The ultra-Orthodox population, accustomed to years of textual study, is trained in analytic and out-of-the-box thinking skills that can be used for the benefit of the nation’s security, Kahan said.

Pardes founder Rabbi Moshe Kahan..

“There is an untapped resource of brain power that can be used. They bring with them critical and analytical thinking that is unique and not seen anywhere else. In the yeshiva world nothing is taken for granted,” he said. Talmudic study prizes original, creative, outside-the-box approaches as texts under discussion are examined and re-examined."

In Judaism, Pardes is an acronym that refers to four types of approaches to interpretation of the holy texts: Pshat looks at the literal meaning of the words, Remez, or hint, studies the deeper meaning behind the text, Derash, from the Hebrew word to inquire, searches for meanings through comparisons, and Sod seeks the secretive or the mystical meaning of the text.

“We want to match the study of the Torah with the ‘Sod,’ the secret activities of Israel’s intelligence and security organizations,” quipped Kahan, who has a doctorate in both the Hebrew language and Semitic literature