BEMA Episode Link: 110: Jewish Hermeneutics
Episode Length: 38:48
Published Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2019 01:00:00 -0700
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings learn how to engage the methods of rabbinical teaching and unpack what a rabbi is trying to accomplish with his cryptic instructions.

Addendum to BEMA 110 — Marty Solomon, YouTube

Discussion Video for BEMA 110

Hayamim: A Proposal [this event happened in 2019]

BEMA 12: A Mission Realized

Jewish Hermeneutics — Covered in His Dust

Transcript for BEMA 110

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 110: Jewish Hermeneutics - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 110 - Jewish Hermeneutics
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Matthew 13 (Parable of the Weeds and Wheat), Jewish interpretive methods (PaRDeS)

This episode introduces the foundational framework of Jewish hermeneutics, specifically the four-level interpretive method called PaRDeS. Marty and Brent unpack why Jesus taught in parables and explain that rabbis intentionally made their teachings difficult to encourage discovery rather than passive learning. The episode focuses on understanding the mechanics and methods behind Jesus’s parables, particularly examining how Eastern teaching emphasizes discovery over explanation. This marks a crucial turning point in understanding how to properly engage with Jesus’s teachings as a first-century Jewish rabbi.

Key Takeaways

  • Jesus taught in parables not to make things easier, but intentionally harder, requiring students to engage in active discovery
  • Eastern teaching methodology prioritizes discovery over explanation, believing truths learned through personal discovery are more deeply understood and experienced
  • PaRDeS is a four-level Jewish interpretive framework: P’shat (surface reading), Remez (hint/connection to Hebrew Scripture), Drash (truth hidden in story), and Sod (supernatural mystery)
  • The Kingdom is for those who actively pursue it with passion and commitment, not for passive learners waiting for easy answers
  • Jewish hermeneutics requires group discussion and wrestling with the text in community (havurah), not isolated individual study
  • Familiarity with the Hebrew Scriptures is essential for discovering the remez (hints) that unlock deeper meanings in Jesus’s teachings
  • The deeper levels of interpretation (remez, drash, sod) are not more true or inspired than p’shat, but they add color, depth, and richness to understanding
  • A parable is like a textual puzzle room designed to confound and perplex, making students wrestle with the text rather than providing surface clarity

Main Concepts & Theories

Eastern vs. Western Learning Methodology

Western Approach:

  • Focuses on explanation and clear communication
  • Values straight lines, practicality, and formulaic methods
  • Emphasizes accuracy and completeness
  • Tends toward rules and laws rather than principles
  • Teachers explain propositions directly to students

Eastern Approach:

  • Prioritizes discovery and personal experience
  • Teachers bury truth in the learning process
  • Students must dig to unearth treasures
  • Believes discovered truth is more intimately understood than explained truth
  • Requires active engagement and work from the student
The Purpose of Parables

Contrary to popular Western understanding, parables were not meant to simplify teaching but to complicate it. When the disciples asked Jesus why he taught in parables, he responded by quoting Isaiah 6: “So they won’t understand.” This shocking answer reveals several important truths:

  1. Not everyone in the crowds genuinely wanted truth or was willing to do the work
  2. Not everyone wanted to actually enter the Kingdom despite wanting to be part of “the Jesus thing”
  3. Jesus catered to the highest common denominator, not the lowest
  4. The Kingdom is for those who burst through the gate with passion (like the explosive sheep imagery), not those who stroll through apathetically
  5. Parables separate those willing to wrestle with truth from those seeking easy answers
PaRDeS: The Four Levels of Jewish Interpretation

The word PaRDeS is an acronym representing four levels of scriptural interpretation, each building on the previous:

1. P’shat (Surface Level)

Definition: The plain, straightforward meaning gleaned from a surface reading of the text.

