The perfect Torah [electronic resource]"The perfect Torah" is the medium through which the one, unique God makes himself known. The Judaic statement of monotheism comes to expression in Scripture as perfected by the Oral Torah in its native category-formations, Halakhah, norms of behavior, and Aggadah norms of belief. The Halakhah of the oral Torah conveys monotheism in a philosophical mode, and the Aggadah, monotheism in a mythic mode. What is perfect about the dual Torah, written and oral, is the perfect match between the message and the medium, Halakhah for the philosophical monotheism, Aggadah for the mythic statement of the same monotheism. Chapters One and Two explain the former, Chapters Three and Four the latter. The question answered here concerns how one canonical corpus perfects its companion and produces in consequence perfection: the realization of the initial intent and program of the Written by the Oral Torah. That is addressed by the construction of large exemplary structures of comparison and contrast in the shank of the book. Four principles are established: [1] the perfection through the systematization of the law of the Written Torah by the Oral Torah, in Chapter One; [2] the perfection of the medium of the Halakhah for the message of philosophical monotheism, in Chapter Two; [3] the perfection of Scripture's anomalous writings through the dismantling of one document and the systematic recasting of another, in Chapter Three; [4] the perfection of the medium of Aggadah in its form of narrative for the message of theology concerning God's personality and activity, in Chapter Four. |
Contents
Baba Batra and Scripture | 20 |
Does the Halakhah of the Oral Torah set forth in | 27 |
The Imperfection of the Written Torah the Perfection | 33 |
The Match of Message and Medium 1 Halakhic | 39 |
The Halakhic Method | 60 |
The Theological Structure | 77 |
The Match of Message and Medium 2 Aggadic | 127 |
197 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham action Aggadah Aggadic authentic narratives Baba Batra Baba Mesia Baba Qamma bailment base-verse blessed bring category-formations chapter classification context damages defined detail dialogue document exegesis exegetical exegetical parable exposition facts God's Halakhah Halakhic hand Hermeneutics hierarchical Holy intentionality intersecting verse ISBN 90 Israel Israelites Jerusalem Judah JUDAISM series justice king Lamentations Rabbah LEVITICUS RABBAH LEVITICUS RABBAH PARASHAH liable Lord Ma'aseh match matter medium Mishnah MISHNAH-TRACTATE monotheism Moses NARRATIVE CHARACTER Numbers oath offering Oral Torah PARASHAH peah perfect philosophical monotheism Plotinus principle punishment Qohelet Rabbinic sages refers responsibility restoration righteous rule Sabbath sanctuary Scripture's Sinai single social order Song of Songs Songs Rabbah statement story systematic teleological Temple theological structure things tion TOPIC AND PROPOSITION TOSEFTA tractate traits transactions uncleanness unity verse of Scripture weep Written Torah yield Yohanan Yohanan ben Zakkai