By: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Behind Jewish belief in Torah she-be-al Peh, the “Oral Law”, lies a fundamental truth. The meaning of a text is not given by the text itself. Between a text and its meaning lies the act of interpretation…
Date: Wednesday, February 09 2011 Shnayim ochazin b’talis – two people grasping a cloak. So begins the first Mishnah inBava Metzia. It’s probably one of the first pieces of Talmud a child learns in elementary school. I couldn’t have been more…
Sometimes the Torah spells out its message; at other times it gives us no more than clues. In this week’s sedrah, there are three. The first occurs when Abraham’s servant is returning with Rebecca, who is to become Isaac’s wife. The…
Behind Jewish belief in Torah she’be’al peh (Oral Law) lays a fundamental truth. The meaning of a text is not given by the text itself. Between a text and its meaning lies the act of interpretation – and this depends on who…