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The Besorot and Rabbinic Hermeneutics
The four Besorot were written in four distinct ways that match the traditional Rabbinic teaching methods. The four methods of teaching are Peshat, Remez, Drash, and Sod, and they form the acronym PaRDeS (which means “garden”). These four methods and their interactions in the text of the Besorot are described in the table below.
| PARDES | פְּשָׁט | רֶמֶז | דְרַשׁ | סוֹד |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transliteration | Peshat | Remez | Drash | Sod |
| Definition | Simple | Hint | Explore, Ask | Secret |
| Literary Level | Grammatical | Allegory | Parabolic | Mystical |
| Audience Level | Common People | Aristocrat, Noble | Regal, Kingly | Mystic |
| Hermeneutic Level | 7 Laws of Hillel | 13 Laws of Ishmael | 32 Laws of Ben Gallil | 42 Laws of the Zohar |
| Rabbinic Level | Mishnah | Gemara | Midrash | Zohar |
| Book | Mark | Luke | Mattityahu | Yochanan |
| Presentation | Servant of Hashem | Son of Man | The King | Son of G-d |
בְשׂוֹרוֹת — (Singular בְשׂוֹרָה, “Besorah”) Literally, “good news” or “tidings.” This is the Hebrew equivalent of “Gospel,” and is used to refer to the four books in the Torat HaShlichim that tell Yeshua’s story.הִלֵּל — A rabbi of the late 1st century b.c.e. who expressed the teachings of the P’rushim well. Yeshua’s teachings fall in line with Hillel’s teachings with ony one exception (divorce).מִשְׁנָה — (a.k.a. Mishna) The foundation of the Talmud, commentary of the Tanaaim on the Torah. The Mishnah was compiled by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi (commonly referred to within the text as “Rabbi”) with the help of the members of his Academy in the 3rd century. It is divided into six sedarim (orders); those are further divided into masekhot (tractates), which are further divided into individual mishnayot (verses).גְמָרָה — A portion of the Talmud, commentary of the Amoraim on the Mishnah.מִדְרָשִׁים — (Singular מִדְרָשׁ, “midrash”) A method of interpreting the Biblical text that involves developing stories and deep teachings out of it. May also refer to a compilation of such teachings.מַתִּתְיָהוּ — Matthew.יוֹחָנָן — John.הַשֵּׁם — Literally, “the Name.” A common replacement for the Shem Hameforash in everyday speech. See my article on The Name of G-d.
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