The Rabbinic Teaching Method

There are many examples from antiquity of the most common Rabbinic teaching method.

Parables were used extensively from the time of Nathan to the Kabbalistic times.  Jesus just happened to sit in the middle of this tradition.

To understand the normative use of a parable in Ancient Israel, one thing must be noted.  Parables were comparisons.  A fictional story was created to mimic a real-life one.  And in this comparison, the intended lesson was hidden. 

Let's examine one of the earliest examples.  Nathan crafted a story to parallel a certain situation (2 Samuel 12).

There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. "The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

Nathan presented this story - a mashal - to David the King.  David - hearing this blatant injustice - was outraged and ordered retribution for this man.  The only problem was David didn't understand what the mashal was really about.  This was by design.

Nathan then proceeded to supply those who heard the mashal with what is called a nimshal.  Nimshal is an explanation, or the real-life counterpart to the mashal.  Nathan said,

You are that man.

David then - and only then - understood that everything in the mashal mirrored his despicable conduct toward Uriah and Bathsheba.

The Mashal

The Nimshal

There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. "The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

“You are that man”

The normative Rabbinic teaching method was the two-part parable.  The fictional story is given.  It holds the treasure of wisdom until it can be unlocked.  The nimshal is the key that reveals the mystery, the treasure that was purposefully hidden inside.  The Parable of the Ewe Lamb is a perfect example of how both parts are needed to understand the parable (mashal+nimshal) rightly.

Trying to interpret a mashal without its nimshal is not advised.  David has provided us with an example of how dangerous that can be, as after he heard Nathan's story he commented, "As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.  He must make restitution for the for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion".  David tried to interpret the story and in the process condemed his own self.

Let's look at another example.

R. Simeon b. Yohai says: They parable a parable.  Unto what is the matter like?  It is like one who was walking along the road, and he encountered a wolf and was saved from him.  And he was going along recounting the story of the wolf.  Then he encountered a lion and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of the wolf and went along recounting the story of the lion.  Then he encountered a serpent and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of both and went along recounting the story of the serpent.

Now this is only the mashal part of the parable.  Know what the rabbi is talking about?  Can you interpret it and what it means?  Are you sure?  Here is the nimshal:

Even so is Israel.  Later troubles cause the former ones to be forgotten.

The Mashal

The Nimshal

It is like one who was walking along the road, and he encountered a wolf and was saved from him.  And he was going along recounting the story of the wolf.  Then he encountered a lion and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of the wolf and went along recounting the story of the lion.  Then he encountered a serpent and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of both and went along recounting the story of the serpent.

Even so is Israel.  Later troubles cause the former ones to be forgotten.

It's only after the mashal and nimshal are brought together that the impetus of the parable can be surmised.   

Some of the foolish might have tried to interpret this parable on their own.  Remember what happened to David?  A mashal without it's nimshal requires - because of it's intentional opacity - great respect and a slow tongue.  It could even be a trap waiting for the one who boldly explains it to be snared instead.  The explanation must be provided by the author of the mashal or by one who has direct knowledge of its genesis.  Now can the meshalim (plural of mashal) be hijacked for other purposes?  Sure.  But if we want to know what the author meant when he spoke it, then we need the nimshal that has proceeded from him.

Jesus and His student Matthew used this method as well. 

To be continued.

Comments

[Mary Jane Newlon]

I am really interested in this teaching as I am studying the parables and how Matthew used them to train the disciples. Christ always had a nimshal for his parables. I am trying to learn how to find the nimshal for the parable. This is a help to me. I really would like to learn more about this and how to find the answers. Would you please help me?

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