The Basics of Judaism: G-d & Torah: Ways of Understanding the Torah:
What are the four ways of understanding the Torah?
The classical four ways of understanding the Torah are PESHAT
(the plain meaning); DERASH (meanings inferred by traditional
rules of interpretation); REMEZ (hints or allegories); and SOD
("secret", esoteric meanings). See Encyclopedia Judaica,
KABBALAH, Cols. 622-3.
The acronym PARDES is attributed to Moses De Leon. It applies only
to the written Torah, and possibly only to the Pentateuch.
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