Midrash Proverbs

Midrash Proverbs (Hebrew: מדרש‏ ‏משלי) is the haggadic midrash to the Book of Proverbs, first mentioned under the title "Midrash Mishle" by R. Hananeel b. Ḥushiel (first half of the 11th century) as quoted in the Mordekai on B.M. iii. 293. Nathan of Rome calls this midrash "Agadat Mishle" (Aruk, s.v. ). It was, besides, called erroneously "Shocher Tov" (ed. Zolkiev, 1800; Benjacob, Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 302, Nos. 449-451), a name by which Midrash Tehillim is known. The midrash has not been preserved entire; for there are no comments whatever on several chapters, e.g., on iii., vii., and xviii., and others have been annotated only in part. The editor of the Yalḳuṭ used some portions of this midrash which are now missing, although it may be assumed that not all the sentences which he included in his work with the statement that they were taken from this midrash were really a part of the Midrash Mishle which he had at hand (comp. S. Buber, Midrash Mishle, Introduction, p. 5b).