Are you familiar with the four levels of Jewish Biblical exegesis? They are: Peshat (פְּשָׁט) – The simple, literal meaning. Remez (רֶמֶז) – The hinted or allegorical meaning. Derash (דְּרַשׁ) – The deeper, homiletical meaning derived through comparison and interpretation. Sod (סוֹד) – The mystical or hidden meaning. Let’s talk about the Sod level of […]

“Tziva said to the king, ‘Your servant will do everything my lord the king commands his servant, although M’fivoshet has been eating at my table as one of the king’s descendants.‘”-2 Samuel 9:11 Back in the day, I used to attend a Christian church here in Tokyo. After the worship service, we’d break up into […]

 “David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Y’honatan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Sha’ul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table.”-2 Samuel 9:7 There’s something else I need to make clear here. When […]

So a new reality has dawned on both the lives of Tziva and Mephibosheth. In a nutshell, their roles have been reversed. Mephibosheth, the crippled loser who everyone viewed as useless, is now Tziva’s master! And Saul’s estate that Tziva had controlled as his own for years? Well, that also has been turned over to […]

“David said to him, ‘Don’t be afraid, for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Y’honatan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Sha’ul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table.‘”-2 Samuel 9:7 Ever felt an unbearable sense of doom? Maybe your boss […]