Sukkot 5786: The Structure and Story of the Entire Torah

Using contextual readings of the Bible some modern researchers have tried to identify comprehensive overall structures in the Torah, identifying common themes in Bereshit (I) & Devarim (V) that create an inclusio (a literary “framing” structure) in the Torah, and unique common terms at the beginning and end of the Torah support these insights. Shared themes, stories and terms create further analogies between Shemot (II) & Bamidbar (IV) describing the Exodus from Egypt and the challenges of entering Eretz Israel. Vayikra (III), in the middle, is divided into two parts – holiness within the Temple (1-16) and its relevance outside the Temple (17-27) – with the Yom Kippur service in the center (16). These observations reveal an overall symmetric structure of the Torah; the structure’s significance and messages are elaborated and discussed.

 

The following book of Tanach, Yehoshua, which opens the section of Nevi'im, continues and concludes the structure and story of the Torah; the shiur will also offer a few brief insights about this.