Torah

PaRDeS - Jewish Hermeneutics

If you have been around the world of Jewish thought for a while, you might likely already be familiar with the concept represented by the acronym, PaRDeS.

The Hidden Orchard

10 Jul 2022 — 4 min read

If you have been around the world of Jewish thought for a while, you might likely already be familiar with the concept represented by the acronym, PaRDeS. This is a system of studying and understanding the Hebrew Bible, and it is actually different from other hermeneutic systems, namely those used in academia and Christian thought.

PaRDeS is ordered into (4) methods of interpretation;
• Peshat
• Remez
• Drush
• and, Sod

What is interesting is that this acronym spells the word 'Paradise', or 'Orchard' (פרד"ס) in Hebrew. In fact, this is the idea behind the name of this website, the Hidden Orchard, alluding to the idea that we will be exploring these various levels of interpretation.

To provide a brief explanation, they can be understood as follows:

Peshat

The Peshat (פשט) is the text's 'simple' or 'straightforward' meaning. Peshat would be the simple, perhaps historical account of an event. When you read an English translation, this is generally taken from the Peshat, the text's plain meaning. Unfortunately, this means that a translation lacks the multi-dimensionality available through the other levels.

Remez

The Remez (רמז) is the 'hinted' meaning of the text, often a hidden pathway to another passage somewhere else in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). Remez can act as a sort of portal, connecting seemingly unconnected passages in different books, revealing a deeper insight behind the Peshat. Much of prophecy, as people tend to engage with it, is connected through the process of Remez.

Among the various tools of Remez you will find Gematria¹, the alpha-numeric messages hidden in the texts.

Drush/Drash

From the word for 'digging' or 'searching'², Drash (דרש) is the homiletical lesson in a given text. Often straying from the Peshat to a degree, this method is where one derives a D'rash (a type of sermon), most commonly delivered in a synagogue on Shabbat.

Many of these stories and lessons existed, and many still exist, within the Jewish Oral Torah³. Today, volumes of literary works called Midrash are available in printed translation.

Often, familiarity with the Midrash can dramatically change how one interprets certain passages in the New Testament.

For an example of these, check out the following category of Midrashic examples.

Sod

The word Sod (סוד) means 'secret'. This highest level of interpretation represents the mystical-level teachings that are found throughout the Bible. It is through Sod that many concepts like; angels, demons, souls, and other esoteric concepts are discussed within the Rabbinic tradition.

For examples of Sod concepts, you can find them here.

Jewish hermeneutics

This may surprise many, but all of these levels, including Sod teachings, can be found throughout the New Testament. In fact, it appears to me that the authors assume their audience was familiar with many of these mystical concepts as they do not find it necessary to explain them.

Nevertheless, without a reliable oral tradition to make sense of these levels, one will have difficulty understanding the deeper meaning of the Biblical texts.