Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer

Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: פִּרְקֵי דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, romanized: pirqe də-rabbi ʾeliʿezer, 'Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer'; abbreviated פדר״א, 'PdRE') is an aggadic-midrashic work on the Torah containing exegesis and retellings of biblical stories. Traditionaly, the work is attributed to the Tanna Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus and his school, but research suggests it is a pseudepigraphic work from the Geonic period, written in the eighth century in or around the Land of Israel.

The Title and Attribution to Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus

The work is referred to in manuscripts and by medieval scholars as "Pirkei (or: Perakim) DeRabbi Eliezer," or "Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer," and sometimes "Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer HaGadol," but also "Baraita DeRabbi Eliezer." Medieval scholars attributed the work to the Tanna Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, but Abraham Zacuto wrote in "Sefer Yuchasin" that the book is later and not by Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. Following Leopold Zunz, it is commonly accepted in research that Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer is a much later pseudepigraphic work.

The First Two Chapters of the Work

The first two chapters of the work are dedicated to the story of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus's approach to Torah, serving as a kind of introduction to the work and providing background about the author. These chapters are derived from Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Version B, Chapter 13, and their originality in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer is a matter of scholarly debate. Many researchers speculate that these chapters are a later addition and not original to the midrash. Eliezer Treitl disagrees with this view and believes that the chapters should not be excluded, for two reasons: these chapters appear in all the complete manuscripts of the work that exist; the language of the chapters differs slightly from their source in Avot DeRabbi Natan in a way that suits the unique language of Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer.

The Time and Place of the Composition

The first to establish the later dating of the midrash was Zunz, and following him, the commonly accepted opinion in research is that the work was written around the eighth century. Zunz dates the book from the beginning of the eighth century to the middle of the eighth century. The evidence Zunz brings for the lower date is that the author frequently refers in his sermons to Ishmael and the kingdom of the children of Ishmael, and condemns their rule. The name Ishmael is interpreted at the beginning of Chapter 32 as: "And why is his name called Ishmael? Because in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will hear the cry of the people from what the children of Ishmael are destined to do in the land at the end of days." At the end of Chapter 30, the following apocalyptic vision appears: Rabbi Ishmael says:

Fifteen things the children of Ishmael are destined to do in the land at the end of days, and these are they: They will measure the land with ropes, make cemeteries for the resting place of sheep dung, measure in them and from them on the tops of mountains, increase lies, conceal the truth, distance law from Israel, increase sins in Israel, the worm will be as wool, the paper and pen will wither, the kingdom's rock will be rejected, they will rebuild ruined cities, clear roads, plant gardens and orchards, repair breaches in the walls of the Temple, build a structure in the sanctuary, and two brothers will stand over them as leaders in the end, and in their days the sprout of David (the Messiah) will stand.

According to Zunz, the "structure in the sanctuary" refers to the Dome of the Rock, which was built on the Temple Mount at the end of the seventh century, and the rejection of the "kingdom's rock" refers to the minting of Muslim coins, which also occurred at the end of that century. Additionally, there is great similarity to the literature of the Geonim, a remarkable resemblance to the Jerusalem Targum, and messianic sayings that set the expected year of redemption as 729.

From this, it can be concluded that the work was not written before the end of the seventh century. The opening passage of Chapter 3 appears in the letter of Pirqoi ben Baboi, who operated at the end of the eighth century or the beginning of the ninth century, indicating that the work is not later than the ninth century.

Regarding the place of midrash, the extensive references to the rule of Ishmael indicate that it was composed in one of the lands of Islam – most likely in the Land of Israel or its surroundings. This is also evident from the fact that the work (in Chapter 8) emphasizes the exclusive right of the sages of the Land of Israel to establish the calendar, stating that even shepherds and laypeople in the Land of Israel are preferable to the righteous and prophets in the diaspora, and only the inhabitants of the Land of Israel have the right to establish the calendar. Various customs of the Land of Israel are also mentioned. For example, the custom of removing virginity with a finger mentioned in Chapter 16 is explicitly noted as a custom of the Land of Israel in the Book of Differences.