Characteristics:

  • The easiest level to discern
  • Has the shallowest depth but can still be profoundly meaningful
  • What Western Christianity typically focuses on exclusively
  • Forms the foundation of exegetical interpretation and expository preaching
  • Nothing wrong or inferior about p’shat - it’s legitimate and valuable
  • Western Christianity has spent centuries on this level without exhausting its truths
  • Doesn’t require extensive memorization of Hebrew Scripture

Example from Parable of the Soils: Jesus’s own explanation of the four soils is p’shat - you can simply read it and understand that different heart conditions receive the word differently. The realization that it’s actually the “Parable of the Soils” rather than the “Parable of the Sower” is a p’shat-level insight that can be profoundly transformative.

2. Remez (Hint/Connection)

Definition: A deliberate connection or hint linking the teaching to a specific passage in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Characteristics:

  • Literally means “hint” in Hebrew
  • Requires intimate knowledge and memorization of Hebrew Scripture
  • The rabbi purposely buries this treasure for students to discover
  • Like finding keys in a puzzle room - unlocks deeper understanding
  • Links to specific Old Testament passages that provide context and deeper meaning
  • Can be identified by noticing “problems” or unusual elements in the text (things that stand out, seem weird, or don’t fit)

How to Find Remez:

  • Notice unusual phrasing or word choices
  • Look for specific numbers or details that seem grandiose or backwards
  • Use tools like BibleGateway.com to search for keywords throughout Scripture
  • Pay attention to unique words that appear rarely in Scripture
  • Ask “What seems weird?” about the teaching

Example from Parable of the Soils: The phrase “hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold” appears backwards (normally you’d count up, not down) and uses the specific word “hundredfold” which only appears one other time in all of Scripture - Genesis 26:12, the story of Isaac. This remez links the good soil to Isaac’s faithfulness in staying in the land, opening wells, and persevering in God’s mission despite opposition.

Each soil in the parable has its own remez:

  • The path: Hosea 10
  • Rocky soil: Isaiah 5
  • Thorns: Jeremiah 4
  • Good soil: Genesis 26 (Isaac’s hundredfold harvest)
3. Drash (Truth Hidden in Story)

Definition: The deeper meaning and application discovered by following the remez to its Old Testament connection.

Characteristics:

  • The idea of truth hidden within the larger narrative
  • Never a simple, singular proposition
  • Unlocked by understanding the remez
  • Requires interaction and discussion among multiple students
  • Not a “Bible code” with one correct answer to decipher
  • Must be discussed, examined, and critiqued as a group
  • Demands the context of a havurah (study group)
  • Can be unbelievably nuanced and complex

The Havurah Dynamic: Jesus’s 12 disciples formed a havurah. After Jesus taught a parable, these disciples would sit around debating what the remez was and what drash emerged from it. Different disciples might propose different connections, affecting the drash they pulled from the teaching. Marty pictures Jesus rolling over with one eye open and a smirk, listening to his disciples wrestle with his parables.

Example from Parable of the Soils - Good Soil: Once the remez connects to Genesis 26 (Isaac’s story), the drash emerges: Isaac becomes the model of someone who, despite his own failures, chose to stay in the land and hold true to God’s promises and his father’s mission. Because of his perseverance and faithfulness, God’s mission was realized.

The drash for Jesus’s audience: If you will stay in the land, sow generosity, reap righteousness and unfailing love, persevere with faithfulness in what God has called you to - the mission of God will work. Don’t give up when opposition comes; keep digging wells of blessing even when others quarrel over them.

4. Sod (Mystery/Secret)

Definition: Supernatural revelation given directly by God/Holy Spirit that cannot be taught or learned through human effort.

Characteristics:

  • Connected to mystery
  • Cannot be learned or taught by any human teacher, no matter how skilled
  • A supernatural gift from God or the Holy Spirit
  • Referenced by Jesus in Matthew 13:11: “the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you”
  • Why Jesus chose his specific disciples - he saw God at work giving them sod
  • Can be experienced by students but never manufactured or guaranteed

Example - Peter’s Confession: In Matthew 16, Peter declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” This is sod - divine revelation that no classroom or human teacher could provide. Peter understood something about Jesus’s identity that could only come from God.

