RAV KOOK ON Devarim: Part 1 Elucidating the Torah
“On the east bank of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to elucidate (be'er) this Torah.” (Deut. 1:5)
Moses and Ezra
The fifth book of the Torah differs from the first four books. Deuteronomy is not a verbatim transmission of God’s word, but a prophetic work, on par with the writings of other prophets. The final book of the Torah is called Mishneh Torah (Deut. 17:18), for it is Moses’ review and elucidation of the Torah.
A second surge of Torah exegesis took place in the time of Ezra. “They read in the book of God’s Torah, clarified ['meforash']; and they gave the sense, and explained the reading to them” (Nehemiah 8:8). Both Moses and Ezra explained and elucidated the Torah. Their methods of interpretation, however, differed. Moses’ elucidation was a biur, while Ezra’s was a perush. What is the difference between these two methods?
“On the east bank of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to elucidate (be'er) this Torah.” (Deut. 1:5)
Moses and Ezra
The fifth book of the Torah differs from the first four books. Deuteronomy is not a verbatim transmission of God’s word, but a prophetic work, on par with the writings of other prophets. The final book of the Torah is called Mishneh Torah (Deut. 17:18), for it is Moses’ review and elucidation of the Torah.
A second surge of Torah exegesis took place in the time of Ezra. “They read in the book of God’s Torah, clarified ['meforash']; and they gave the sense, and explained the reading to them” (Nehemiah 8:8). Both Moses and Ezra explained and elucidated the Torah. Their methods of interpretation, however, differed. Moses’ elucidation was a biur, while Ezra’s was a perush. What is the difference between these two methods?
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