Structure of the Composition

It is generally accepted in research that Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer is the work of a single author, distinguishing it from other earlier midrashic works (and in general from classical rabbinic works), which do not have a single author and are defined as collective creations> ref>Elbaum, "The Formation of the Story in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer," p. 125; Yahalom, "Then There Was No One," p. 47 (in Hebrew)</ref> The work includes fifty-four chapters (or fifty-two chapters according to a slightly different division of the chapters, such as in the edition of Michael Higger and other manuscripts), in which the author expounds on the Torah portions from the days of creation to the history of Israel in the desert. Along the way, the author also incorporates sermons and entire chapters on various portions from the books of the Prophets and the Writings.

The Question of the Work's Completeness

The midrash as it exists today has an incomplete structure, and the question of whether it was written this way or whether chapters were lost over the generations is a matter of debate. Rabbi Chaim Palagi, in his commentary on the book, wrote about the end of the work: "It seems that up to here they found, and there were more chapters but they were not seen, and may God in His mercy enlighten our eyes with the light of His Torah, the Torah of life" (Par Echad on Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer - Chapter 54). Zunz described the problematic nature of the work's structure: first, the text (in the regular prints that were before him) ends in an impossible place – in the middle of a sermon. Additionally, he pointed out two central themes, or foundational elements, on which the author bases the various chapters of the work, which are missing at their ends:

1. At the beginning of Chapter 14, the author presents a tradition about God's descent to earth ten times, with these descents being described subsequently, each in its place – but the last descent is the eighth (in Chapter 54), with the last two descents missing.

2. From the middle of the work, some chapters end with benedictions from the Amidah prayer. The first benediction, "Shield of Abraham," appears at the end of Chapter 27, the second in the middle of Chapter 31, and so on. But the last benediction is "Healer of the Sick," with the other benedictions missing. From this, Zunz hesitantly suggested the hypothesis that the work did not survive in its entirety.

Rabbi David Luria (Radal) supported Zunz's hypothesis and, in the introduction to his commentary, provided over a dozen citations from PdRE in the writings of medieval sages that are not found in the existing work – indicating that the work was once complete and contained additional chapters. According to Radal, the seven chapters of Rabbi Eliezer that were added to Midrash Seder Eliyahu originated from this work. He bases his suggestion on the statements of Rabbi Eleazar of Worms (the Rokeach) and the author of Yalkut Shimoni, who quote from these seven chapters, sometimes referring to them as "PdRE" (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer). This view of Zunz and Radal, that chapters and parts of the original work were lost over the generations, is very common in research. Treitl disagrees with this, arguing that the work as it exists today was completed by the author in this form, and that there were never additional chapters. According to him, a comprehensive examination of all the manuscripts of Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and tracking the unique style of the work challenges the hypotheses of Zunz and Radal, and a thorough examination of the citations relied upon by Radal shows that most of them are not actual quotations from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer. Zunz's claim that the work ends in the middle of a sermon is based on a corrupted printed edition, which was printed from a manuscript that was missing a large segment at the end, found in all other complete manuscripts, where the sermon appears in full along with additional sermons. Regarding Zunz's claim about the missing "central themes," Treitl points out that two benedictions are also missing in the middle – the benediction of forgiveness and the benediction of redemption – making it more likely that the author himself did not complete his work. Another piece of evidence for this is the benediction "On the righteous converts" and "...who gathers the dispersed of His people Israel" found already in Chapter 10 (a benediction that should have been much later than the last benediction in the work), which seems out of context, suggesting that the author planned a longer work and had already prepared this chapter in advance, but when he was unable to complete his original plan, he attached the chapter to the most suitable place. Treitl argues that a hint to the claim that the work was incomplete from its inception can be found in the sermon that concludes the work:

Rabbi Yossi says if a person hires a diligent worker and pays him and gives him his full wage, what good is held for this? But if a person hires a lazy worker and pays him and gives him his full wage – surely this one is held in great esteem. So said Solomon before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were diligent workers, you gave them their full wage – you gave them from their own. But we are lazy workers, and when you heal us, give us our full wage, and surely everyone will praise you and bless you and say to you: Blessed are you, Lord, who heals the sick of His people Israel.

