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02-27-2007, 1:47 PM LovingNeighbor Joined on 02-10-2006 Washington Posts 397 Studying the Torah - Avigdor Bonchek This book is one of the few books I've found out there that instead of just trying to tell you what the Torah means it instead teaches you ways to study it to get more out of your studies. I myself am working in a little larger work on this same principle and used this work to see how someone else approached the concept of methodology of study. Preface I liked some of this guys statements if anything alse it verified I was not the only one thinking these things. Though he comes from a Jewish perspective and as is one of my pet pieves calls things older than the Jews Jewish( many sloppily refer to Avraham as a Jew, the exodus of the Jews and such When Jews were not yet born and the exodus was about Yisra'el.) but that aside He goes over the basics of the Jewish interpretations of the two torahs the oral and written. Then says a statement I fully agree with and that is that anyone can give a valid interpretation of the scriptures better or worse than a venerated commentator(Rashi, Rambam) Chapter 1 - the rest is interpretation Great opening as he explains that even those scholars who know the original Hebrew many times have no understanding of the different levels of understanding in the text. His information on communication and it's nuances is great and could even be explained more to humble the student to the possibility of their own wrong analysis. Then explains that most commentators on Torah have some sort of rules for examining the text though it may not have been written down. And then explains how each of these famous Jewish commentators was each arguing their own interpretations and that the only common ground is logical thought. He then goes into what indepth interpretation is and I love that he explains the trap of trying to find obscure interpretations for the sake of finding something to make you feel smart or to share with others to gain recognition. So true. he then goes into what is said vs. how it's said. Good chapter.Then he finishes this chapter with an explanation of the simple comprehensive interpretation vs. the complex and uncomprehensive. I really like this fundamental teaching because many bad theologies are obscure and cause many problems elsewhere. He finally ends with the improtance of questioning our and others interpretations of the scripture. I reall enjoyed this chapter and it really laid some groundwork for basic good practises of Torah study. Chapter 2 Reading the Torah for deeper understanding This starts with an explanation of the 4 levels of understanding the Peshat, Ramez, D'rash, and Sod. Although I don't agree with the traditional understaning of what the 4 levels are I beleive in the 4 levels I just think they actually over literalize deeper levels instead of understanding their ability to stand on their own. Anyway they get into a discussion on the Peshat and though I don't agree with his conclusions his methodology is great for breaking down the text. At the end of the day once you use the rules to test and observe the text on the surface level you will ultimatley have to put meaning to what you find and I like the rules he points out to study the text in the Peshat (literal). I like he observes there can be more than one Peshat interpretation for one piece of text and the importance of sensitizing ourselves to the little nuances in the text. His concept of taking a closer look at details then a distant look is good, I call this zooming in and zooming out. His concept on personalities and prototypes illuminates the concept of patterns in the scriptures. His illustration of how to use some of the rules and applying it to a piece of text about Esua was great not in the sense that you have to come to the same conclusions but in that they show how to apply and analyize the text and take it through a process. So overall I liked this chapter. More report coming ... Here is a link to find this book on amazon, i belive this is out of print so buy your copy soon. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/104-2090835-3503941?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=studying+the+torah A disciple should diligently search for the truth and humbly deny and reconsider it's possession.    Report

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