Literary Structure

Found 22 Search results

But WHY didn't Ahab kill Ben-Haddad?
Rabbi Gad Dishi
תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | | Hour and 5 minutes
Why is Chapter 20 of Melakhim located where it is? It appears to be a battle narrative that is out of place with the surrounding chapters. And why is there such an emphasis on Ahav building up Yeriho (Jericho)? Why is God displeased by the end of the story in Chapter 20?

Rabbi Gad Dishi brings the perakim to life through an interdisciplinary approach. Literary and linguistic tools, Ancient Near East studies, and archeological findings all enhance our understanding of Tanakh and of the important theological message within. Linguistic and thematic parallels to other parts of Tanakh and to other texts call into question whether these stories are meant to be read as battle narratives -or whether they are a different genre: a satirical polemic with an important message.
The Artistic Structure of the Book of Esther
Prof. Jonathan Grossman
The chiastic structure of the Book of Esther serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it highlights the reversal of the events: Haman's plan to exterminate the Jews versus the Jews ultimately controlling their enemies; Secondly, parallels between the two halves of the story indicate the internal processes that the Jews undergo during the course of the narrative, hinting that in fact there is no room for comparison at all.
The Drought (part 12)
Eliyahu Revives the Widow of Tzarfat's Son (part V)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Up until this point, Eliyahu only represented God’s trait of strict justice. After Eliyahu resurrects the woman's dead son for the child's own sake the true man of God is revealed – one who represents God's trait of compassion in the world, and performs miracles through this trait. The widow’s praise for Eliyahu as messenger of God's word is a type of Divine assent to what seems to be Eliyahu's new path: he now represents God both in strict justice and in mercy and compassion. The symmetrical structure of the story highlights Eliyahu’s second prayer as the climax of the story.
The Drought (part 13)
Eliyahu Revives the Widow of Tzarfat's Son (part VI)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
An inverse relationship exists between the literary structure of the story of Eliyahu’s initial arrival in Tzarfat and the story of the revival of the child. This relationship represents a progression between the two diametrically opposed stories.
Eliyahu on His Way to Appear before Ahav
Part 3
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
A subtle criticism of Ovadya is apparent in Eliyahu’s claim that Ahav – not he – is Ovadya’s master. Ovadya insists that his life-risking activity - not cowardice – leave him in Ahav’s service and unworthy of a punishment of death. The literary structure of Ovadya’s speech to Eliyahu sheds light on the apparent repetitiveness of his words.
Structure of the Story of the Drought
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
A complete evaluation of the literary structure of the drought unit – analyzing direct and inverse parallels as well as the climax of the unit.
Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 5)
Eliyahu's Prayer (Part 4)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Content, style and structure come together to emphasize that the verse describing the descent of the fire of God to Eliyahu’s Altar is the climax of the gathering at Mount Carmel.
Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 6)
"To Whom Shall You Compare Me, That I Shall Equal Him? ֠Says the Holy One"
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
The use of three Leading Words in the narrative leading up to the climax and their absence in the narrative after the climax makes subtle points of contrast between Eliyahu and the prophets of Ba’al and rejects any comparison or relationship between God and Ba’al. The unparalleled structure of the narrative denies any relevance of a comparison between God and Ba’al.
Navot's Vineyard (Part 8)
Concluding Study: ֠Structure of the Narrative (Part 1)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
The two halves of the story reflect two inverse processes that Ahav undergoes: his deterioration from transgressing a “light” prohibition to complicity in the most terrible of sins – murder, and his ascent from the depths of his sin to the level of a penitent. A significant literary structure exists around the low-point of the story – Ahav taking possession of Navot’s vineyard.
Navot's Vineyard (Part 9)
Concluding Study: ֠Structure of the Narrative (Part 2)
Rabbi Elchanan Samet
Various thematic and literary parallels and contrasts are drawn between the two halves of the story before and after the central axis of the story highlighting Izevel’s influence on Ahav and the movement from the sin to the punishment.
Linguistic Mirroring
A Harmonious Story, Part I
Dr. Yael Ziegler
The structure of Ruth is a chiastic one. Repetition of key words and phrases is one of many linguistic techniques used. Boaz and Ruth's shared trait of kindness stages them as the main characters. Ruth as the initiator and Boaz completing the task come together to create the Davidic dynasty.
The Structure of the Book of Eikha
Dr. Yael Ziegler
Shmini Atzeret: An Independent Holiday or a Continuation of Sukkot?
Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell
Kayin and Hevel: Structure, Parallel and Drama
Rabbi Chanoch Waxman |
Through analyzing the story of Kayin and Hevel, we sketch the outlines of three different sub-schools of the literary method of studying Tanakh: structuralist, parallelist, and dramatic-narrative approaches. These methodological approaches help us to delve into the story of Kayin and Hevel, raise questions and offer solutions that allow us to appreciate different facets of the story.
Avraham and Lot: Divided by a Pause or a Gaping Chasm?
Rabbi David Silverberg
Avraham's Epilogue - Devotion to Family
Rabbi David Silverberg
Summary of the Book of Bereishit and Introduction to the Book of Shemot
Rabbi Yehuda Rock
Through an examination of the text, we understand the direction and goal of the scriptural narrative that continues all across the book of Bereishit and into the book of Shemot. We shall adopt a broad perspective and try to understand the lengthy narrative that stretches out over the two chumashim, in accordance with the literary and substantive characteristics found therein, and through an understanding of how the smaller units contribute to the story as a whole.
Structure and Meaning in the Ten Commandments
Rabbi Alex Israel | Hour and 11 minutes
How many commandments are included in the Aseret Hadibrot? How can they be divided? An analysis of the structure of the Ten Commandments, as well as its comparison with Ancient Near East treaties allows us to gain deeper insights into the messages of the Ten Commandments and the meaning of a personal connection with God.
Does Sefer Tehillim Tell a Story?
Dr. Yael Ziegler | Hour and 17 minutes
Does Sefer Tehillim tell a story? We usually think of Tehillim as a randomly arranged anthology of poetry describing personal religious experiences, and the individual chapters are completely separate from one another. However, a close analysis of Sefer Tehillim reveals that the structure of the mizmorim is in fact deliberate, and we can notice a clear narrative emerging throughout the book.
Rav Yosef Kara
Dr. Avigail Rock
Mahari Kara, an apparent student of Rashi, maintained both a loyalty to and at the same time a strong independence of Rashi.

