Targum

The term "Targum" derives from the Aramaic word "targem," meaning "to translate" or "to interpret." This linguistic root is shared with the Hebrew word "meturgeman," also signifying an interpreter. The practice emerged as Aramaic became the vernacular language among Jewish communities, necessitating translations from Hebrew.

Lit., "Interpretation", from the root targem, to interpret. Paraphrase of Hebrew Scriptures. Some of the Targums are verv mvstical. the Aramaic (or Targumatic) language being used all through "tlie Zohar and other Kabbalistic works. To distingui.sh this language from tiie Hebrew, called the "face" of the sacred tongue, it is referred to as ahorayim, the "back part", the real meaning of which must be read between the lines, according to certain methods given to 298 THKosol'JlirAi, students, 'riif Latin wm-d ti tujuin. "Iiack"'. is (l.iivtd from tliillrhnw (ti ratliti" Aratnaic and Clialdt-an tiir;iiini. Tlie Bonk (»f Dat\'ul ht-jriiis in Hchnw. an<l is fully fonipivlit-nsihlr till chap. ii.. v. 4, when tin( "haldt't's (tlit> Magician-Initiates') hr^'iu spcakiiifr to the kinj; in Aramaic -not in Syriac. as mistranslated in the I'rotestant Hihle. Daniel speaks in Ilchrew before interiu'etinfr the kinpr's dream to him; biit explains The dream itself fchap. vii.) in Aranuiic. "So in Ezra iv.. v. and vi.. the words of the kinfjs bein}; there literally (juoted, all matters connected therewith are in Aramaic." says Isaac Myer in his QahhaUih. The Tarjrumim are of difl'ercnt a^es, the latest already showinjr si;rns of the Massoretic or vowel-system, which made them still more full of intentional blinds. The precejjt of the Pirkt Ahoth (c. i.. § 1). "Make a fence to the Thorah' (law), has indeed been faithfully followed in the Hible as in the Tarjrumim; and wise is he who woid<l interpret either correctly, unless he is an old Occultist-Kabbalist.

The Targum, a term that whispers of ancient Aramaic tongues and the fervent desire to bridge the chasm between the sacred and the everyday, offers a profound lesson for the modern seeker adrift in a sea of information. Blavatsky, in her characteristic, expansive style, points to its function as more than a mere translation. It was an act of spiritual hermeneutics, a deliberate unfolding of meaning for communities whose linguistic landscape had shifted.

Consider the Aramaic language itself, the "back part" of Hebrew as some traditions describe it, not in a pejorative sense, but as a parallel pathway to understanding. This echoes Mircea Eliade's observations on the sacred as being embedded in the fabric of ordinary life, accessible through symbolic language and ritual. The Targum, by rendering the divine word into a vernacular that resonated with the common person, democratized access to spiritual insight. It was an act of making the ineffable comprehensible, a testament to the belief that the divine speaks in forms that can be heard and understood by all who are willing to listen.

The mystical dimensions Blavatsky hints at are crucial. The Targum was not simply a linguistic bridge but a hermeneutical one, often infusing the scriptural narrative with allegorical and mystical interpretations. This mirrors the work of Sufi mystics like Idries Shah, who emphasized the need for understanding the inner meaning of texts and stories, recognizing that literal interpretations can often obscure deeper truths. The Targum, in this light, becomes a precursor to the contemplative practices that seek meaning beyond the superficial, a practice that resonates with the Kabbalistic tradition’s emphasis on Gematria and the hidden numerical and symbolic connections within scripture.

The very act of interpretation, of paraphrasing and elaborating, suggests a dynamic relationship with the divine word. It implies that scripture is not a closed book but an ongoing revelation, requiring human engagement to unlock its full potential. This resonates with the modern non-dual perspective, which often emphasizes the subjective experience of reality and the understanding that truth is not found solely in external doctrines but in the internal realization that arises from contemplation and lived experience. The Targum, by its very existence, invites us to consider how we translate the ancient wisdom of the world into the language of our own lives, seeking not just to know, but to understand.

RELATED_TERMS: Midrash, Exegesis, Hermeneutics, Kabbalah, Zohar, Aramaic, Scripture, Interpretation