dauer wrote:I'm pretty sure a Jewish fundie could take a text on more than the plain meaning. The Jewish approach to tanakh is often within four levels.
Quote:Pshat: often inaccurately translated as literal, Pshat comes from the root which means simple, although Pshat is sometimes anything but simple! Pshat correctly means the intended meaning (the opposite of Drash! see below). The problem is, one person's pshat is another person's drash!
Remez: alluded meaning (reading between the lines). Remez in modern Hebrew means hint. Traditionally, remez referred to methods such as gematria (word-number values)
Drash: drawn out meaning. Homiletical or interpretative meaning. The word 'midrash' is from the same root. The drash is an interpretation that is not explicit in the text, in other words, not pshat.
Sod: (lit. secret). The mystical or esoteric meaning.
http://www.kolel.org/pages/parasha/torah.shtml
I could be wrong and if so, someone please correct me.
Dauer
Sod is a little bit too literal. :wink: I have never heard of anyone speak of Sod as the definition for esoteric or mystical. It is simply one pshat :wink: that encompasses the vast realm of the mystical.
As you pointed out, all of the above are somewhat loose definitions in terms of rigidly defining what Torah or halacha is.
The main thing is though, as was pointed out, fundamentalist is a inaccurate description of both Jewish and Moslem strong believers. It was originally used as a Christian description. And may be applicable there.
In Judaism, one must be highly educated in the Torah in order to have a valid "strong" opinion on Jewish belief. If one simply reads through Tanach as an "inspiring scripture," that may lead him closer to G-d, but he has no basis for his opinions on what it all means. He is simply responding emotionally to where ever his inspiration leads him.
In order to be a valid teacher or "preacher" on Judaism, one must have a deep understanding of 3,000 years of source material for one's opinions.
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