, instead.</fn> To discussion of the parallels which might lead to the identification, see <a href="Bilam" data-aht="page">Bilam</a>.</li>
<li>Shifrah and Puah as Yocheved and Miryam/Elisheva – <multilink><a href="BavliSotah11b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sotah 11b</a><a href="BavliSotah11b" data-aht="source">Sotah 11b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="ShemotRabbah1-13" data-aht="source">Shemot Rabbah 1:13</a><a href="ShemotRabbah1-13" data-aht="source">1:13</a><a href="Shemot Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Shemot Rabbah</a></multilink>. For discussion, see: <a href="Who are the Midwives" data-aht="page">Who are the Midwives</a>.</li>
<li>Shifrah and Puah as Yocheved and Miryam/Elisheva – <multilink><a href="BavliSotah11b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sotah 11b</a><a href="BavliSotah11b" data-aht="source">Sotah 11b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="ShemotRabbah1-13" data-aht="source">Shemot Rabbah 1:13</a><a href="ShemotRabbah1-13" data-aht="source">1:13</a><a href="Shemot Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Shemot Rabbah</a></multilink>. For discussion, see: <a href="Who are the Midwives" data-aht="page">Who are the Midwives</a>.</li>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b> I. Why does the Midrash identify characters?</b></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b> I. Why does the Midrash identify characters?</b></p>
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
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<li><b>Addressing theological issues</b></li>
<li><b>Addressing theological issues</b></li>
<ul>
<ul>
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<li><b>Apparent misdeeds of the righteous</b> – Giving a Jewish identity to an idolator or Canaanite can obviate problems of apparent "intermarriages". See, for instance, the identification of Shimon's Canaanite wife with Dina at <a href="Did Yaakov's Sons Marry Canaanites" data-aht="page">Did Yaakov's Sons Marry Canaanites</a>.</li>
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<li><b>Apparent misdeeds of the righteous</b> – Giving a Jewish identity to an idolator or Canaanite can obviate problems of apparent "intermarriages". See, for instance, the identification of Shimon's Canaanite wife with Dina at <a href="Did Yaakov's Sons Marry Canaanites" data-aht="page">Did Yaakov's Sons Marry Canaanites</a> or the identification of the Cushite whom Moshe married with Zipporah at <a href="Miryam's Critique of Moshe and his Cushite Marriage" data-aht="page">Miryam's Critique of Moshe and his Cushite Marriage</a>.</li>
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<li><b>Demonstrate reward and punishment</b> – Nechama Leibowitz<fn>See her Iyyunim BeSefer Bemidbar (Jerusalem, 1992): 94-96.</fn> suggests that in certain instances, such as the identification of the officers whipped in Egypt with the later princes, the technique serves to demonstrate how good deeds are rewarded and suffering compensated..</li>
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<li><b>Demonstrate reward and punishment</b> – Nechama Leibowitz<fn>See her Iyyunim BeSefer Bemidbar (Jerusalem, 1992): 94-96.</fn> suggests that in certain instances, such as the identification of the officers whipped in Egypt with the later elders, the technique serves to demonstrate Divine providence and how good deeds are rewarded and suffering compensated.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<li><b>Character development</b> – Identifying villains with other wicked individuals (or the worthy with meritorious people) serves to further blacken (or whiten) their characters.  This fits the Midrashic tendency to augment the faults of evil characters and amplify the merits of righteous figures.</li>
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<li><b>Character development</b> – Identifying villains with other wicked individuals or the worthy with similarly righteous people serves to further blacken or whiten their characters.  This fits the Midrashic tendency to augment the faults of evil characters and amplify the merits of righteous figures. See, for example, the identification of Shifra and Puah with Miryam and Yocheved at <a href="Who are the Midwives" data-aht="page">Who are the Midwives</a>.</li>
<li><b>Bridge history</b> – When Midrash connects figures who live centuries apart, its goal might be to bridge history and show continuity over the generations, similar to the concept of מעשה אבות סימן לבנים.</li>
<li><b>Bridge history</b> – When Midrash connects figures who live centuries apart, its goal might be to bridge history and show continuity over the generations, similar to the concept of מעשה אבות סימן לבנים.</li>
</ul>
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<li>Why would Tanakh use different names in different places?</li>
<li>Why would Tanakh use different names in different places?</li>
Yaakov and Yehudah's staff with Moshe's staff – Yalkut Shimoni Chukat 763
II. Identification of places:
Beit El and Yerushalayim –
III. Identification of unknown dates with known ones:
Angel's visit to Lot – 15 Nisan
Giving of the Decalogue – 6 Sivan
Moshe's descent with the 1st Tablets – 17 Tammuz
Moshe's descent with the 2nd Tablets – 10 Tishrei
Night of the return of the spies – 9 Av
Analysis: Goals and Motivations
I. Why does the Midrash identify characters?
Omnisignificance – As Midrash views every word in Torah as significant, it finds the presence of anonymous or unknown figures who play no other role elsewhere troubling. By identifying such figures with known characters, it can explain why such details are mentioned – See Ramban Shemot 6:23Shemot 6:23About R. Moshe b. Nachman.
Apparent misdeeds of the righteous – Giving a Jewish identity to an idolator or Canaanite can obviate problems of apparent "intermarriages". See, for instance, the identification of Shimon's Canaanite wife with Dina at Did Yaakov's Sons Marry Canaanites or the identification of the Cushite whom Moshe married with Zipporah at Miryam's Critique of Moshe and his Cushite Marriage.
Demonstrate reward and punishment – Nechama Leibowitz2 suggests that in certain instances, such as the identification of the officers whipped in Egypt with the later elders, the technique serves to demonstrate Divine providence and how good deeds are rewarded and suffering compensated.
Character development – Identifying villains with other wicked individuals or the worthy with similarly righteous people serves to further blacken or whiten their characters. This fits the Midrashic tendency to augment the faults of evil characters and amplify the merits of righteous figures. See, for example, the identification of Shifra and Puah with Miryam and Yocheved at Who are the Midwives.
Bridge history – When Midrash connects figures who live centuries apart, its goal might be to bridge history and show continuity over the generations, similar to the concept of מעשה אבות סימן לבנים.
II. Difficulties with method:
Why would Tanakh use different names in different places?