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This is a strong workflow for exegesis that harmonizes Yeshua’s teachings, Tanakh foundations, and Midrashic context:

1. Always start with Yeshua
2. Find Tanakh references
3. Search Sefaria for these references

Here’s a refined step-by-step method based on our examples:

1. Start with Yeshua’s Teaching

• Identify the passage (e.g., Mark 7:19, Matt 22:37).

• Ask:

  • Is Yeshua quoting/interpretating a Tanakh passage?

  • Is He debating a Jewish tradition (e.g., Pharisaic halakha)?

  • What is His core argument?

2. Trace the Tanakh Source

• Find the OT reference:

  • Use cross-references (Logos, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge).

  • Example:

    • Matt 22:37 → Deut 6:5 (Shema).

    • Mark 7:19 → Contextually linked to Lev 11 (kashrut) but actually addressing oral tradition (Isa 29:13).

• Read the Tanakh passage in Hebrew (Sefaria’s interlinear tool helps).

3. Search Midrashim on Sefaria

• Method A: Direct verse search (e.g., Deut 6:5 shows Deuteronomy Rabbah).

• Method B: Thematic search (e.g., טומאה [impurity] for Mark 7 purity debates).

• Prioritize:

  • Midrash Rabbah (verse-by-verse commentary).

  • Talmudic debates (e.g., Berakhot 54a on Deut 6:5).

  • Targumim (Aramaic expansions, e.g., Targum Jonathan on Lev 11).

4. Compare Yeshua’s Interpretation

• Ask:

  • Does He follow, expand, or challenge existing Jewish interpretations?

    • Example: Yeshua agrees with Hillel on loving neighbor (Lev 19:18) but goes further by equating it with loving God.

  • Is His method midrashic (e.g., gezerah shavah linking two texts)?

5. Check Early Church Understanding

• Logos: See how NT authors/Church Fathers applied it.

  • Example: Paul’s use of Deut 30:12–14 in Rom 10:6–8 (a midrashic adaptation).

• Caution: Distinguish between Yeshua’s intent and later theological developments (e.g., Mark 7:19’s editorial note).

6. Resolve Tensions

• If Yeshua seems to contradict Torah (e.g., "all foods clean"), ask:

  • Is He critiquing oral tradition (Mark 7:8–9) or redefining purity (Acts 10:15)?

  • How did His Jewish audience understand Him (e.g., Peter kept kosher in Acts 10:14)?

Example Workflow: Matthew 5:38–39 ("Turn the Other Cheek")

1. Yeshua’s teaching: "You have heard ‘eye for eye’… but I say, do not resist evil."

2. Tanakh source: Exodus 21:24 (lex talionis).

3. Midrashic context:

   • Sefaria search Exodus 21:24 → Mekhilta (legal midrash) shows monetary compensation was standard (cf. Bava Kamma 83b).

   • Targum Onkelos softens to "money for an eye."

4. Yeshua’s innovation:

   • Rejects literal retaliation (already rare in Judaism) but not justice itself.

   • Focuses on personal humility (cf. Prov 20:22, Lamentations 3:30).

5. Early church: Romans 12:17–21 (Paul’s midrash on Prov 25:21–22).

Key Tools

• Sefaria.org: For Jewish texts.

• Logos.com: For NT-Tanakh links and patristic commentary.

• Hebrew/Greek interlinears: BlueLetterBible, STEP Bible.

Pro Tips

• Vocabulary matters: Search Hebrew roots (e.g., אהב for "love" in Deut 6:5).

• Historical context: Josephus/Mishnah for 1st-century Jewish practice.

• Avoid assumptions: Not all NT "fulfillment" language negates Torah (Matt 5:17).

Workflow Summary

1. Begin with Yeshua’s words.
2. Anchor them in the Tanakh.
3. Explore Midrashim on Sefaria for Jewish interpretive traditions.
4. Compare Yeshua’s method to rabbinic thought.
5. Contextualize the NT’s application.