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What is the source for expounding the torah according to remez, derush and sod (along with 'pshat' the group can be referred to by the acronym PaRDeS)?

These forms of hermeneutics are not found in the list of Rabbi Yishmael on the 13 ways to expound the torah, nor do they have a logical basis.

definition and examples of each

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What happens when one doesn't learn Kabbalah (Sod)? Instead of Pardes he gets Ferd (horse). :) – Shmuel Brin Feb 27 '12 at 22:35
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@ShmuelBrill atorahminute.com/2012-02-12 – Hacham Gabriel Feb 28 '12 at 2:09
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(Converted to a comment per DoubleAA's suggestion.) That these aren't listed among the 13 middos of R. Yishmael proves little, because those are used to derive halachos. For aggadic interpretations (which include a great deal of derush and remez, although they are not described there as such), there are the 32 middos of R. Elazar the son of R. Yose HaGelili (printed in the back of Maseches Berachos in a full-size Shas). – Alex Feb 28 '12 at 3:35
If anyone has access to the original hekhalot literature I imagine you can find Pardes mentioned in there. – avi Feb 28 '12 at 6:11

2 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Hacham Ovadia in Yechave Da'at 4:47 quotes Morenu Harav Haim Vital (1543-1620) who speaks about this concept in Sha'ar Hagilgulim (Hakdama 11) and in his introduction to Sha'ar Hamitzvot. He seems to get it from the Zohar Parashat Balak (202a) which says:

והיה כעץ שתול על פלגי מים, מה אילן זה יש בו שרשים ויש בו ענפים ויש בו עלים ויש בו פרחים ויש בו מוח וכו', כך התורה יש בה פשוטי המקראות, דרשות הפסוקים, רמזי החכמה על ידי גימטריאות ונוטריקון, וסודות נעלמים וכו‏

So, it seems, the oldest and primary source for PaRDe"S explanation is the Zohar.

(Disclaimer: I have not seen/looked into any of the primary sources inside other than the excerpt above. I only quote Hacham Ovadia.)

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Hmm... In the Zohar on Bar Ilan Responsa it says: כעץ שתול על פלגי מים, מה אילן אית ביה שרשין ואית ביה קליפין ואית ביה מוחא ואית ביה ענפין ואית ביה טרפין ואית ביה פרחין ואית ביה איבא שבעת זינין אלין סלקין לשבעה עשר לשבעין, אוף מלין דאורייתא אית בהו פשטא דקרא, דרשא, רמז דקא רמיז חכמתא, גימטרייאות, רזין טמירין, רזין סתימין אלין על אלין, פסול וכשר, טמא וטהור, איסור והיתר, מכאן ולהלאה מתפשטאן ענפין לכל סטר והיה כעץ ודאי ואי לאו לאו איהו חכם בחכמתא, Seems a little different to me. – Double AA♦ Feb 28 '12 at 0:11
It's also in Shaare Kedusha by Rav Haim Vital. – Hacham Gabriel Feb 28 '12 at 2:06
Just to clarify, I'm leaving my answer up because the R Chaim Vital was a talmid of the Alshich which is the earliest inside source we have found. – Double AA♦ Feb 28 '12 at 3:40
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I'm not convinced light Zohar reading counts as "learning kabbalah". The 'issur' is probably on learning kabbalah be'iyun. – Double AA♦ Feb 28 '12 at 4:02
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I can corroborate that it is in the zohar balak 202a in the mossad harav kook edition. @vram thnx :) – none Feb 29 '12 at 0:10
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The earliest I can find of those four categories being mentioned together is in the writings of Rabbi Moshe Alshich (a kabbalist from Tzefat; 1508 - 1593). He writes in his commentary to Genesis 1:27 as follows:

וכל זה על ידי קיום התורה אשר גם בה ארבע בחינות אלה שקשורים זו עם זו, הפשט כנגד עולם השפל, רמז כנגד השני, דרש כנגד השלישי, סוד כנגד העליון

（I leave this untranslated because I don't really know what it means. CYLK)

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Doesn't R' Bachya already use these categories centuries before? – jake Feb 27 '12 at 23:30
@jake Could be. Can you find it? – Double AA♦ Feb 27 '12 at 23:34
See here. The hebrew terms he uses are, I think, derech p'shat, derech drash (or midrash), derech hasechel, and derech sod (or derech ha'emes). He dosn't seem to have gotten much into remez. – jake Feb 27 '12 at 23:59
@jake So post as an answer if you want. It seems to me that he is just using four different layers of exegesis, each more esoteric than the other. I'm not sure if that is what the questioner is looking for. But answer if you want. IIRC Ibn Ezra also has four types of parshanut that he mentions in his hakdama, but those four are certainly not the classic PaRDeS! – Double AA♦ Feb 28 '12 at 0:04

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