According to Treitl, the conclusion of the work with this sermon is no accident, but rather the author is hinting to the reader that he was unable to complete it, and the work is ended but not finished.

Literary Genre

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer differs from classical midrashic literature: it does not contain homilies on every verse (as found in works like "Genesis Rabbah" and "Song of Songs Rabbah"), nor is it organized by the sequence of Torah or selected topics (like "Leviticus Rabbah" or "Pesikta de-Rav Kahana"). Although composed by a single author, it exhibits different styles, leading scholars to debate its genre classification. Joseph Heinemann and others consider it akin to the genre of "rewritten Bible" (a genre that includes some apocryphal books like "Jubilees" and the later "Book of Jasher"), due to its extensive rewriting of biblical stories with midrashic expansions, abridgements, and changes in order. Rina Drori disagrees with Heinemann, viewing it as a standard midrashic work. She emphasizes its attribution of numerous homilies to various sages and its frequent use of the midrashic term "Shene'emar" (as it is said), which appears many times. Rachel Adelman of Hebrew College in Boston suggests viewing the work as a "narrative midrash."

The Work and Its Chapters - An Overview

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer does not have a uniform and orderly structure. It opens with two chapters recounting the life of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. Chapter 3 contains homilies on the days of creation, followed by rewritten sections from the books of Genesis and Exodus. The last two chapters (53-54) form a unit dealing with slander, ending with homilies on the denunciation of the Israelites in the story of the bronze serpent, and the final homily includes the parable of "The Diligent Workers and the Lazy Workers." The work rewrites and expands on the books of Genesis and Exodus, sometimes in detail and sometimes briefly, but does not cover all of Genesis and does not always follow the biblical order. Occasionally, the author arranges his homilies by thematic units and also includes sections from the Prophets and the Writings. For example, the first twenty chapters are dedicated to homilies on Genesis, and in the middle of chapter 22, he transitions to the Parasha of Noah. However, he intersperses an entire chapter on the story of Jonah in the fish's belly (chapter 10); and two complete chapters (16-17) focus on acts of kindness to bridegrooms and mourners. Later, when recounting the history of Abraham, the author does not follow the biblical order but prefers to arrange Abraham's history according to the tradition of the "Ten Trials" he underwent. The final chapters of Genesis (Judah and Tamar, Joseph's revelation to his brothers, etc.) are not mentioned at all, whereas the author extensively incorporates the Book of Esther (chapter 50).

Names of the Sages in the Work

Many homilies in the work are attributed to Rabbi Eliezer and various sages, some of whom lived much later than Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. Rabbi David Luria (Radal), who sought to defend the traditional view attributing the work to Rabbi Eliezer, argued that most of the names appearing as amoraim are actually tannaim with similar names. He attributed the formation of the work to Rabbi Eliezer's academy, which operated in the generations following him, and explained the later sages' names as later additions that entered the work.< This view is not accepted in scholarly research. Since Zunz, it has been accepted to view these attributions as pseudepigraphical. For example, in chapter 43, the midrash extensively discusses the deeds of Resh Lakish and his companions and his repentance, placing words of praise for Resh Lakish in the mouth of the tanna Ben Azzai, who lived three generations earlier. Another example: Rabbi Levitas of Yavneh is mentioned once in the Mishnah (Avot) and no other Talmudic source, but the midrash attributes several homilies to him that earlier sources attribute to other sages.

Sources of the Work and Its Relationship to Non-Talmudic Literature

The work draws its traditions from Talmudic sources: Mishnah and Palestinian aggadic midrashim. Although the work is Palestinian, it appears that the Babylonian Talmud also served as a source in some places. The work extensively uses non-Talmudic literature, one of its unique features.

Relationship to Second Temple Period Apocryphal Literature

The work includes aggadic traditions descending from Second Temple period apocryphal literature. For example, in chapter 22, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer identifies the "sons of God" mentioned in Genesis 6:1 with the angels who fell from heaven, as commonly found in apocryphal literature (1 Enoch), contrary to the view of the sages, who vehemently opposed this interpretation.

