Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>]

As you say, written Torah is very concise, it couldn't possibly give 
in writing all the information that G-d gave, what is not in written 
Torah, we know from oral Torah, ie; Kabbala, Chazal, etc.

Whoever wants to limit themselves to written Torah only, is missing a 
lot of information, and there is a lot they won't be able understand, 
or will misunderstand.

Shoshanna



It seems to me that this is an interpretation of what's said (or not said)
in the text.  Because:

How do we know that he was not mortal before eating the fruit?

How do we know that it is the disobedience that CAUSED his mortality?

Might he have been mortal all along but wasn't aware of it? Is there a clear
proof (not belief, not interpretation) in the text that this is not the
case? Does it say anywhere anything that he was immortal before eating the
fruit?

Was God's announcement about Adam's mortality actually an explanation of why
Adam is mortal (made of dust, etc.)?



However, regardless of the above, whether he was mortal to begin with or
mortality was a result of his disobedience, it is possible that only after
eating the fruit he realized (or God made him realize) that he is mortal
(regardless of the reason for him becoming mortal). Therefore, one may
understand the verse as meaning that the awareness of his mortality WAS his
death. I'm not saying that this is THE (ONLY) WAY to understand the issue.
I'm saying that this is one way to understand what's going on here, and is
as valid as stating that this may be a "clumsy lie" (by God) and certainly
no more of an "interpretation" than the latter.



In any event, let's face it, many of what's discussed on this list is
interpretation of the Biblical text, even by those who know Hebrew.
Furthermore, there is no way to read the Biblical text and not interpret
what we read when it comes to the content (and sometimes even to the
grammatical/language issues).  So what's wrong with an interpretation if it
doesn't stray far from the text?  Thinking that mortality resulted from
eating the fruit is an interpretation as well (unless there is text to show
otherwise - and I don't recall such text, but will be happy to learn about
it if you can point it out). Considering that this is a "clumsy lie" is
surely an interpretation.  What's this sensitivity all of a sudden to avoid
interpretation, when most of the discussion on this list are exactly this -
interpretations of the Biblical text.



Or are some explanations/arguments/interpretations (especially those that
are not in line with certain doctrines) not "Kosher" on this list because
they don't fit someone's beliefs?  I don't quite understand this.  This (and
some offensive emails I received privately) make me wonder what kind of a
list this is supposed to be.



All the best.