This short volume is worthy of reading, but too short to summarize. The whole book (or at least, the version I found online) consists of 5 chapters carried out over 11 pages. Each chapter reads like a bulleted list of statements regarding a particular topic, so it is, in and of itself, a sort of summary of Rabbinic capitulations. Verily, reading the Perkei Avot feels not unlike reading the Gospel of Thomas, found at Nag Hammadi in 1945, save that the authors of this short volume are many, and that of the latter is one.
I love the beauty found in so many of the Jewish texts, from Moses’ Pentateuch, also known as the Torah, to the mystic Kabbalah and the referenced edition, the Pirkei Avot. There are many striking similarities that arise between the Torah and several of the other books we’ve talked about, which should come as no shock since the Old Testament covers largely the same content.
However, much akin to the manner in which legalese must be used as the interpretive layer between the English speaker and the American judicial system, it is the understanding of the author of this post that all of these documents must be viewed through the lens of the Talmud…that is to say, the beautiful language used in the prophet’s account has been subjected to the in-depth analysis of intellectual minds which have determined what will be known as the official interpretation of the language. In this regard, it is the opinion of this author that the words recorded by Moses atop Mt. Sinai may have little to do with the primary practice in effect today, except perhaps in a narrowly selective application.
It seems the carriers of the word, after some 40 years in the desert, came forth from suffering armed with a Talmud which would enable and empower for centuries to come. I wonder if they made a stop atop Quarantania? Either way, it seems the Jewish faith may be divided in a manner similar to modern day Christian’s vs. the Jehovah’s Witnesses - half adhering to the literal word of the Torah, half granting biblical credence to the interpretive Talmud.
In any case, it seems all faiths are subject to division and various interpretive classes - but this one I find particularly fascinating.
~ Seeker_8
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