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Dírash
(Interpretation)
Dírashñ (Interpretation) ñ Inquiry, Dialogue and Transmission
The spirit of inquiry within human nature is the impetus for growth and reflection. It leads to discovery, broadens ones horizons, and uncovers information from which others will grow and learn. The Jewish understanding of inquiry, contained in the term dírash, takes this several steps further. Dírash goes beyond inquiry to interpretation, interaction, and transmission. It engages the knowledge and experience of the past in conversation with the present, and documents the new learning for the benefit of future generations. The art of inquiry within Judaism is a time-honored tradition. We are a people who wrestle with, and demand of the unknown. The written Torah lays the foundation for inquiry and instruction, which are our eternal partners, teachers and companions.
Whether one considers the Five Books of Moses a divine text handed to Moses atop Mount Sinai, a collection of stories and laws written by human beings, a blueprint for the entire universe or a metaphorical collection of poetry and legend, it is the basis for Jewish inquiry, and continues to be the context through which many Jews interpret much of todayís world. Torah literally means instruction, and shares a root with the Hebrew words for teacher (moreh or morah), parents (horim), and the trajectory of an arrow. The Jewish tradition continually acknowledges both the primacy of the written Torah and the wealth of documentation and interpretation that has followed as significant teachers and guides for our lives today. The oral traditions that surround the text are considered torah as well. We create our own instruction each time we document our current conversations in light of our dialogue with the past. There are at least three partners in each conversation; the one who inquires, the inquiry which takes on a life of its own and grows and changes over the years, and the text from which one inquires.
The value which Judaism places on the inclusion of and commitment to multiple interpretations of any given inquiry is unparalleled. Torah commentariees often include at least two sides to every story. Talmud (the wisdom tradition of the rabbis, compiled between the 2nd and 6th centuries) honors both majority and minority opinions, and refers to conflicting interpretations of the same passage as divrei Elohim chayyim, the words of the living God. Our response to our wrestling with the text is more text ñ documentation of both our journey and our response, as a signpost for those who come after us. Here is how we transmit our story. This is what it meant in this time, in this place, to be in conversation with my ancestors and see my life reflected in theirs.
Our documentation from the past acts as a mirror. The eternal challenge is to see onesí life reflected in our ancient texts, and to allow the lessons from the text to be reflected in our present day experience. Ancient texts take on new life as we infuse them with significance from our own experience, and our lives are enriched by the lessons of the past and the interpretations and documentation of those who came before. The conversations that we hold with the text today inspire more inquiry, and will become the torah for others in the future. By engaging in the ancient process of midrash (interpretation), we allow our natural curiosity, along with the enormous emphasis that Judaism places on learning and inquiry, to become a vehicle for transmission of our values and our struggles for the next generation. We are part of an ongoing, sacred, historical conversation with the human condition and the universe.
The Torah is referred to as Eitz Chayyim, a Tree of Life. It provides protection, shelter, and sustenance. We return the favor through our inquiry. We keep torah alive, we engage it in challenging conversation, we listen to it, we add to its lessons with the context of our own generations, and we pass it along to those who will come after. To ask, to argue, to interpret, and to transmit are all essential elements of our growth and maturity as human beings. To constantly be both the teacher and the student, placing equal emphasis on the answers we have already received, and allowing them to give birth to new questions and challenges within our own lives is to take advantage of the spirit of dírash and its important place in the life of the Jewish people.
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