Shemoth Rabbah, chap. 23.

“Write thou these words” (Exod. xxxiv. 37).  That applies to the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa, which were given in writing, but not to the Halachoth, the Midrashim, the Aggadoth, and the Talmud, which were given by the mouth.

Ibid., chap. 47.

Rabbi Samlai said to Rabbi Yonathan, “Instruct me in the Aggada.”  The latter replied, “We have a tradition from our forefathers not to instruct either a Babylonian or a Daromean in the Aggada, for though they are deficient in knowledge they are haughty in spirit.”

Tal.  Yerushalmi P’sachim, v. fol. 32, col. 1.

He who transcribes the Aggada has no portion in the world to come; he who expounds it is excommunicated; and he who listens to the exposition of it shall receive no reward.

Tal.  Yerushalmi P’sachim, Shabbath, xvi. fol. 30, col. 2.

“Day unto day uttereth speech” (Ps. xix. 2, 3, 4); this means the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa.  “And night unto night showeth knowledge;” this is the Mishnaioth.  “There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard;” these are the Halachoth.  “Their line is gone out through all the earth;” these are the Aggadoth, by which His great name is sanctified.

T. debei Aliahu, chap. 2.

Rabbi Yeremiah, the son of Elazar, said, “When the Holy One—­blessed be He!—­created Adam, He created him an androgyne, for it is written (Gen. v. 2), ‘Male and female created He them.’” Rabbi Sh’muel bar Nachman said, “When the Holy One—­blessed be He!—­created Adam, He created him with two faces; then He sawed him asunder, and split him (in two), making one back to the one-half, and another to the other.”

Midrash Rabbah, chap. 8.

“And it repented the Lord that He had made man (Adam) on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart” (Gen. vi. 6).  Rabbi Berachiah says that when God was about to create Adam, He foresaw that both righteous people and wicked people would come forth from him.  He reasoned therefore with Himself thus:  “If I create him, then will the wicked proceed from him; but if I do not create him, how then shall the righteous come forth?” What then did God do?  He separated the ways of the wicked from before Him, and assuming the attribute of mercy, so He created him.  This explains what is written (Ps. i. 6), “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall be lost.”  The way of the wicked was lost before Him, but assuming to Himself the attribute of mercy, He created him.  Rabbi Chanina says, “It was not so!  But when God was about to create Adam, He consulted the ministering angels and said unto them (Gen. i. 26), ’Shall we make man in our image after our likeness?’ They replied, ‘For what good wilt thou create him?’ He responded, ‘That the righteous may rise out of him.’  This explains what is written, ’For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall be lost.’  God informed them only about the righteous, but He said nothing about the wicked, otherwise the ministering angels would not have given their consent that man should be created.”