（出21）以手还手 (Exodus 21) A hand for a hand

(ChatGPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale, 中文在后面）

Exodus 21:24 states: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.” I attempted to apply the “Pardes” method to interpret “a hand for a hand.”

The so-called “Pardes” method refers to the Jewish Rabbinic interpretation of Moses’ Pentateuch using the p, r, d, s four-layer method. They claim that this represents the Lord’s words like “paradise” because prds are the consonants of paradise (Hebrew only has consonants).

[Reference: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardes_(Jewish_exegesis)]

p=pashat, meaning simple or surface level.

r=remez, meaning hint or suggestion.

d=darash, meaning moral or allegorical.

s=sod, meaning secret or mystical.

P (Surface Meaning): So, what is the surface meaning of “a hand for a hand”?

This is the understanding of the reader’s first reaction: If party A cuts off party B’s hand, then party A should be punished and have his hand cut off too. On the surface, this seems fair but also gruesome, resembling a primitive pursuit of “justice.”

R (Hint): “a hand for a hand” in Exodus 21:24 hints at a form of giving and receiving from “hand” to “hand”, and this is also hinted in a related scripture, Leviticus 24:20: “Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he gives a physical injury to a person, so shall it be given to him.” The words “gives” and “given” are from the original text. Combining hints from both verses, this thing that can be “given” from “hand” to “hand”, hints at “money.” Therefore, when a judge rules based on “a hand for a hand,” it should not be interpreted literally by cutting off party A’s hand, but rather by imposing a monetary fine equivalent to the value of party B’s hand.

This interpretation is referenced from Rashi’s commentary on Leviticus 24:20. [Reference: https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Leviticus.24.21.1?lang=bi]

Rashi’s commentary also explains how to calculate the value of a hand, referencing the reduced price of a slave missing one hand in the slave market at that time.

D (Moral): “a hand for a hand” is not meant to be executed literally according to the surface meaning. So why does the Bible express it in such a bloody way? The Bible aims for us to have compassion, not to consider others’ losses as unrelated to oneself, and not to regard others’ suffering as irrelevant to one’s own comfort.

Therefore, punishments in the Bible are often expressed in a way that makes one empathize, and biblical teachings often encourage putting oneself in others’ shoes. For example, in Exodus 22:21-24, it states, “Do not exploit or oppress a foreigner, for you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. Do not mistreat widows or orphans. If you do, and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows, and your children will be fatherless.” Therefore, the meaning of “a hand for a hand” ultimately points to Leviticus 19:18, which says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

S (Secret/Mystical Meaning): So, does “a hand for a hand” hold any mystical meaning? Our compassion needs to accept teachings like “a hand for a hand” because party B’s hand is not connected to party A’s head. Therefore, when party B is in pain, party A feels nothing because the signals of party B’s pain haven’t reached party A’s brain. However, true Christians share a common head, which is Christ. In 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul says, “I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ.”

Therefore, party A’s head should also be party B’s head. If party B is in pain, Christ, their common head, feels it, and party A should feel it too because they should have the mind of Christ and not just be concerned about themselves (Philippians 2:4-5).

Their common head, Christ, can feel the pain of every Christian because in Matthew 25:40, Christ says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Because of their common head, God’s numerous people became many parts of one body. As 1 Corinthians 12:12 states, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

Therefore, the mystical meaning of “a hand for a hand” is the Creator’s intention that is revealed in the New Testament, that God’s numerous people should be, in fact, one person in Christ.

（出21）以手还手

出埃及记21:24 说：“以眼还眼，以牙还牙，以手还手，以脚还脚， ”

我尝试应用“乐园解经法”来解释“以手还手”。

所谓的乐园解经法，指的是犹太拉比解释摩西五经用p，r，d，s四层方法，他们说这表示主的话像乐园paradise，因为prds是paradise的辅音字母（希伯来语只有辅音字母）。

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardes_(Jewish_exegesis)

p=pashat，是simple表面的意思

r=remez，是hint提示的意思

d=darash，是moral寓意的意思

s=sod，是secret奥秘的意思。

P（表面的意思）：那么，“以手还手”的表面意思是什么呢？

这就是读者第一反应的理解：甲方砍了乙方的手，甲方就应该受惩罚也被砍手。从表面来看，这很公平，但也很血淋淋，好像是一种原始人追求“公平”的方式。

R （提示的意思）：“以手还手”，这提示一种以手给予的东西，这在一个相关经文利未记24:20的原文用词有相关的暗示：“以伤还伤，以眼还眼，以牙还牙。他怎样叫人的身体有残疾，也要照样向他行。” 原文是他怎样 “给”人的身体残疾，也要照样“给 ”他。结合这两处经文，这种可以用“手”“给”予的东西，暗示着“钱”，所以，当法官根据“以手还手”判案时，不能按其表面意思砍去甲方的手，而是应该判其与乙方手价值相对应的罚款。

这个解释参考了Rashi 解经 (利未记24:20) . https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Leviticus.24.21.1?lang=bi

Rashi 解经还解释了如何计算手的价值，这是当时奴隶市场上缺了一只手的奴隶所减少的价钱。

D (寓意）：“以手还手”，既然不是按表面意思执行，那么为什么圣经还要以这样血淋淋的方式来表达呢？原来，圣经希望我们有同情心，不把别人的损失当作与己无关，不把当别人痛苦当作对自己无关痛痒。所以，圣经里的惩罚常常以令人感同身受的发式来表达，圣经里的教导，也常常是将心比心。又比如，出埃及记22:21-24说：“不可亏负寄居的，也不可欺压他，因为你们在埃及地也作过寄居的。不可苦待寡妇和孤儿，若是苦待他们一点，他们向我一哀求，我总要听他们的哀声，并要发烈怒，用刀杀你们，使你们的妻子为寡妇，儿女为孤儿。”

所以，“以手还手”的寓意，最终指向的是利未记19:18所说的“爱人如己 ”。

S （奥秘的意思）：那么，“以手还手” 有什么奥秘的意思吗？

我们的同情心需要接受“以手还手”这样的教导，是因为乙方的手，没有联在甲方的头上，所以乙方再痛，甲方一点都感觉不到，因为乙方疼痛的信号没有传到甲方的大脑里。但是，真正的基督徒，他们有一个共同的头，就是基督。哥林多前书11:3节里保罗说，“我愿意你们知道，基督是各人的头。” 所以，甲方的头应该也是乙方的头，乙方的痛，他的头基督感觉到了，甲方就应该同样也感觉到，因为他们应该以基督的心为心，而不能自己只顾自己（腓利比书2:4-5）。而他们共同的头基督，能感觉到每一个基督徒的痛苦，因为马太福音25:40里基督说，“我实在告诉你们，这些事你们既作在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是作在我身上了。” 因着共同的头，神的众多子民成了同一个人的众多肢体。哥林多前书12:12说，“就如身子是一个，却有许多肢体。而且肢体虽多，仍是一个身子。基督也是这样。”

所以，“以手还手” 的奥秘的意思，是在新约里表明的造物主的心意，就是神的众多子民其实应该是同一个人，在基督里。