I've been interested in Kabbalah, the mystical side of Judaism ever since I first heard of it as a teenager. I can admit that it never made much sense to me until just recently, when I met Rabbi Simon Jacobson, Dean of the Meaningful Life Center www.meaningfullife.com. Since then I've seen the mystical teachings not as a separate discipline, but an integral way of understanding the word of God. But probably the most amazing, I've found that there of aspects of these teachings even in the New Testament, and have helped me understand some of the more obscure parts of Jesus' teaching. Throughout the next year, I plan to reflect each week on the Gospel passage from this point of view, and perhaps gain a greater glimpse of the Kingdom Jesus spoke of. This first post will, I hope, present some critical background material.
Levels of Interpretation:
When I was younger I used to struggle with a passage and ask myself, what does this mean - as if there is a single interpretation of each scriptural passage. According to Jewish tradition there are at least four levels with which a person can interpret the passage. There's the simple, the references, the homeletical, and the secret. In Hebrew these four levels make up an acrostic PRDS, or Pardes - paradise or the orchard. The simple level is exactly what you see. For example, God created Adam from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2).
References will look at how this passage relates to, or is referred to other places in scripture. One might look at the Psalms, Chronicles, or even in the New Testament, the Book of Hebrews. One could also look within the same book. For example, if Adam and Eve had three sons: Cain, Abel, and Seth, who did they marry? Later passages in Genesis (Chapter 4) suggest the presence of other people beyond this family.
The homeletical interpretations deal with Jewish Midrash, which will often ask questions of the text nd try to fill in the blanks. Why is this word used and not another. For example, Numbers 3 mention that two of Aaron's sons died when they offered strange fire before the Lord, and it also mentions that they died without having any children. Why is this important? I once heard a rabbi remark that ignoring one commandment, in this case being fruitful and multiplying, led to them ignoring other commandments, eventually leading to their downfall. Homeletical interpretations also involve what we also call "Sermon Illustrations." Sometimes theological concepts are so transcendent that the only way we can describe them is by comparing them to something else. Note how in the Gospels Jesus never gave a definition of the Kingdom of God. Instead he compared it to things in everyday, normal life. The Kingdom of God is like this, or the Kingdom of God is like that ...
The final level of interpretation deals with the mystical, or the secret teachings of the Bible. I really don't find them to be secretive, but concealed within the text. When you discover them you'll never look at scripture the same way. The mystical interpretations deal with concepts like the Four Worlds and Ten Sefirot, which are aspects of creation and lenses with which to understand God's actions. It is on this level that I plan to reflect on the Gospels, and will deal with the details in a future post.
Levels of Interpretation:
When I was younger I used to struggle with a passage and ask myself, what does this mean - as if there is a single interpretation of each scriptural passage. According to Jewish tradition there are at least four levels with which a person can interpret the passage. There's the simple, the references, the homeletical, and the secret. In Hebrew these four levels make up an acrostic PRDS, or Pardes - paradise or the orchard. The simple level is exactly what you see. For example, God created Adam from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2).
References will look at how this passage relates to, or is referred to other places in scripture. One might look at the Psalms, Chronicles, or even in the New Testament, the Book of Hebrews. One could also look within the same book. For example, if Adam and Eve had three sons: Cain, Abel, and Seth, who did they marry? Later passages in Genesis (Chapter 4) suggest the presence of other people beyond this family.
The homeletical interpretations deal with Jewish Midrash, which will often ask questions of the text nd try to fill in the blanks. Why is this word used and not another. For example, Numbers 3 mention that two of Aaron's sons died when they offered strange fire before the Lord, and it also mentions that they died without having any children. Why is this important? I once heard a rabbi remark that ignoring one commandment, in this case being fruitful and multiplying, led to them ignoring other commandments, eventually leading to their downfall. Homeletical interpretations also involve what we also call "Sermon Illustrations." Sometimes theological concepts are so transcendent that the only way we can describe them is by comparing them to something else. Note how in the Gospels Jesus never gave a definition of the Kingdom of God. Instead he compared it to things in everyday, normal life. The Kingdom of God is like this, or the Kingdom of God is like that ...
The final level of interpretation deals with the mystical, or the secret teachings of the Bible. I really don't find them to be secretive, but concealed within the text. When you discover them you'll never look at scripture the same way. The mystical interpretations deal with concepts like the Four Worlds and Ten Sefirot, which are aspects of creation and lenses with which to understand God's actions. It is on this level that I plan to reflect on the Gospels, and will deal with the details in a future post.