Tuesdays with Torah: How We Read (and Misread) the Bible

Tuesdays with Torah: How We Read (and Misread) the Bible

Most readers of the Bible tend to take it literally, in part because they want to take it seriously. Yet its words and lessons can seem conflicting, its theology confounding and its context too complex. But to read the Bible literally is to diminish its significance, for it was written by those who took life and the religious narrative too seriously to simplify it to literal reading. We Jews do not “read” the Bible, we study it, probe it, argue with it, and ultimately feel challenged and inspired by it. Walk through some of the most misunderstood sections and overlooked passages, as we seek to move from superficial literalism to the deeper meaning with which our sacred tradition invites us to reflect, to see human complexity, compelling messages, irony, humor and the invitation to inspiration.