• Begin your study with prayer.

• You don’t have to start at the beginning.

• Choose a topic relevant to you.

• Get to know a character.

• Write down what you learn.

• Listen to the Bible online.

• Read or share with someone else.

• Look up what you don’t understand.

Traditionally there are accepted to be four levels of basic interpretation of scriptures. 

The words are broken down to the acronym PaRDeS : 

• Peshat = Literal : Meaning plain or simple. It is used for the most obvious and simple meaning or a text.

• Remez = Hint : Meaning hints. It is used for the allegoric (hidden or symbolic) meaning beyond the literal sense.

• Derash = Sermon : Meaning inquire or seek. It is used for the comparative (midrashic) meaning, looking at similar occurrences of a word.

• Sod = Secret : Meaning secret or mystery. It is used for the esoteric and mystical meaning.

We used Google to ask the following :Date: 01-19-2025 – query: ‘Ask AI: PaRDeS​’
‘Below we display the search results including ( if applicable ) our mark-ups in  ‘green italics‘

AI Results : 

PaRDeS (פרד”ס) refers to a Jewish method of scriptural interpretation using four levels (Peshat, Remez, Derash, Sod), a mystical orchard legend, or the 1997 Bollywood film Pardes (meaning “Foreign Land”) starring Shah Rukh Khan, about cultural clashes between India and the US, as well as the name of a prominent Jewish learning institute in Jerusalem.
Here’s a breakdown of the different meanings:

1. Jewish Exegesis (Pardes – פַּרְדֵּס)
Acronym: An acronym for four interpretive methods of the Torah.
P’shat (פְּשָׁט): The literal, plain meaning.
Remez (רֶמֶז): Hints, allegorical or symbolic meaning.
D’rash (דְּרַשׁ): Homiletical or comparative meaning (Midrash).
Sod (סוֹד): The secret, esoteric, or mystical meaning (Kabbalah).

2. The “Four Sages in the Orchard” Legend (Pardes – פַּרְדֵּס)

A Jewish legend (aggadah) about four famous rabbis who entered a mystical “orchard” of divine knowledge, with varying spiritual outcomes.

3. The Film (Pardes (1997 film))

Plot: A musical romantic drama about an Indian-American woman whose fiancé brings an Indian man (Arjun) to the US, leading to cultural clashes and romance.
Cast: Stars Shah Rukh Khan, Mahima Chaudhry, and Apurva Agnihotri.
Themes: Explores cultural identity, tradition vs. modernity, and the immigrant experience.

4. The Institute (Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies)

An inclusive, non-denominational Jewish learning community in Jerusalem offering programs for deep study of Jewish texts and traditions.

We have reviewed this Ai response and it appears in line with our understanding.  Jesus is claiming to be God.

We used Google to ask the following :Date: 01-19-2025 – query: ‘Ask AI: Pardes​’
‘Below we display the search results including ( if applicable ) our mark-ups in  ‘green italics‘

AI Results : 

Pardes (פרדס) is a Hebrew acronym for the four levels of biblical interpretation: Peshat (literal), Remez (hint/allegory), Derash (homiletical/midrashic), and Sod (mystical/esoteric), which together reveal the rich meaning of Scripture, much like a garden (the literal meaning of Pardes). This framework helps readers move from the plain sense to deeper, symbolic, comparative, and hidden meanings, with the understanding that deeper levels shouldn’t contradict the simple one.

The Four Levels of PaRDeS

Peshat (פְּשָׁט): The Plain or literal meaning; the direct, contextual sense of the text.
Remez (רֶמֶז): The Hint or allegorical meaning; symbolic meanings beyond the surface.
Derash (דְּרַשׁ): The comparative or homiletical meaning; found by looking at how words or themes appear in other texts (Midrash).
Sod (סוֹד): The Secret or mystical meaning; the esoteric, hidden, or revealed truth, often associated with Kabbalah.

How it works

Metaphor: The word Pardes itself means “orchard” or “paradise,” symbolizing the abundance and beauty found by exploring Scripture on multiple levels, similar to walking through a garden.
Application: When reading, you can ask questions for each level: “What does this literally say?” (Peshat), “What does it hint at?” (Remez), “How does it compare to other verses?” (Derash), and “What is the ultimate, hidden spiritual truth?” (Sod).

Purpose: It’s a systematic method, especially popular in Jewish tradition, for a comprehensive understanding of the Bible, ensuring the literal meaning is never discarded for mystical interpretations.

We have reviewed this Ai response and it appears in line with our understanding.  Jesus is claiming to be God.