Tanach Workshop

Catalog description

This course invites students to uncover the many layers of meaning embedded within Tanach by exploring how Chazal approached interpretation across different modalities of Tanach. Through close textual study and integration of different aspects of תור×" שבעל פ×", students will examine how single words can shape entire theological readings, how verses can be interpreted through shifting contexts, and how rabbinic sources develop complex portrayals of biblical characters, names, places and objects, transforming or harmonizing their narratives to reveal deeper truths. Students will analyze how halachic and narrative interpretations intersect and diverge, trace the evolution of a word or idea across Tanach, and compare the interpretive methods of Pshat, Midrash, Halacha and Kabbalah. Together, these explorations will illuminate the artistry of Torah interpretation and equip students to craft their own deeper understanding of the text.