“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 Bibleโs meaning is increasingly important. In this 91ถถา๕ 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 peshatโthat is, how we define the difference between the questions โWhat does the Bible mean?โ and โWhat did the Bible mean?โโand why understanding the difference matters.
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R. Yosef Kara on 1 Samuel 1:17
ืื ืืข ืื, ืืฉื ืืชืื ืื ืืืื, ืฉืืืื ื ืืชืื ืขื ืคืชืจืื ื ืืื ืืฆืืจื, ืฉืื ืืืฉืื ืื ืืืจืืช ืืืืื, ืืืืงืืื ืืื ืืกืจ ืืืื. ืืืื ืฆืจืื ืืืืื ืจืืื ืืืงืื ืืืจ, ืืื ืืืจืฉ, ืื ืชืืจื โ ืชืืืื ื ืชื ื, ืชืืืื ื ืืชืื, ืืื ืชืชืืก ืื ืื. ืืืืจืฉ ืืืืื ื โ ืืื ืืืืืื ืชืืจื ืืืืืืจ. ืืื ืื ืื ืฉืืื ื ืืืืข ืคืฉืืื ืฉื ืืงืจื, ืื ืืื ืื ืืืจ ืืืจืฉื ืฉื ืืืจ, ืืืื ืืื ืฉืฉืืคืชืื ืฉืืืืช ืื ืืจ ืืืขืืงื ืืื ืืฆืืคืื, ืืืืื ืื ืืฉืจ ืืขืื ืืืื ืืืื ืฆื. ืืืืื ืฉื ืืื ืื ืืืจ ืโ, ืืื ืืืงืจ ืืืจ ืคืฉืจ ืืืจ ืืคืฉืืื, ืืืืฆื ืืงืืื ืื ืฉื ืืืจ: ืื ืชืืงืฉื ื ืืืกืฃ ืืืืืืื ืื ืชืืคืฉื ื ืื ืชืืืืืจืืช ืโ ืืืขืช ืืืืื ืชืืฆื (ืืฉืื ื:ื-ื)…
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 โgiven completely and written completelyโ (see Psalm 19:8: ืชืืจืช ืโ ืชืืืื ), 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 doesnโt 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 2:4โ5)…
Rashi on Genesis 3:8:
ืืฉ ืืืจืฉื ืืืื ืจืืื, ืืืืจ ืกืืจืื ืจืืืชืื ื ืขื ืืืื ื ืืืจืืฉืืช ืจืื ืืืฉืืจ ืืืจืฉืื. ืืื ื ืื ืืืชื ืืื ืืคืฉืืื ืฉื ืืงืจื, ืืืืืื ืืืืืฉืืช ืืืจ ืืืงืจื ืืฉืืขื, ืืืจ ืืืืจ ืขื ืืคื ืื
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 โsettlesโ a matter of Scripture and its sense, a matter understood according to its character [lit. โa word fitly spokenโ; see Proverbs 25:11).
Rashbam: Introduction to Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1):
ืืืขื ืืืืื ื ืืืืขื ืฉืื ืื ืื ืืืชื ืืคืจืฉ ืืืืืช, ืืฃ ืขื ืคื ืฉืื ืขืืงืจ, ืืื ืฉืคืืจืฉืชื ืืืจืืฉืืช. ืื ืืืชืืจ ืืืงืจืืืช ื ืฉืืขืื ืืืืืืช ืืืืืืืช. ืืืงืฆืชื ืืืฆืื ืืคืืจืืฉื ืจืืื ื ืฉืืื ืืื ืืื ืืฆ”ื. ืืื ื ืืคืจืฉ ืคืฉืืื ืฉื ืืงืจืืืช ืืืชื. ืืืคืจืฉ ืืืื ืื ืืืืืืืช ืืคื ืืจื ืืจืฅ. ืืืฃ ืขื ืคื ืื ืืืืืืช ืขืืงืจ, ืืื ืฉืืืจื ืจืืืชืื ื: ืืืื ืขืืงืจืช ืืงืจื
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 motherโs 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. โthe way of the worldโ). And (I will do this) even though (the rabbinic understanding of) the halakhot is the essence, as the Rabbis taught: โhalakha uproots Scriptureโ (BT Sota 16a, with emendation).