Mahari Kara’s exegetical principals include:
- Loyalty to the peshat, much more so than Rashi, feeling no obligation to cite any derash at all. In this, his commentary may be considered trailblazing.
- A great sensitivity to literary technique and style including lashon nofel al lashon, alliteration, paronomasia, rhythm and meter, literary structure, and connective associations.
- He delineates exegetical principles that may be applied elsewhere in Tanakh including pre-emption and parallelism.
Mahari Kara makes two basic assumptions about peshat and derash:
- Even the Sages, who wrote the midrashim, believed that peshat is the essence. The aim of derash is only for ethical purposes, and not to provide an explanation missing in Tanakh.
- Tanakh does not require external facts in order to explain it; it cannot be that the verse speaks ambiguously and relies on Midrashic material in order to be understood.
Destruction, Exile and Reflection: God’s Justice in the World
The Structure & Story of Books books II (42-72) & III (73-89)
Dr. Beni Gesundheit | Hour and 12 minutes
Asaf Collections (50, 73-83); Focus on 77-79

As we light the Chanukah candles this week and recall the miracle of the oil lasting for 8 nights - join us in understanding the mizmorim of Tehillim that focus on the Beit HaMikdash and the proper approach to worshipping Hashem.

How are the Asaf collections connected to each other and what is their structure? How are they embedded in the adjacent mizmorim and in Books II and III? What can we learn from their serving as the envelope around the second David collection?

As discussed in previous shiurim, Asaf and his family were singers in the first Temple with King David; their tradition and legacy leads Am Yisrael through the Babylonian exile and then to the second Temple. Accordingly, their locations in Books II and III of Tehillim teach the proper approach to worshipping God in the Temple and the consequences if not followed. God is a just God to the Jews and to the nations who persecute His people. Mizmorim 77-79, in the center of the Asaf collection, are also the middle of the entire book of Tehillim. Our analysis will present and discuss their messages.
176 Verses?? How to Identify the Narrative of the Longest Mizmor in Tehillim?
The Structure & Story of Book V (107-150)
Dr. Beni Gesundheit | Hour and 7 minutes
Mizmor 119: Structure, Meaning and Context

This long Mizmor praises the Torah in an 8-fold alphabetic order which seems to be very repetitive and monotonous. Is there a structure and a message or is this just a long collection of verses with the same ideas? And why is it placed between the Egyptian Hallel and the Shirei Hamaalot collection?

Contextual interpretation, as has been shown through the course, will be applied to identify the story and messages of this mizmor, comprised of 22 units each composed of 8 verses. In addition, contextual interpretation will show how well positioned Mizmor 119 is between the adjacent Egyptian Hallel (113-118) and the Shirei Hamaalot (120-135) and how it correlates with the beginning and end of the entire book of Tehillim.