אל יהי המשל הזה קל בעיניך: לקראת הפואטיקה הרטורית של המשל

This article seeks to model an integrated approach to the study of midrash which synthesizes the hermeneutically oriented approaches of the 1980’sand early 1990’s with narratological and cultural studies methods that have been more recently applied to rabbinic literature as a whole. It presents anew theoretical model for understanding to the rabbinic mashal. Building on the work of Daniel Boyarin, Jonah Fraenkel and David Stern and drawing on James Phelan's theories of "the rhetorical poetics of narrative," I argue that mashal-units coordinate multiple narrative resources and rhetoricalchannels of communication to transmit a rich array of interpretive,theological, social, and political messages. I present a reading of a setof meshalim from the first parasha of Vayikra Rabba. I demonstrate eachunit puts forward an original understanding of Lev 1:1 and its place in the biblical narrative and presents a distinctive perspective of God, Moses, the Torah and their relationships with each other and with the Jewish people. I further argue that these meshalim’s collective positive portrayal of the Roman emperor, would have promoted the acceptance and legitimacy of Roman Imperial hegemony among their original audience.