Finding Connections for Elijah, John, and Jesus
In a previous article, I introduced the concept of remez: a hint to a broader context that relies on the ability of the listener to make associative connections between words and concepts. Exploring the connections is like opening a door to a previously unseen world — as if each remez was a hinge in the Lion’s wardrobe.
In this article, I will explore some examples of remezim (Scriptural allusions) concerning John the Immerser (Baptizer) and Elijah.
Gabriel’s News: Elijah and The Coming Fire
I’ll set the scene: Zechariah, a righteous priest with a righteous wife, is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the priest…
How Paul’s Disciple Saw Greatness
At the midway point of the 1st century, a letter from Paul the Apostle came into the hands of his son in the faith. The latter, also called an apostle, was at the time ministering faithfully in Ephesus. This letter, which we call 1 Timothy, features one section that extolled calm and peaceful living, a section that has since been used to argue that Paul prohibited all women everywhere from teaching or exercising authority in the Church.
Because I am not a Greek scholar, I have no special insight to offer regarding the subtleties of textual interpretation…
Opening the door to the Bible’s internal network.
Back in Jesus’s day, there was a particular practice common among rabbis (Jewish teachers) and their talmidim (students or disciples) that has come to be known as remez. A remez is a hint to a broader context that relies on the ability of the listener to make associative connections between words and concepts.
For example, if you were in an unexpectedly weird situation, you might say to your friend, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Even if you were never in Kansas in the first place, it still makes sense to your friend (provided he or she has…
