“Truthiness” in the Bible
What the Bible Means, What it Meant, and Why the Difference Matters: A recorded live stream lunch and learn
In an age when biblical texts are cited to justify political, religious, and moral beliefs, the question of how to interpret the Bible鈥檚 meaning is increasingly important. In this 91快播 Live Stream Lunch and Learn, Rabbi Robert Harris will discuss several classical Jewish texts in order to guide participants toward an understanding of the distinction between derash and peshat鈥攖hat is, how we define the difference between the questions 鈥淲hat does the Bible mean?鈥� and 鈥淲hat did the Bible mean?鈥濃�攁nd why understanding the difference matters.
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R. Yosef Kara on 1 Samuel 1:17
讗讱 讚注 诇讱, 讻砖谞讻转讘讛 讛谞讘讜讗讛, 砖诇讬诪讛 谞讻转讘讛 注诐 驻转专讜谞讛 讜讻诇 讛爪讜专讱, 砖诇讗 讬讻砖诇讜 讘讛 讚讜专讜转 讛讘讗讬诐, 讜诪诪拽讜诪讜 讗讬谉 讞住专 讻诇讜诐. 讜讗讬谉 爪专讬讱 诇讛讘讬讗 专讗讬讛 诪诪拽讜诐 讗讞专, 讜诇讗 诪讚专砖, 讻讬 转讜专讛 鈥� 转诪讬诪讛 谞转谞讛, 转诪讬诪讛 谞讻转讘讛, 讜诇讗 转转讞住 讻诇 讘讛. 讜诪讚专砖 讞讻诪讬谞讜 鈥� 讻讚讬 诇讛讙讚讬诇 转讜专讛 讜讬讗讚讬专. 讗讘诇 讻诇 诪讬 砖讗讬谞讜 讬讜讚注 驻砖讜讟讜 砖诇 诪拽专讗, 讜谞讜讟讛 诇讜 讗讞专 诪讚专砖讜 砖诇 讚讘专, 讚讜诪讛 诇讝讛 砖砖讟驻转讛讜 砖讘讜诇转 讛谞讛专 讜诪注诪拽讬 诪讬诐 诪爪讬驻讬谉, 讜讗讜讞讝 讻诇 讗砖专 讬注诇讛 讘讬讚讜 诇讛讬谞爪诇. 讜讗讬诇讜 砖诐 诇讘讜 讗诇 讚讘专 讛鈥�, 讛讬讛 讞讜拽专 讗讞专 驻砖专 讚讘专 讜驻砖讜讟讜, 讜诪讜爪讗 诇拽讬讬诐 诪讛 砖谞讗诪专: 讗诐 转讘拽砖谞讛 讻讻住祝 讜讻诪讟诪讜谞讬诐 转讞驻砖谞讛 讗讝 转讘讬谉讬专讗转 讛鈥� 讜讚注转 讗诇讛讬诐 转诪爪讗 (诪砖诇讬 讘:讚-讛)…
Know well, that when Scripture was written, it was written completely, with every explanation and need taken care of, so that future generations would not stumble in it, and in its place, it lacks nothing. Moreover, one does not need to bring proofs from another place, and certainly not midrash, for the Torah was 鈥済iven completely and written completely鈥� (see Psalm 19:8: 转讜专转 讛鈥� 转诪讬诪讛 ), and lacks nothing. Whereas the midrash of the Sages is for the purpose of glorifying Torah and enhancing it (Isaiah 42:21). But anyone who doesn鈥檛 know the context of Scripture (the methodology of peshat), and prefers to incline towards a midrashic explanation, is similar to one who is drowning in a river, and the depths of the waters are sweeping him away, and who grabs hold of any old thing that comes into his hand to save himself. Whereas had he paid attention to the word of the Lord, he would have investigated the true explanation of the matter and its context, and would have fulfilled that which is written: If you seek it as you do silver, and search for it as for treasures, then you will understand reverence for the LORD and attain knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:4鈥�5)…
Rashi on Genesis 3:8:
讬砖 诪讚专砖讬 讗讙讚讛 专讘讬诐, 讜讻讘专 住讚专讜诐 专讘讜转讬谞讜 注诇 诪讻讜谞诐 讘讘专讗砖讬转 专讘讛 讜讘砖讗专 诪讚专砖讬诐. 讜讗谞讬 诇讗 讘讗转讬 讗诇讗 诇驻砖讜讟讜 砖诇 诪拽专讗, 讜诇讗讙讚讛 讛诪讬讬砖讘转 讚讘专 讛诪拽专讗 讜砖诪注讜, 讚讘专 讚讘讜专 注诇 讗驻谞讬讜
There are many homiletical midrashim (on these verses), and the Rabbis have long ago arranged them in their proper place in Genesis Rabba and the other midrashim. Whereas I have only come to explain Scripture according to its plain meaning [peshuto], and according to the aggadah that 鈥渟ettles鈥� a matter of Scripture and its sense, a matter understood according to its character [lit. 鈥渁 word fitly spoken鈥�; see Proverbs 25:11).
Rashbam: Introduction to Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1):
讬讚注讜 讜讬讘讬谞讜 讬讜讚注讬 砖讻诇 讻讬 诇讗 讘讗转讬 诇驻专砖 讛诇讻讜转, 讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讛诐 注讬拽专, 讻诪讜 砖驻讬专砖转讬 讘讘专讗砖讬转. 讻讬 诪讬转讜专 讛诪拽专讗讜转 谞砖诪注讬谉 讛讛讙讚讜转 讜讛讛诇讻讜转. 讜诪拽爪转谉 讬诪爪讗讜 讘驻讬专讜砖讬 专讘讬谞讜 砖诇诪讛 讗讘讬 讗诪讬 讝爪”诇. 讜讗谞讬 诇驻专砖 驻砖讜讟谉 砖诇 诪拽专讗讜转 讘讗转讬. 讜讗驻专砖 讛讚讬谞讬谉 讜讛讛诇讻讜转 诇驻讬 讚专讱 讗专抓. 讜讗祝 注诇 驻讬 讻谉 讛讛诇讻讜转 注讬拽专, 讻诪讜 砖讗诪专讜 专讘讜转讬谞讜: 讛诇讻讛 注讜拽专转 诪拽专讗
Let knowers of wisdom know and understand that I have not come to explain halakhot, even though these are the essence of Torah, as I have explained in my Genesis commentary (e.g., at Genesis 1:1; 37:2). For it is from the apparent superfluousness of Scriptural language that aggadot and halakhot are derived. Some of these can be found in the commentary of our Rabbi Solomon, my mother鈥檚 father, may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing. But I have come to explain the contextual meaning of Scripture. And I will explain the laws and halakhot according to realia (lit. 鈥渢he way of the world鈥�). And (I will do this) even though (the rabbinic understanding of) the halakhot is the essence, as the Rabbis taught: 鈥渉alakha uproots Scripture鈥� (BT Sota 16a, with emendation).
