“Remez” in the First Century

Question

Was remez—citing part of a scripture and knowing the audience would understand the reference—used by teachers in the first-century Jewish community? If not, when did it come into use?

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Remez has always been an integral part of understanding Torah. The Torah is understood on all four levels: Pshat, Remez, Drash and Sod. The Talmud mentions it and there is a very famous story that is recounted about Rabbi Akiva, Elisha ben Avuyah, Ben Azai and Ben Zomah who all learned the Torah using these four different interpretations.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team