From: RFaussette@aol.com
Date: Fri Oct 10 2003 - 13:50:34 EDT
In a message dated 10/10/03 8:59:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
haas.john@comcast.net writes:
> Greetings!
>
> This URL places a different spin on our favorite topic.
>
> http://www.orot.com/ec.html#Anchor-TORAH-9779
> Jack Haas
>
>
>
>
No it doesn't. An excerpt regarding levels of interpretation is precisely
what I have been saying all along and that interpretation of genesis is what is
in my paper True Religion
Here is the excerpt from that URL with the Jewish (Jesus' ?) perspective.
It is a basic principle of Torah that every verse in the Bible has four
levels of interpretation, an acronym for which is PaRDeS (Hebrew for "garden," and
root of the English word "paradise").
1) "P" (Pshat) is its literal meaning and narrative intent; the plot or story
line.
2) "R" (Remez) is the level of hint whereby peculiarities of grammar,
spelling, syntax, and sentence structure indicate deeper levels of meaning and hidden
interrelationships within the text.
3) "D" (Drash) is the homiletical level of interpretation where the entire
Bible is understood as a metaphor for each individual soul's unfolding. Everyone
has an aspect of Abraham that must be willing to sacrifice Isaac, every one
must receive the Torah at Sinai, etc.
4) "S" (SOD) iS the secret, mystical or kabbalistic level of interpretation
that hints to the inner worlds, angelic kingdoms, realms of soul and
mathematical intricacies of Divinity.
Translation can only access the first, or literal level of meaning. All
others depend upon the subtleties of Hebrew and its weave of interconnections
within the text. For this reason the Jewish calendar commemorates a yearly fast
(the 10th of Teves) to mourn the first translation of the Torah. Thus began the
possibility of its misinterpretation and trivialization by those who imagine
that the narrative Pshat) is all there is, and presume to understand Judaism
without a clue to the deeper levels of interpretation essential to its teachings.
And beyond this, which applies to every passage in the Bible, the first
chapters of Genesis have more commentary and mystical significance than any other
section. An entire book is written on the first word alone.(5) The deepest
mysteries of the universe derive from these portions, secrets that are not
accessible in translation, nor comprehensible to those without extensive background.
They require years of intensive study and only the most gifted understand them
truly.
=======
That is precisely what I have been saying about genesis!
rich faussette
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