Relationship to Islamic Literature

The legend about the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael (chapter 30) has a clear Islamic background, as evidenced by the names of the women Aisha (the name of Muhammad's wife) and Fatima (the name of Muhammad's daughter), attributed by the author to Ishmael's wives. This legend has Islamic parallels, and the prevailing opinion is that its source is Islamic. Aviva Shosman suggests the story's origin is Jewish.

Relationship to the Targum of Jonathan

There are many parallels, sometimes to the point of literal similarity, between Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and the Aramaic Targum of Jonathan to the Torah (a translation composed in the same period and region as Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer), first noted by Zunz. Radal believed that the Targum depends on our work and draws from it, and Avigdor Shinan also holds this view, but not all scholars accept this conclusion.

Connection to Piyyut

The work also has ties to early Palestinian piyyut (liturgical poetry), evident in both shared traditions and linguistic similarities. For instance, the tradition mentioned in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (chapter 46) that one should stand on their feet on Yom Kippur because Israel are similar to angels on this day is close to the traditions of poets Yannai and Rabbi Eleazar Kalir.

External Halakha

At times, the work offers traditions not found in rabbinic halakha and tradition. Here is one example: the work uses its homilies to criticize the new ruling power—Islam—by finding biblical hints that disparage Ishmael. The fact that Ishmael was born before Abraham was circumcised serves as a tool for criticism, as seen in the homily on Leviticus 19:23: "Only the grapevine is meant by 'tree'; if they do not cut off the foreskin of the tree, all its fruits are stunted and unsightly, and its wine is disqualified from the altar. But if they cut off the foreskin of the tree, all its fruits are good-looking, and its wine is chosen for the altar. So too with our father Abraham: before he was circumcised, the fruit he produced was not good in deeds and was disqualified from the altar. But after he was circumcised, the fruit he produced was good in deeds and his wine was chosen for the altar, as it says 'and wine for the drink offering' (Numbers 15:5)." Thus the author explains why Isaac was chosen to be bound on the altar and not Ishmael: since Ishmael is "the son of the foreskin" (as explicitly stated in chapter 31), meaning he was born to Abraham while he was still uncircumcised. This law is very unusual and is not known from any Talmudic literature. According to what is stated here, the prohibition of the "foreskin" of the tree means that the fruits of the tree must be cut off in the first three years; this does not align with rabbinic law but matches the tradition found in Philo of Alexandria and the Karaite sage Japheth ben Ali.

Halakha and Custom

In addition to the regular homilies, which form the main structure of the work, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer contains other contents. It includes chapters on astronomy and the determination of the calendar. It is the first known Hebrew work to mention the 19-year intercalation cycle. Halakha and custom play a significant role in the work. The author often attributes various customs to biblical times, concluding with phrases like "hence the sages ordained..." In chapter 16, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer describes Isaac's actions and marriage to Rebecca: Rabbi Ishmael says: Abraham said to his son Isaac, this servant is suspected of transgressions and deceit, as it is said: "Canaan has dishonest scales in his hand; he loves to defraud" (Hosea 12:8). Beware lest he touches the conduit. Instead, bring the girl into the tent, and examine her virginity with your finger. If she is pure in her virginity, she is yours by divine decree. Isaac brought her into the tent, examined her virginity with his finger, showed it to Abraham, and then married her, as it is said: "Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent" (Genesis 24:67). And so Israel used to examine virginity with the finger. In this folktale, the author seeks to reinforce the local custom of verifying virginity with a finger.

Elijah's Chair, a Custom Originating from the Work

The custom of Elijah's chair at the circumcision ceremony is first mentioned in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (end of chapter 29): God said to Elijah: "You are always zealous; you were zealous at Shittim over immorality... and now you are zealous here. By your life, Israel will not perform circumcision until you see it with your own eyes." Hence, the sages ordained that an honorable seat be made for the angel of the covenant. Additional customs originating from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and incorporated into halachic literature include: standing throughout Yom Kippur, looking at fingernails during Havdalah, mourners attending the synagogue on Shabbat, a groom not going to the market alone, and blowing the shofar in Elul.

