Persistent Seeking

The exact middle point of the number of letters in the Torah falls between the words derosh and derash (inquired insistently) in the verse quoted in the previous section: “Moses inquired insistently….” (Leviticus 10:16). In Hebrew these two words are spelled the same, only their vowels are different. When we discussed the four-tiered system of biblical interpretation called PaRDeS in the introduction, we noted that the third level of learning, derash (corresponding to the “D” of PaRDeS), entails a deep probing of the symbolic, metaphoric, allegorical, and homiletic profundities of the Torah. It is quite remarkable that the very midpoint of the Torah’s letters falls between these two words. This phenomenon imparts a deep message: to understand the Torah, to walk in its Orchard of Delights, we must “inquire persistently,” probing deeply between the lines of the text to discover the infinitely rich world awaiting those who make the effort.