Why are words REPEATED REPEATED:#11 of 14
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OVERVIEW:
========
This module deals with Rashis which comment on verses with
>REPEATED WORDS<. The basic technique for >REPEATED WORDS<
was succinctly formulated by the MALBIM
--------------------------------------------------------
When a word is >REPEATED< unnecessarily then the
sentence with that word refers to >NON-STANDARD NUANCES<
The examples will illustrate how this is implemented
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TODAYS UNIT
===========
Up to now we have been dealing with REPETITION which
>BROADENS< the meaning of a word. It denotes that
something is done in ALL circumstances EVEN when you
wouldnt expect it.
By contrast the examples in todays and tomorrows unit
show how repetition indicates >SPECIFICITY AND RESTRICTION<.
A repeated word denotes, not ANY occurence of the concept, but
rather, the BEST and CHOICEST form of a concept.
Todays unit is especially important since we resolve a
controversy between Rashi and the Ibn Ezra. Most people are
unaware that Ibn Ezra explicitly advocates and defends
Talmudic Midrash in his introduction to the Torah. We have
here a fascinating case where Ibn Ezra says one this on
the Bible and modifies it in his commentary on the Psalms
REFERENCE:
=========
A lengthier version of todays module may be found at
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h1n23.htm
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2000 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
EXAMPLE 24: Lv13-49a Y-R-K-R-K (GreenReen)
==========
RASHI: The GREENEST of GREENS*1*2
EXAMPLE 25: Lv13-49b A-D-M-D-M (Reded)
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The REDEST of REDS*1*2
--------------------FOOTNOTES----------------------------------
*1 To explain these Rashis we observe the following
-The Hebrew root for >RED< is >Aleph-Daleth-Mem< or >A-D-M<
-All of a sudden in Lv13-49 we find for the first and only
time in the Bible the Hebrew word >A-D-M-D-M<.
-This would correspond to an English word >REDED<
-Rashi reads this as a double word >REDED<=>THE RED OF REDS<
-Rashi then explains that consequently the word >REDED<
refers to >THE REDDEST OF REDS< (ie cherry red and not eg
pink red). So the laws of the chapter (Lv13) only apply
to things that have the color >reddest of reds< or >greenest
of greens<
*2 This is fully discussed in http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h1n23.htm
Ibn Ezra seems to disagree and state that GReenReen means a
light green (which would contradict this list). But as I
show in that posting, Ibn Ezra retracted what he said in his
commentary on Ps45-03. In fact Ibn Ezra simply points out
that he was testing the consistency of this rule against all
doubled roots. To make a long story short we reviewed all
roots & found possible problems with only 2: Ps38-11 would be
translated as >My heart FLUTTERS (intense back and forth
motion)<; Similarly Songs6-1 would be translated as >Dont
avoid me simply because I am very SUNBURNED (an intense
form of DAWN-COLOR)< Here is a list of these verbs. For
a fuller discussion see the URL above
{LIST1}
LIST of root doublings from Ibn Ezra Ps 45-3
Recall our basic thesis that a >DOUBLING< or >REPETITION<
of root letters indicates a more >INTENSE< form--the
>CHOICEST and BEST<. Thus eg >FLUTTERING (SCRCR)< is
an intense form of >REVOLVING< (SCR)
===============================================================
ROOT MEANING MEANING WHEN ROOT LETTERS WHICH TWO
ARE DOUBLED ROOT LETTERS
ARE DOUBLED
==== ============== ========================== ============
SChR Beginning Dawn Ending Dawn (reddish)*a 2,3
SChR Motion about Total revolving/fluttering 2,3
SGH Grow Wild intense growth 1,2
YFH Pretty Very Pretty 1,2
FOOTNOTES:
==========
*a As indicated the Ibn Ezra takes SChR = Black and SChRChReTH =
TAN, a weakened black(So >TAN< would be a >WEAKENED< form or
>BLACK<. By contrast I suggest that SCHR=>DAWN< and
>SCHARCHORETH< =>SUN BURNED< (an intense form of dawn)
{END OF LIST}
{LIST2}
FURTHER LIST of root doublings meaning the CHOICEST
Recall our basic thesis that a >DOUBLING< or >REPETITION<
of root letters indicates a more >INTENSE< form--the
>CHOICEST and BEST<. Thus eg >BRAIDED HAIR<(TLTL) is
an intense form of >LUMP< (TLL) because BRAIDED HAIR
has many lumps.
===============================================================
ROOT MEANING VERSE MEANING WHEN ROOT LETTERS WHICH TWO
ARE DOUBLED ROOT LETTERS
ARE DOUBLED
==== ======= ======== ============================ ============
TLL Lump Song5-11 Braided hair (many lumps!) 1,2
CDD Sparks Is54-12 Sparkling stone (like a sun) 1,2
COL Measure 1-16-12 Subsidize, Support 1,3
CRH Dig 2S6-14 Dance*a 1,2
TzNH Cold 2-16-33 Thermos (Preserves cold)*b
NOTES:
=====
*a Note that it is the MOTIONS of Dancing that are INTENSE forms
of the MOTIONS of digging. Digging and Dancing of course have
nothing to do with each other. One of the challenging things in
research on meaning is how a whole assortment of principles may
coalesce on a single word.
*b See our Rashi is Simple archives on v2-16-33: A thermos
is a doubly insulated can that preserves cold (hence the doubling
of TzN). In light of the principle we mention here we would say
that TzNH just means cold while TzNTzNeTH means INTENSELY
PRESERVING COLD since most cold things go away.
{END OF LIST}
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