Legends in the Work

Below are some examples of the traditions from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer that showcase its approach and unique style. The Bible does not recount the fate of Dinah, Jacob's daughter, after her rape. The work fills in this gap, explaining that Joseph did not marry an Egyptian woman but rather a relative—Asenath, Dinah's daughter. It begins chapter 38 with: "And went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him" (Amos 5:19) – When Jacob returned to his inheritance in the land of Canaan, the serpent bit him. And who is the serpent? This is Shechem son of Hamor. Jacob's daughter sat in tents and did not go outside. What did Shechem son of Hamor do? He brought girls playing outside with tambourines, and Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land playing, and he kidnapped and slept with her, and she conceived and bore Asenath. The Israelites wanted to kill her, saying: Now the whole land will say there is a house of prostitution in Jacob's tents. What did Jacob do? He brought a golden plate with the holy name written on it, hung it around her neck, and sent her away. Everything is revealed before the Holy One, and the angel Michael descended and brought her to Egypt to Potiphar's house, as Asenath was destined for Joseph as a wife. Potiphar's wife was barren and raised her as a daughter. When Joseph came to Egypt, he took her as his wife, as it says, "And he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as a wife" (Genesis 41:45).

The work also frequently identifies family relationships between characters mentioned in separate biblical contexts. For example, according to the work, the witch of Endor consulted by Saul was the mother of Abner son of Ner; the woman from Zarephath in Elijah's story was the mother of Jonah; the Shunammite woman in Elisha's story was the sister of Abishag the Shunammite who served David; and the man who revived after touching Elisha's bones was Shallum son of Tikvah, husband of Huldah the prophetess, and the father of Hanamel son of Shallum, Jeremiah's cousin. Another typical legend in the work tells of Abraham's visits to his son Ishmael after being forced to send him away at Sarah's command: Ishmael sent and took a wife from the daughters of Moab, and her name was Ayesha. After three years, Abraham wanted to see his son Ishmael and swore to Sarah that he would not dismount from his camel where Ishmael lived. He arrived at midday and found Ishmael's wife. He asked her, "Where is Ishmael?" She said, "He and his mother have gone to bring fruits and dates from the wilderness." He said, "Give me a little bread and water, for I am weary from the desert journey." She replied, "I have neither bread nor water." He said, "When Ishmael returns, tell him an old man from Canaan came to see you and said, 'Change the threshold of your house, for it is not good for you.'" When Ishmael returned, she told him these words, and a wise son is half wise, so Ishmael understood and sent her away. His mother took a wife for him from her father's house, and her name was Fatima. After three years, Abraham came again to see Ishmael and swore to Sarah as before. He arrived at midday and found Ishmael's wife. He asked her, "Where is Ishmael?" She replied, "He and his mother are grazing the camels in the wilderness." He said, "Give me a little bread and water, for I am weary from the desert journey." She brought it to him. Abraham prayed before the Holy One for his son, and Ishmael's house was filled with all good things. When Ishmael returned, she told him what had happened, and Ishmael knew that his father's mercy was still upon him, as it says, "As a father has compassion on his children" (Psalms 103:13). The work also identifies names for anonymous biblical characters. For example, it names Abraham's mother as Athray (contrary to the Talmud, which names her Amatlai), Lot's wife as Irit, Lot's daughter as Peletit, and the sages who taught the Samaritans the "laws of the God of the land" as Rabbi Dostai and Rabbi Yannai.

Several legends from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer became particularly well-known through Rashi's commentary on the Bible:

• Sarah's death was caused by Samael telling her about the binding of Isaac, and her soul flew away (chapter 32).
• The reason Rebecca asked Jacob to bring two goat kids to prepare a meal for Isaac: "Was Isaac's meal really two goat kids? Rather, one was to be a Passover sacrifice, and the other to make delicacies" (chapter 32).
• The Jebusites who controlled Jerusalem in David's time were descendants of the Hittites, and the covenant Abraham made with them when purchasing the Cave of Machpelah prevented the city's conquest in the Judges' period (chapter 36; mentioned in Rashi on Deuteronomy 12:17).
• When Jonah's ship was storm-tossed, the sailors saw other ships in calm waters, while the sea around them was turbulent (chapter 9).