Important Clarifications About PaRDeS

It’s Not Hierarchical in Value:

  • Deeper levels are not more true or more inspired than p’shat
  • Different levels don’t contradict each other
  • All levels are legitimate and valuable
  • 90% of Christian teaching is based on p’shat and that’s okay

It’s Not a Rigid Formula:

  • The method should not be over-structured or made too rigid
  • There are many exceptions and fluid applications
  • Eastern thinkers hold these methods loosely
  • A rabbi may have multiple remez in one teaching (like the four soils each having their own)
  • The intent can be multi-faceted and complex

It’s Not a Bible Code:

  • Not about deciphering a hidden code to get one singular answer
  • Not about special access to secret truths unavailable to others
  • Requires wrestling, not just solving
  • The wrestling with text matters more than finding “the answer”
  • Understanding Jewish hermeneutics doesn’t make someone more learned or give special access

It Requires Community:

  • Jewish hermeneutics demands interaction with other students
  • Remez and drash must be discussed, examined, and critiqued in groups
  • True discovery happens in the context of community learning
  • This is why BEMA emphasizes discussion groups so strongly
  • Individual study with Google is insufficient for this method

It Requires Knowledge of Hebrew Scripture:

  • If a person doesn’t know their text, p’shat is all they have left
  • Jewish culture had Scripture memorized
  • Modern tools like the internet help those without memorization
  • The better you know the Hebrew Scriptures, the more remez you’ll discover
  • This emphasizes the need to greatly increase familiarity with Old Testament

Examples & Applications

The Parable of the Weeds and Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30)

The Text: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you’re pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Application Exercise: The episode intentionally leaves this parable hanging (Jesus will return to explain it later in Matthew 13) to allow listeners to practice the PaRDeS method:

  1. Identify the p’shat - What’s the surface meaning?
  2. Look for remez - Use BibleGateway.com to search keywords (weeds, wheat, enemy, sowing, harvest, etc.)
  3. Find where these terms appear in Hebrew Scripture
  4. Wrestle with the drash in a group or havurah
  5. Be open to God giving sod
Ray Vander Laan’s Experience

A powerful illustration of why understanding Jewish hermeneutics matters: Ray studied at Yeshiva University where an Orthodox Jewish rabbi would ask him, “Ray, your Rabbi Jesus had a phenomenal teaching on this scripture. Tell us about your Rabbi’s teaching.” The rabbi would reference a remez where Jesus taught on an Old Testament passage.

Ray, despite being raised in Christian teaching his whole life, didn’t know what the rabbi was talking about. He said, “I would sit in the back of the class and just cry because I didn’t really know the teachings of my Jesus. I thought I did, but I didn’t know what Jesus was actually doing as a Jewish rabbi. Therefore, I didn’t really, truly understand Jesus.”

This illustrates how Western Christianity can be familiar with Jesus’s words while completely missing what he was actually teaching and doing as a Jewish rabbi engaging Hebrew Scripture.

Jacob vs. Esau - Kingdom Passion

Referenced from Session 1: God wants people with the fire and chutzpah of Jacob, even when slightly misguided, rather than the apathy of Esau who didn’t care about his birthright. The Kingdom isn’t for those who wait for others to exit the gate first - it’s for those who burst through with passion and commitment.

This connects to why Jesus taught in parables: he was looking for students willing to do the work, not passive listeners wanting easy answers.

The Mission Realized - Isaac’s Story (Genesis 26)

The Remez Connection: The word “hundredfold” in the parable of the soils appears only one other time in Scripture: Genesis 26:12.

