In this weeks haftarah portion, of our Torah parsha Vayeshev - Amos 2:6–3:8, we read the following in Amos 3:7: “For Adonai Yehovah will do nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.” When I read this verse the Pardes typology came to me. The Pardes typology describes the four different approaches to biblical exegesis in rabbinic Judaism, or simpler, interpretation of text in Torah study. The term, sometimes also spelled PaRDeS, is an acronym formed from the name initials of these four approaches which are: Peshat [פְּשָׁט] - plain (simple) or the direct meaning. Remez [רֶמֶז] - hints or the deep (allegoric) meaning beyond just the literal sense. Derash [דְּרַשׁ] - from Hebrew darash “inquire” (seek) – the comparative (midrashic) meaning, as given through similar occurrences. Sod (סֹוד) – secret (mystery) or the mystical meaning, as given through interpretation or revelation. Each type of Pardes purposes to examine the extended meaning of a text. Now why would our source verse bring this Pardes typology to mind. When we examine our source verse in Hebrew we read, “For Adonai Yehovah will do nothing unless he reveals his secret [סֹודֹו - sodo] to his servants the prophets.” The word סֹודֹו sodo consist of the root word סוד – sôd [the exact same word as in the Pardes typology], a common, masculine, singular noun, and a suffix וֹ connected with the word. The root word סוד – sôd in its turn stems from a primitive root יסד – yâsad which, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, means; to set (literally or figuratively); intensively to found; reflexively to sit down together, that is, settle, consult: - appoint, take counsel, establish, (lay the, lay for a) found (-ation), instruct, lay, ordain, set, X sure. Our word סוד – sôd accordingly means; a session, that is, company of persons (in close deliberation); by implication intimacy, consultation, A SECRET: - assembly, counsel, inward, secret (counsel). The suffix וֹ is the possessive pronoun third person, masculine form, meaning “of him,” or, in proper English grammar, “his.” It is however important when we investigate the meaning of a word that we not just rely on Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. One should use a variety of good Hebrew reference tools, like the Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament and A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, by Brown, Driver, and Briggs [BDB]. Now according to Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew definitions they define סוד – sôd as: 1) council, counsel, assembly 1a) council (of familiar conversation) 1a1) divan, circle (of familiar friends) 1a2) assembly, company 1b) counsel 1b1) counsel (itself) 1b2) secret counsel 1b3) familiar converse, intimacy (with God). This sort of changes the picture for us does it not. Suddenly the “secret”, the “mystery,” or the mystical meaning disappears, and what we now have is a council of familiar conversation, or a counsel of familiar converse, or intimacy with God. When Israel, and the multitude with them, assembled [סוד – sôd] at Horev, the mountain of Sinai was smoking, all of it, because Yehovah came down on it in fire. And its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace; and the mountain quaked exceedingly, and they all clearly heard Gods voice when he gave them the ten matters to keep. All they had to do was listen, remember, and obey!! So when we approach the meaning of the word of God we do not need to go through any Pardes gymnastics. God has already made it clear to us, given in such a manner that we can understand the precise and exact meaning of Gods word by just shema-ing the word of God. We just need to shema intelligently and reject all the man-made ideas and traditions which has been added as baggage to Gods plain (simple), or the direct meaning, of his word. שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד – Shema Yisrael: Yehovah eloheinu, Yehovah echad - HEAR, O ISRAEL: YEHOVAH OUR GOD, YEHOVAH IS ONE.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 16:38:17 +0000