Maimonides dedicated an entire chapter in "The Guide for the Perplexed" (part 2, chapter 26) to discussing a legend from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, which he considered the most puzzling statement in all Jewish literature: "From where were the heavens created? From the light of His garment... From where was the earth created? From the snow beneath His throne of glory" (chapter 3). Maimonides struggled philosophically to understand why the author posited that the world was created from a preexisting substance.commentary.

Style and Language

The work's style is unique, often phrased in biblical language and the classical piyyut style that preceded it. Here are some examples:

• The term "helper" (עזר) is used to refer to a woman. For example, it lists the four couples buried in the Cave of Machpelah: "Adam and his helper, Abraham and his helper, Isaac and his helper, Jacob and his helper" (end of chapter 20).
• Abraham's ten trials are referred to in the singular "נס": "the first נס; the second נס."
• A cemetery is called a בית מלון "house of lodging" (and the poet Yosi ben Yosi uses a similar term); after Adam was expelled from Eden, the work says: "Adam sat and pondered in his heart, and said, 'For I know you will bring me to death and the house appointed for all living' (Job 30:23), so while I am still alive, I will build myself a house of lodging for my resting place."
• The work sometimes uses synonymous phrases as the poets did. For example, instead of עץ"" (tree) in biblical language or "אילן" in rabbinic language, it prefers to say: "עץ-אילן": "A tree-tree bears fruit after its kind" (chapter 5).

Here are some other examples of unique language usages not found in other midrashic literature: the term "and not only that" is often used in the work to mean "another matter" or "some say," rather than its usual meaning of adding something new to what was previously mentioned. In midrashic literature, the word "nimim" is used for violin strings, but the author of Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer calls them "navalim"; in chapter 19, he notes that David's violin had ten "navalim," meaning strings.

In chapter 41, the work describes the revelation at Mount Sinai in this lofty style: "I am the Lord your God who brought you out" - The first voice went forth; the heavens and the earth shook; the seas and rivers fled; the mountains and hills trembled; and all the trees bowed; the dead in Sheol came to life and stood on their feet.

Distribution of the Work

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer is one of the most widespread midrashic works. It is frequently quoted in the writings of Geonim and Rishonim from all Jewish communities, has numerous manuscripts and print editions, and several customs practiced today originate from this work. Rabbeinu Tam already recognized the importance of the work regarding customs and saw it as one of the authoritative ancient sources upon which "many customs are based."

Manuscripts

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer stands out among midrashic works for its numerous manuscripts. The Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts in Jerusalem catalogs over a hundred manuscripts of the work, some complete and some partial. Additionally, a few Geniza fragments have survived. The many manuscripts were first examined by Lewis M. Barth, and the numerous variations between different manuscripts led him to speculate that we may have similar but not identical works gathered under the same name. According to Eliezer Treitl's philological research, the main manuscripts of the work—totaling over two dozen—are divided into three textual branches, with additional manuscripts whose connection to the different branches is unclear. Many of the manuscripts have little textual value as they were copied from various printed editions and other manuscripts. Two manuscripts of the work are digitized on Lewis Barth's website.

Printed Editions

Since the invention of printing, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer has been published over fifty times. It was first printed in Constantinople in 1514, followed by Venice in 1544 with corrections of some errors from the first print. All subsequent prints are based on the Venice edition. Modern prints suffer from heavy censorship (even the new edition by Zikhron Aharon in 2005-2006 contains censored errors.

Scholarly Editions

Michael Higger published an edition in the journal "Chorev," including variants from several manuscripts. However, significant errors occurred in chapters 35-36 due to incorrect page order in the manuscript used. An electronic edition is available from the Historical Dictionary Project of the Academy of the Hebrew Language, based on a Yemenite manuscript, with corrections from other Yemenite manuscripts.

Translations

The work was translated into Latin by Willem Henricus Vorstius in 1644. An English translation based on a manuscript was made in 1916 by Gerald Friedlander, which included some variant readings, commentary, and extensive references to sources and parallels from apocryphal literature. Marc-Alain Ouaknin and Eric Smilévitch translated it into French in 1983. Miguel Perez Fernandez translated it into Spanish in 1984. In 2004, Dagmar Börner-Klein translated the book into German, published in Berlin.