Isaac’s Story:

  • Committed the same sin as Abraham (deceiving about his wife being his sister)
  • Abimelech sent him away
  • Isaac stayed in the land and planted crops
  • Received a hundredfold harvest because the Lord blessed him
  • Became wealthy and reopened his father Abraham’s wells
  • People argued over the wells
  • Instead of demanding his rights, Isaac peacefully moved on and dug another well
  • Eventually found a well no one quarreled over
  • Abimelech returned saying “We see the Lord is with you”

The Drash: Isaac chose to stay in the land and persevere in his father’s mission despite opposition. He didn’t stomp his feet demanding his rights - he kept faithfully serving and digging wells. Because of his perseverance and faithfulness to God’s promises, the mission of God was realized.

For Jesus’s audience: Stay in the land, persevere with faithfulness in what God has called you to, and God’s mission will work.

Modern Application: Church Culture

The episode challenges modern church culture that caters to the “lowest common denominator” - trying to make everything easy and accessible. This contrasts sharply with rabbinical teaching that caters to the “highest common denominator” - those actually willing to engage and do the work.

Questions raised:

  • How many churches are full of people who want to be part of “the Jesus thing” but don’t want to do the work of the Kingdom?
  • How often do we cater to passive learners rather than challenging people to discover truth?
  • Are we creating communities where wrestling with Scripture is valued over easy answers?

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  1. Deep Dive into Each Soil’s Remez: Study the Old Testament passages connected to each soil type in the Parable of the Soils (Hosea 10 for the path, Isaiah 5 for rocky soil, Jeremiah 4 for thorns) to understand the full drash Jesus intended

  2. Matthew 13 Parables: Continue through Matthew 13’s collection of “Kingdom of Heaven is like…” parables, applying the PaRDeS method to each

  3. Jesus’s Remez Throughout the Gospels: Research the concept that “whenever Jesus opens his mouth, he’s talking about Text” - identify the Hebrew Scripture connections in Jesus’s various teachings beyond parables

  4. Havurah Practice: Form or join a discussion group specifically focused on wrestling with Jesus’s parables using the PaRDeS method

  5. Old Testament Immersion: Develop a systematic reading plan for the Hebrew Scriptures to build the foundational knowledge necessary for identifying remez

  6. Isaiah 6 Connection: Study the full context of Isaiah 6 (which Jesus quotes when explaining why he teaches in parables) to understand the deeper meaning behind “so they won’t understand”

  7. Comparison of Soils to Gospel Responses: Examine how different groups in the Gospels represent each soil type - Pharisees, Herodians, general crowds, committed disciples

  8. Modern Western vs. Eastern Learning: Consider how modern education systems could incorporate discovery-based learning while maintaining necessary structure

  9. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Biblical Interpretation: Explore the relationship between human effort in studying Scripture and supernatural revelation (sod)

  10. Ray Vander Laan’s Teaching: Study Ray’s materials on Jesus as a Jewish rabbi to deepen understanding of first-century context

  11. Orthodox Jewish Interpretive Methods: Research modern Jewish approaches to Torah study and how they parallel or differ from the PaRDeS framework

  12. Parable of the Weeds Completion: Wait for the next episode where Jesus explains this parable to his disciples and apply the PaRDeS method to his explanation

Comprehension Questions

  1. Why did Jesus teach in parables according to this episode, and how does this challenge Western assumptions about effective teaching?

    Jesus taught in parables to make his teaching intentionally harder, not easier. He wanted to separate those genuinely seeking truth and willing to do the work from those who wanted to be part of “the Jesus thing” without actually entering the Kingdom. This challenges Western assumptions that effective teaching should be clear, simple, and accessible to everyone regardless of their commitment level. Eastern methodology values discovery over explanation, believing that truths discovered through wrestling are more deeply understood than truths simply explained.

  2. Explain the four levels of PaRDeS and why each level is important. Which level(s) can be taught by human teachers and which cannot?

