Survey of Jewish Interpretation (Zoom Course)

 

3 Academic Credit Hours (September 11 – December 18, 2024)

Survey of Jewish Interpretation – BSE530

Course will be held via Zoom on Wednesdays, 4 – 7 PM (Israel Time)

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REGISTRATION is OPEN till August 1, 2024

Course Description

It is written in the Talmud (Chagigah 14b), that “four men entered the Pardes (Paradise), i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of the Torah… [but only] Rabbi Akiva came out safely“. The phrase Pardes (פרדס ,in Hebrew) stands for four different ways in which traditional Judaism approaches Biblical exegesis:

1- “Peshat” refers to the literal meaning;

2- “Remez”, means looking for hints of an allegorical or a hidden meaning;

3- “Drash”, means to “inquire” the text for the purpose of making an argument;

4- “Sod” refers to the secret and mystical meaning of the text. This course will focus on Rabbinic exegesis of the Tanakh, especially as it interacts with the Messianic approach to scriptures. As we shall see, the traditional hermeneutics of the text was made, both to argue for the justification of the Oral-Law as the only valid Jewish interpretation of the Torah; and as an apologetic tule against Christian understanding of the Bible, especially concerning Messianic prophecies.

Course Goals

1. To study different Jewish approaches to Scriptures, from antiquity to the Middle Ages.
2. To learn the different levels of interpretation in Rabbinic Judaism and their objectives.
3. To compare the NT hermeneutics of the OT, to the Oral-law use of the Bible.

Learning Outcome

• The students will know the differentiate between the main Jewish approaches to Scriptures.
• The students will understand the four levels of interpretation in Traditional Judaism and its goal.
• The students will see how the NT’s understanding of the OT reflects the true meaning of the text.

Course Structure

All lessons will be held through a Zoom format, consisting of lectures and interactive discussions between all participants. There will be 10 three-hour live zoom lectures (with breaks). Recordings will be available to registered students.

We cannot ensure the quality of zoom recordings should technical failures occur. We also cannot guarantee that all parts will be recorded. Therefore, it is NOT possible to register for recordings only. Students need to participate in live lectures.

 

Course Dates and Topics :

Date	Topic
Sep 11,2024	Introduction to course; syllabus; methodology; the beginning of interpretation; Philo and Hellenism
Sep 18,2024	Josephus Flavius: history as interpretation; The Aramaic Targum as a Rabbinic response to the “Christian” use of the Septuagint
Sep 25,2024	The Mishnah: a mere interpretation of the Torah or a New Torah/Testament; Akiva’s revolutionary hermeneutics
Oct 2,2024	Jewish New Year No class
Oct 9,2024	Four methods of hermeneutics according to the Oral-Law, and 7 principles of interpretating the Torah
Oct 16,2024	Tabernacles No class
Oct 23,2024	Tabernacles No class
Oct 30,2024	Rabbinic traditions as Exegesis or Eisegesis: Law, Midrash and Aggadah (stories) and its relations to the NT
Nov 6,2024	Jesus in the Talmud: a mere response to Christianity or an identity builder
Nov 13,2024	The debate over Messianic prophecies through Jewish hermeneutics
Nov 20,2024	ETS meeting No Class
Nov 27,2024	Thanksgiving Break at DTS No class
Dec 4,2024	Rashi’s revolutionary interpretation: its goals; its objectives; and its outcomes
Dec 11,2024	“Christian” interpretation of the Bible and the reason why Jewish people have a problem with it till today
Dec 18,2024	The goal of the Torah: will the true Logos please stand up?!; Conclusions

DOWNLOAD SYLLABUS