Commentaries

The first commentary written for Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer was by Rabbi Yedaya Bedershi, published in the Zikhron Aharon edition, Jerusalem 2005. Other notable commentaries include:

• Rabbi Judah ibn Malka with glosses by Rabbi Isaac of Acre, published by Joseph Fenton.
• Don Isaac Abravanel wrote an extensive commentary on chapter 29, discussing the Covenant of the Pieces and the four kingdoms, as part of his work "Yeshuot Meshicho."
• "Beit HaGadol - Bi'ur Maspik" by Rabbi Abraham Aaron Broda, published in Vilna in 1838.
• "Midrash Tanaim" by Rabbi Ze'ev Wolf Einhorn, published in 1839.
• The most comprehensive commentary is by Rabbi David Luria (Radal), published in Warsaw in 1852, which includes extensive discussions on sources and parallels from the vast Talmudic literature.
• Rabbi Benjamin Diskin on chapter 6.
• Rabbi Elijah Hayitmeri's explanations on instances where "and not only that" appears.
• Rabbi Chaim Palagi of Izmir in 1880.
• Rabbi Yaakov Emden's glosses, featured in the Zikhron Aharon edition, Jerusalem 2005.

Editions

• Constantinople 1514: First printed edition by Judah ben Joseph Sasson, in the National Library of Israel's digitized collection
• Venice 1544: Corrected version from the first print, available on HebrewBooks
• Vicenza 1567: In the National Library of Israel's digitized collection
• Venice 1604: Available on HebrewBooks
• Prague 1784: Available on HebrewBooks
• Zolkiev 1805: Available on HebrewBooks
• Warsaw 1852: With commentary by Radal, in the National Library of Israel's digitized collection and on HebrewBooks
• Warsaw 1874: Including "Bi'ur Maspik" commentary, scanned on the "Daat" site
• Jerusalem 1972: Rachamim Horowitz edition, on HebrewBooks

Scholarly Editions Michael Higger's Edition:

• Part One (1944): In "Chorev" journal, New York, available on HebrewBooks
• Chapters 10-25 (1946): In "Chorev," New York, pages 94-166, on HebrewBooks
• Chapters 26-End (1948): In "Chorev," New York, pages 185-294, on HebrewBooks

Further reading

• Jacob Elbaum (1992): "The style, motif, and subject in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer," Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Folklore, 13-14, pages 99-126 (in Hebrew)
• Joseph Heinemann (1974): "Legends and their Histories," Jerusalem: Keter, from page 181 (in Hebrew)
• Solomon Aharon Wertheimer (1968): "The Last Chapter of Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer," in "Batei Midrashot," new edition, Jerusalem, pages 238-243 (in Hebrew) • Eliezer Treitl (2012): "Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer: Text, Editing, and Manuscript Synopsis," Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Jerusalem (in Hebrew)
• Adiel Kadari (2016): "Blessing and Midrash: Liturgical Texts as a Key to Interpretation in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer," in "Prayer in Israel: New Aspects," edited by A. Ehrlich, Beer-Sheva, pages 327-340 (in Hebrew)
• Aviva Shoshan (1980): "The Jewish Origin and Purpose of the Story of Abraham's Visits to Ishmael," Tarbiz 49, pages 325-345 (in Hebrew)
• Rachel Adelman (2009): "The Return of the Repressed: Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha," Leiden: Brill • Robert Hayward (1991): "Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and Targum Pseudo Jonathan," Journal of Jewish Studies, 42, pages 215-246
• Bernhard Heller (1925): "Muhammedanisches und Antimuhammedanisches in den Pirke Rabbi Eliezer," Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums, 69, pages 47-54 • Steven Daniel Sacks (2009): "Midrash and Multiplicity: Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and the Renewal of Rabbinic Interpretive Culture" General Studies
• Rina Drori (1988): "The Early Contacts of Hebrew Literature with Arabic Literature in the Tenth Century," Tel Aviv: The Israeli Institute for Poetics and Semiotics (in Hebrew)