SIPHRĀ, SIPHRĒ. – Midrashic commentaries on Leviticus and on Numbers–Deuteronomy. Siphrā' (= the book) midrash (v.) of a prescriptive character on Leviticus.
Probably based on the teaching of R. Hijjā' and adopted as a text in the school of Rab (or ABBA ABEKA [v.], who died in 247); this would explain the title Siphrā' debē Rab (others, however, believe that this is not a proper name, but refers to the concept of a “schoolbook”). Siphrā' (= books), a collection of patristic-style commentaries on various parts of the 4th and 5th books of Moses, is likewise called Siphrā' debē Rab.
BIBL.: H. L. Strack, Einleitung in Talmud und Midrat, 2nd ed., Munich 1921, pp. 199 ff.; J. Ziegler, s. V. in Jud. Lex., V, col. 403 ff. Eugenio Zolli