In doing research for my book ONE GODS: The Mystic Pagan’s Guide to the Bible I have noticed that many symbols of deep religious meaning are multi-faceted and have several layers of meaning. For some the layers of meaning go deeper as one becomes more adept but for some, the multi-layers are an indication of their depth and importance. The Zohar makes this same point: “Just as God is infinite, so is the word of God infinite, imbued with meanings that transcend any one particular interpretation. It is upon us to drink from the word not as limited from a chalice but as from an eternal wellspring, and to find everfresh meaning in it for each of our life situations.”
This quote comes from The Way of the Boundary Crosser by Gershon Winkler. The reference is Sefer HaZohar (Bamidbar 152a). In upcoming posts I plan to present some symbols that appear in the Bible in order to explore their multi-faceted meanings.