Midrash Shmuel is a unique literary work in that it includes Aggadic Midrashim to a particular Prophetic book. Thus, this collection of midrashim differs from other midrashic collections which were composed to the Biblical books which were read in the synagogue during the year.
There are only two complete textual witnesses to Midrash Shmuel - the first printed edition (Constantinople 1517) and MS Parma (Codex De Rossi, No. 563).
The Constantinople edition is preferable to MS Parma. In spite of the fact that the manuscript includes some better and more original readings, it also includes many mistakes. On this point the scholars agree, and for this reason Solomon Buber used the Constantinople edition as the basis for his edition, even though in many instances he actually utilized the Venice edition (1546). Therefore, the new scientific edition of Midrash Shmuel, edited by Berachyahu Lifshitz and published by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, is based on the Constantinople edition. Obvious errors in the text were corrected there, while the synoptic version presented here includes all known variants of the text.
This synopsis includes textual variants of Midrash Shmuel from the Constantinople edition, MS Parma 563, Geniza fragments, and quotations from Yalkut Shimoni, Yalkut HaMekhiri, and Midrash HaGadol. All of this is explained in detail in the introduction to the new edition of Midrash Shmuel mentioned above (pp. 67 ff.).
This synopsis was prepared with the help of the staff of "Mashvinan" who are to be thanked for their efforts. We also thank the libraries who hold the various manuscripts, the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies and its President, Prof. David Golinkin, for including this publication as part of its Midrash Project, and its Deputy Director-General, Dr. Simcha Goldsmith, for his help in preparing the material for the website.
We would appreciate comments about any mistakes that may be found in order to enable us to correct them.
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