MIDDOT


Meaning of MIDDOT in English

In Jewish biblical interpretation, the principles used to explicate the meaning of biblical words or passages.

The middot are used especially to determine the bearing that a passage has on a new question or situation. The first known middot were compiled by Hillel in the 1st century BC; others were compiled by Ishmael ben Elisha ( 0441; AD 100) and Eliezer ben Yose the Galilaean ( 0441; AD 150). Among the best-known are the kol wa-homer ("how much more"), in which the interpreter proceeds from a minor to a major premise, and the gezera shawa (comparison of similar expressions or laws), in which an inference is made by analogy.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.