Michael Alter: The Man and His Argument Against the Resurrection

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Hello S. Joshua:

This is really an awesome question. Previously, I discussed this issue. Let me be extremely brief:

  1. I am not a fundamentalist.
  2. The Torah is NOT meant to be interpreted literally.
  3. I, along with many others employ the traditional mode of study/interpretation of the text, primarily PaRDeS. Please see my previous discussion and Google search the term…
  4. Also, [to save me time] please Google “The Thirteen Rules of Interpretation by Rabbi Ishmael.” [Sifra]
  5. How do you know Torah is true. You must define EMET. But an honest answer for many would be it is a matter of faith. Of course, Christians, Muslims, etc can say the same thing about their sacred texts.
  6. I struggle, like many others, with MANY portions of the text. The name “ISRAEL” is defined by some as “a God wrestler”… That is what many Jews do… They wrestle with the text… Just examine the Talmud.

Take care

Mike

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