<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3243" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN
class=274550315-28102008>Interesting start to a series</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><STRONG>Shiur #1:
What is Midrash?<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P><BR>by <SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Dr.<SPAN> </SPAN>Moshe
Simon-Shoshan</SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><A
title=http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/midrash69/01midrash.htm
href="http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/midrash69/01midrash.htm">www.vbm-torah.org/archive/midrash69/01midrash.htm</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN
class=274550315-28102008>I was particularly struck by the following and wonder
what it means today:</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN
class=274550315-28102008></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN
class=274550315-28102008></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Underlying all of these
rabbinic reading strategies is a common underlying assumption about the biblical
texts, and perhaps texts in general, that is quite different from modern
conventional wisdom.<SPAN> </SPAN>We tend to think of texts as containing
specific meanings.<SPAN> </SPAN>The act of reading a text is then the
process of decoding this meaning and revealing it to ourselves and
others.<SPAN> </SPAN>The rabbis do not understand the process of reading
the Bible in this way.<SPAN> </SPAN>For them the text contains only the
potential for meaning.<SPAN> </SPAN>In their view, in reading the biblical
text we actually generate meaning from out of the raw material that is the
Bible.<SPAN> </SPAN>In principle any given verse can produce infinite
meaning.<SPAN> </SPAN>Indeed, <I>Chazal</I> tend to seek as much meaning
as possible from each and every verse.<SPAN> </SPAN>This does not of
course mean that the biblical text may mean anything we want it to.<SPAN>
</SPAN>Quite the contrary, only rabbis who are trained in the traditions and
ways of <I>Midrash</I> know the proper way to “grow” the meaning of the
text.<SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN><SPAN
class=274550315-28102008>KT<BR>Joel
Rich</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></DIV><br><br><table bgcolor=white style="color:black"><tr><td><br>THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF THE <br>
ADDRESSEE. IT MAY CONTAIN PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL <br>
INFORMATION THAT IS EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE. Dissemination, <br>
distribution or copying of this message by anyone other than the addressee is <br>
strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify us <br>
immediately by replying: "Received in error" and delete the message. <br>
Thank you.<br>
</td></tr></table></BODY></HTML>