Sharón Rimón
Source:
What is the significance of all the events in Yaakov's life? Why does he face such hardships and challenges? The complexity of Yaakov's life is apparent...
Part 4 - Peshat Commentators in Spain and in Provence - Ibn Ezra and Ramban
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
According to the Ibn Ezra, the Torah can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, and throughout his commentary, there are many instances where he rejects an...
Part 3 - Peshat Commentators in France - Rashbam
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
Both Rashbam and R. Yosef Kara base their opinions on the teaching of Chazal that “the text never departs from its plain meaning,” but they understand...
Part 2 - Peshat Commentators in France - Rashi and Rav Yosef Kara
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
Rashi often incorporates midrashim in his biblical commentary. He was the first commentator to draw a clear distinction between commentary on the level of...
Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot
Source:
This shiur compares God's promises to Yaakov in his dream, to Yaakov's oath in response to the dream. It seems that Yaakov fails to make the connection...
Part 1 - Introduction and the Attitude of the Geonim to Midrash
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
What are the definitions of Peshat are Derash? Which of the two is the central way of interpreting the Torah? What was the attitude of the Geonim to...
Part 3 - The Narratives in Sefer Bereishit and their Parallels in Ancient Near Eastern Literature
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
Some argue that the great similarity between the stories in Breishit to stories in sources that are unquestionably more ancient, may serve to substantiate...
Part 2 - The Torah and Legal Systems of the Ancient Near East (continued)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
Source:
On this basis of some of the major features that distinguish the law of the Torah from the laws of the Ancient Near East we may conclude that the Torah...
Part 1 - The Torah and Legal Systems of the Ancient Near East
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
The discoveries in the study of the Ancient Near East, that included certain similarities between the laws of the Torah and other legal systems among the...
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
With all due caution, both from a religious perspective and in terms of textual analysis, we are left with R. David Zvi Hoffmann's assertion that the...
