Burton L. Visotzky surveys the scholarly literature on Midrash Leviticus Rabbah, a 5th century rabbinic anthology. He presents the findings of his own research that Leviticus Rabbah is a quasi-encyclopedic miscellany of rabbinic thought and commentaries on Torah and its study. He outlines the content of Leviticus Rabbah, its novel elements of style, structure, and redaction. The results of this analysis place the text at a turning point in rabbinic literature. The author undertakes to survey and synthesize the broad areas necessary to understand Leviticus Rabbah, while at the same time offering detailed studies of both structure and content. Its attitudes - and so, rabbinic attitudes - on topics like theology, angelology, anthropology, women, the poor, and the Other are also commented on.

Born 1951; B.A. University of Illinois (Chicago), Masters in Education from Harvard University; M.A., Rabbinic ordination; Ph.D. from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Currently holds the Nathan and Janet Appleman Chair in Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.