Eternal Nature of the Torah
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The Letter Lamed and Akeidat Yitzhak
Dr. Avigail RockRabbi Yona ibn Janach
Dr. Avigail RockAlthough R. Yona ibn Janach (Ribag) did not author even one full volume dedicated to biblical commentary, his contributions to parshanut have proven momentous. For Ribag, biblical exegesis represented both the most fundamental basis and the ultimate application of the study of Hebrew language and grammar. His grammatical innovations lay the foundation for biblical exegetes who came after him, thus he should be viewed as an important exegete who influenced parshanut both in his time and in the following generations. He wrote Sefer Harikma and Sefer Hashorashim.
Ribag had three distinct impetuses for writing Sefer Harikma:
- Basic understanding of the Hebrew language is an urgent concern.
- Understanding language is the basis of all knowledge.
- One cannot understand the Torah without understanding its language.
Some of the grammatical topics that Ribag discusses include:
- The Lamed of Substitution
- Derekh Ketzara – various abbreviations used in biblical Hebrew
- Synecdoche – a type of metonymy in which a general term is used in place of the specific one
- Syntactic Inversion
- Roots of Hebrew Words
A Celebration of Possibilities: Between Tradition and Innovation in Parshanut HaMikra
Rabbi Dr. Moshe Sokolowתאריך פרסום: תשפ”ה | | 59 minutes
The lecture discusses the understanding of the Oral Torah, examining the tension between tradition and innovation, and between authority and autonomy. It presents how the Torah, despite being divine, contains broad principles that allow for expansion and interpretation according to changing circumstances. The historical overview includes examples from Rashi's commentary, the disputes of Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, and the opinions of later sages, and emphasizes how dialogue and discussion are at the heart of the Jewish approach to learning, which accepts the multiplicity of possibilities in Torah interpretation.