| From a historical perspective, 'The DaVinci Code' is | | | | story, of the world flood and its implications for |
| good fiction ...I do think the book has provided a very | | | | humanity.The vital lesson of Noah's story is the |
| real cultural benefit, though. By weaving many tales | | | | human capacity for self-destruction and the ability of |
| of medieval Christian mysticism into its story line, the | | | | one person to save the world. |
| book has stimulated a multitude of readers to look | | | | In our time, we possess the capability to quickly |
| beyond the veneer of printed words in search of | | | | destroy creation through our nuclear power or to |
| higher meanings. This is good, because both literature | | | | slowly and significantly damage our planet through |
| and history contain them in abundance. The richness | | | | waste and pollution. Like Noah's generation, we are |
| of the written word and the refining effects of time | | | | also able to corrupt the purpose of our existence |
| have produced works essential to our lives' inner | | | | through moral failure.When we come to think that |
| guidance.Hopefully, more people will be inspired by this | | | | we or our creations are invincible, we soon find |
| work of fiction to more fully explore other tomes | | | | ourselves in deep water, just like the people of |
| that have even deeper meanings.I'm referring to the | | | | Noah's generation. Even the most powerful of human |
| Bible, the Torah, and the Koran.Many of the world's | | | | beings must face their limits or be brought low.The |
| tensions have their roots in opinion leaders who | | | | tale of Noah's ark is about confronting both our |
| espouse literal interpretations of those volumes. Even | | | | power and our limitations as individuals and as society. |
| more preposterous is that many of these issues are | | | | The story is true not because it ever happened, but |
| fomented by their own self-serving versions of those | | | | because it keeps on happening.The Noah story is |
| interpretations. From the silly 'War on Christmas' | | | | true, because it describes a drama we all face, |
| campaign being waged by some religious | | | | generation after generation.When we go beyond the |
| conservatives in the USA to the tragic turf wars | | | | literal sense of the text, we find meaning and |
| over perceived sacred grounds in the Middle East, | | | | relevance. When we can see our own struggles in |
| power bases masquerading as pulpits exploit literal | | | | the text, we can then take hold of the meaning of |
| definitions of holy words to seek nothing more than | | | | our sacred texts.Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, an |
| an increase in their sphere of influence. It is not | | | | authority on the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible |
| enough for them to sway likeminded individuals, they | | | | and a giant of 19th century Judaism, maintained that |
| cannot wield sufficient power until they can alter the | | | | the entire Hebrew Bible "possesses the nature and |
| lives of those who have chosen a different moral | | | | the central character of poetry." One must be aware |
| path, no matter how independently righteous that | | | | of poetic allusions, metaphors and figurative |
| path may be.I believe an effective means of curbing | | | | expressions to appreciate the meaning of |
| this troubling tendency is to expose the shallowness | | | | scripture.How could it be any other way? Hardly a |
| of such literal espousings. And so, I would like to | | | | verse in the Hebrew Bible can be understood |
| share an article written in 2000 by Rabbi H David | | | | verbatim. Take the statement, "And God said." Does |
| Rose, entitled:"The Literal Truth? Pondering the | | | | God have a larynx? In what language did God |
| Variety of Interpretations in Scripture."It is one of | | | | speak?To read Torah with the question, "Did it |
| the best dissertations on the subject that I have | | | | happen?" in our minds is to think of the wrong |
| ever read.The balance of today's column consists of | | | | question. As Elie Wiesel has taught, "Not everything |
| Rabbi Rose's words:"Dear God," Donna wrote. "Last | | | | that happened is true, nor did everything that is true |
| week it rained for five days straight. We thought it | | | | necessarily happen."We all have the capacity to |
| would be like Noah's ark, but it wasn't. I'm glad | | | | recognize truth in art, in movies and in plays, whether |
| because you could only take two of each animal into | | | | they accurately portray something that really |
| the ark, and I have three cats."A professor of | | | | happened or not.Imagine that two books are lying |
| molecular biology wrote in a national magazine, "Given | | | | before us. The first book was written by a Dr. Smith, |
| the dimensions of the ark and its wooden | | | | an eminent ophthalmologist. It describes a |
| construction, the first stiff breeze would have broken | | | | complicated surgery which restored the eyesight of a |
| it up. Its capacity was only a fraction of what was | | | | Ms. Jones.Ms. Jones is the author of the second book. |
| needed for the animals and their food supply, not to | | | | In this book, Ms. Jones reports her fright, her anxiety |
| speak of their specialized needs for housing."Are the | | | | and her pain. Then she tells of her exultation after |
| narratives in the Bible fact or fiction? Were the | | | | the bandages were removed and she could see |
| prophets truth-tellers, or great storytellers? Did | | | | again.Should we ask which book is the truth? Each |
| Methuselah live upon this earth for 969 years, as we | | | | book has a different intention and shares a different |
| are taught in Genesis? Did Abraham send his first | | | | perspective. The doctor's truth is not that of the |
| child, Ishmael, out into the wilderness and almost | | | | patient. A single criterion of truth creates needless |
| sacrifice his son, Isaac?And is any of this relevant to | | | | contradictions. Both are true. Similarly, there is no |
| us and to our lives?Many who read the Bible do so in | | | | single true way to read scripture.Our sacred texts |
| a literal way. For these people, be they Christian or | | | | are sources of truth and meaning, and we must learn |
| Jew, the choice is simple: Either the Bible is the exact | | | | to open our eyes to them.A literal viewing of our |
| written record of God's words, or it is not.If it is | | | | traditional books may obscure the truths within them, |
| God's word, then it is to be followed exactly as | | | | or worse, cause us to turn away and not look |
| written. If not, then why bother?Others, including | | | | again.Most of us learned scripture only as children. We |
| myself, are convinced that to read our sacred texts | | | | were taught only literal explanations.When we grew |
| literally is to miss the point. To do so, in my opinion, is | | | | up, we outgrew such literal fairy tales and left them |
| to corrupt and stagnate the ever-growing relevance | | | | tucked away with the tooth fairy and other such |
| of our holy texts.The Zohar (a book of Jewish | | | | nonsense.As adults, our task in reading the treasures |
| mysticism) teaches, "Were the Torah (Bible) a mere | | | | of our traditions and in living lives based on scripture |
| book of tales and everyday matters, we could | | | | is to uncover the layers of meaning. When we study, |
| compose a text of even greater excellence. The | | | | read and meditate on our sacred words, we discover |
| Torah has clothed itself in the outer garments of the | | | | their spritual implications.May we hold on to our |
| world, and woe to the person who looks at the | | | | sacred texts, and may they guide our lives and give |
| garment as being Torah."In other words, the essence | | | | meaning to all that we do.J Square Humboldt is the |
| of God's message is hidden from a person who | | | | featured columnist at the Longer Life website, which |
| takes a literal view. The word is not the message; | | | | is dedicated to providing information, strategies, |
| the message lies behind the words.Consider the story | | | | analysis and commentary designed to improve the |
| of Noah's ark. A literal interpretation misses the | | | | quality of living. His page can be found at and his |
| relevance and profound moral symbolism of the | | | | observations are published three times per week. |