Find YOUR Niche

Every playwright, novelist and aspiring wordsmith is encouraged to "write what they know"; to use themes and scenes from their life to infuse their artistry with authenticity. One who has never traveled abroad can hardly be expected to accurately convey the sounds and colors of foreign locales, while one who has never suffered would find it difficult to conjure up pathos on the page.

Thus all creativity is self-referential. To read a work of fiction is to become acquainted with the psyche of the author, no matter how disguised it may be by imagination, and even scholarly tomes and historical essays convey clues to the character of the writer, sometimes as much by the omissions as by what they choose to include.

Torah, rather than being a clue to the identity of the Author, is an analysis of the studentThe Bible, by definition, must be the exception: an infinite Torah authored by an infinite G‑d. All possibilities are implicit in the text; interpretations of every shade and hue are inherently legitimate. G‑d is the source of all wisdom and incorporates all eventualities. The Torah speaks to all of us for all time, and all knowledge is contained within.

And thus the study of Torah, rather than being a clue to the identity of the Author, is in reality a Rorschach-like analysis of the student. The interpretation that speaks to your soul and appeals to your inherent understanding is a demonstration of your present state of consciousness. As you mature your taste may develop; as you study with new teachers your horizons may widen, but each new stage in your journey references a new phase in your personal relationship with G‑d.

As one studies the text and traditions of our faith, one begins to isolate patterns of thought particular to individual commentators. Some explain each verse from a literalist perspective; others look for allusions and allegories. There are biblical scholars who attempt to isolate the law and lore implicit in the text while others approach each character as a moral reference from which to draw ethical instruction.

These multiples of understanding happily coexist. No single explanation precludes another. The Torah is the wit and wisdom of the Divine and countenances all alternatives. As long as one's perspective is grounded in tradition and one sincerely wishes to access G‑dliness, then all approaches are acceptable to The Author.