    • P’shat (surface reading): The plain meaning, foundation of Western exegesis, valuable and legitimate
    • Remez (hint): Deliberate connections to Hebrew Scripture that unlock deeper meaning, requires knowledge of Old Testament
    • Drash (truth in story): The deeper meaning discovered by following the remez, requires community discussion
    • Sod (mystery): Supernatural revelation from God/Holy Spirit that cannot be taught by any human teacher

    The first three levels (p’shat, remez, drash) can be taught and learned through human effort, study, and community engagement. Only sod cannot be taught - it is a supernatural gift that God gives directly to individuals.

  3. How does the remez of “hundredfold” in the Parable of the Soils connect to Genesis 26, and what drash emerges from this connection?

    “Hundredfold” appears only twice in all Scripture: in Jesus’s parable and in Genesis 26:12 describing Isaac’s harvest. Isaac stayed in the land despite opposition, peacefully persevered when others quarreled over wells he dug, and remained faithful to his father’s mission. The drash: If Jesus’s audience will stay in the land, persevere with faithfulness, and commit to God’s mission despite opposition, God’s mission will be realized. Like Isaac, they shouldn’t demand their rights when challenged but should keep faithfully serving.

  4. Why is community (havurah) essential for Jewish hermeneutics rather than individual study?

    Jewish hermeneutics demands the interaction of multiple students because remez and drash must be discussed, examined, and critiqued as a group for true discovery to take place. Different students will propose different connections and interpretations, and wrestling together helps sharpen understanding and prevent individual bias. It’s not a Bible code with one correct answer to solve - it’s a complex, nuanced process that requires multiple perspectives. The disciples would have sat around debating what remez Jesus intended and what drash emerged, with Jesus smirking as he listened to them wrestle with his teachings.

  5. What practical steps can modern Christians take to better understand Jesus’s teachings using the principles discussed in this episode?

    • Increase familiarity with Hebrew Scriptures through systematic reading and study
    • Form or join a havurah (discussion group) for wrestling with texts in community
    • Use online tools like BibleGateway.com to search for keyword connections
    • Look for “problems” or unusual elements in Jesus’s teachings that might indicate remez
    • Practice the PaRDeS method on parables: identify p’shat, search for remez, wrestle with drash, be open to sod
    • Stop expecting easy answers and embrace the work of discovery
    • Value wrestling with Scripture over finding “the answer”
    • Remember that deeper understanding requires commitment and engagement, not just passive listening

Personal Summary

This episode fundamentally reshapes how we should approach Jesus’s teachings by revealing that he taught as a first-century Jewish rabbi using methods designed to encourage active discovery rather than passive learning. The PaRDeS framework - p’shat (surface reading), remez (hints to Hebrew Scripture), drash (truth in story), and sod (supernatural mystery) - provides a lens for understanding the intentional complexity of parables.

Rather than simplifying truth, Jesus buried treasures for committed students to discover. This challenges modern church culture that often caters to the lowest common denominator, seeking to make everything easy and accessible. The Kingdom is for those who passionately pursue it, willing to do the hard work of wrestling with Scripture in community, not for passive learners wanting easy answers handed to them.

The most convicting insight is how much of Jesus’s teaching we’ve likely missed by approaching it only from a Western, p’shat-level perspective. Like Ray Vander Laan weeping in the back of a class when he realized he didn’t truly understand what his Rabbi Jesus was doing, we may know Jesus’s words without comprehending what he was actually teaching. Every time Jesus spoke, he was engaging Hebrew Scripture in ways that would have been obvious to his first-century Jewish audience but remain hidden from modern readers unfamiliar with the Old Testament.

The path forward requires both individual commitment to knowing the Hebrew Scriptures and community engagement in a havurah where we wrestle together with the text. The wrestling matters more than the answer. God wants Jacobs with fire and chutzpah, not apathetic Esaus. The Kingdom is for those who burst through the gate, not stroll through casually. This episode calls us to a more engaged, committed, and community-based approach to understanding Jesus - one that honors his Jewish context and rabbinical methods while trusting the Holy Spirit to provide the sod that no human teacher can give.

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