Parshanut: Intro to Commentary

Course Details

How do we interpret and draw meaning from a divinely intentional text? This class in Parshanut will explore the approaches of medieval and early modern rabbinic commentators to interpreting Tanakh, asking questions such as: What do we mean when we say “pshat?” Do we assume omnisignificance—total intentionality—in the Torah text? What are our goals when elucidating Torah? And, of course: what’s bothering Rashi? All texts will be provided with translation, but this class is designed for those with some previous experience of Tanakh study. For those who’ve worked on honing their own interpretive skills, this class is an opportunity to see how our own intuitive relationship to meaning-making compares with different genres of “traditional” Jewish exegesis.