“Praise The Word”: A Comparative View on Jewish and Buddhist Exegetical Practices

This paper explores Pāli and Jewish exegetical traditions and compares their specific methods of extracting and extending the meanings and import of religious texts. The study sheds light on how religious communities understand and engage language as a dynamic space for imagination and innovation. The paper examines key exegetical methods found in the Aṭṭhakathā, the Theravāda commentaries on the Pāli canon, alongside interpretative techniques employed in Midrash literature, a corpus of Jewish rabbinical texts commenting on the Hebrew Bible. Examining these traditions side by side, this paper explores how religious commentaries embrace linguistic creativity, challenge conventional readings, and shape cultural imagination. By adopting a comparative framework, this study enriches the field of Buddhist textual analysis while also contributing to a broader understanding of the role of commentaries in religious and textual traditions.