#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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VERSE: Gn27-45a
RASHIS COVERED: Gn27-45a Gn31-38a Gn42-36a Gn42-36b Gn43-14g
Gn43-14h Ex23-26b Dt07-14a Gn49-06f Lv27-45d
============= SYNONYMS MEANINGS TO LOSE CHILDREN #1 =============
BACKGROUND
----------
In todays posting we review SYNONYM WORDS which have to
do with LOSING CHILDREN.
We also review a UNIFIED MEANING of several diverse meanings
of a word which means TO LOSE CHILDREN
THE TEXT
--------
We bring verses for every meaning we list. We also illustrate
Rashis pedagogic technique of covering all meanings of a root
by simultaneously commenting on several verses each verse with
one meaning.
THE RASHI
---------
Rashi explains that AKAR means to be BARREN, while SHCAL refers
to either MISCARRIAGE or LOSING AN adult OR young CHILD.Finally
Rashi explains that AKAR besides meaning miscarriage can mean
UPROOTED, UPROOTED SOCIALLY, HAVE ONES FOUNDATIONS CUT.
The LISTS are presented below. To make the exposition easier
we present 4 lists
-- the SYNONYM LIST for meanings of AKAR and SHCAL
-- the 4 meanings of SHCAL with Biblical verses to support them
-- the 5 meanings of AKAR with Biblical verses to support them
-- the Rashis on these words
=================================================================
WORD MEANING VERSE SAMPLE TEXT
===== ========== ======== =====================================
AKAR Barren Gn11-30 Sarah was barren; she had no child
SHCAL Miscarry Isa49-21 How could I give birth & I MISCARRY
SHCAL lose child 1Sa15-33 As you have MURDERED womens children
SHCAL lose heir 1Sa15-33 So may your mothers child be killed*1
NOTES
=====
*1 My contention is that
-The Hebrew ShCaL in the PIEL MODE means LOSE A small CHILD
-The Hebrew ShCaL in the KAL MODE means LOSE AN adult CHILD
Thus the Rashi technique used her would be the technique
of ROOT + PREPOSITION. See footnote *10 *11 for details
----------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES -----------------------
*10 This conjecture of mine that SHCAL+PIEL=LOSE SMALL CHILDREN
while SCHAL+KAL=LOSE ADULT CHILDREN does not occur in the
traditional (or modern) list of meanings. It is a novelty
of mine with very few examples. Nevertheless the few
examples do point with statistical significance to a new
meaning. Here are some statistics
--There are 22 occurences of SHCAL in KAL or PIEL
--18 (or 80%) occur in the Piel and refer either
to miscarriages of losing small children
--4 or 20% occur in the KAL. But these 4 seem to
refer to losing BIGGER CHILDREN. The 4 verses are
presented immediately below. Logically if we accept
the traditional interpretation of PIEL as the
INTENSE MODE then KAL would be a weaker grammatical
mode and hence could apply to LOSING big CHILDREN
vs LOSING small CHILDREN.
The 4 verses where SCHAL occurs in the KAL and refers to
loss of bigger children are
------------------------------------------------------------
---Gn43-14 referring to Jacobs loss of Joseph & Binyamin
---Gn27-45 referring to Rachels loss of Jacob and Isaac
---1S15-33 referring to King Aggags Mother
---Isa49-21 referring to the loss of Mother Jewish Community
------------------------------------------------------------
Note that in each case we can prove that the children lost
were adults. E.g. It explicitly says that Joseph was 17
years old (and hence not a small child). Thus SCHAL in
Gn43-14 refers to a teenager (cf Gn37-02)
Similarly King Aggag was a grown adult when Shmuel killed
him---thus Aggags Mothers loss was the loss of an adult.
Similarly in Isa49-21 Mother Jewish Community is mourning
the loss of its adult members.
Note that besides these 22 verses where SCHAL occurs in
the KAL-PIEL there are 2 verses where it occurs in the
HIFIL mode.
*11 As pointed out in footnote #10, SCHAL usually occurs
in the PIEL tense. But the PIEL tense can mean NEGATION
Thus the Hebrew word for TAKE ROOT--SHORESH-- when
used in the PIEL, means to UPROOT. Similarly SCHAL which
refers to a GRAPE CLUSTER (ESHCOL) would mean in the
PIEL MODE, the FALLING OF THE GRAPE CLUSTER (symbolizing
miscarriage or the loss of children)
=================================================================
============= SYNONYMS MEANINGS TO LOSE CHILDREN #2 =============
BACKGROUND
----------
The Hebrew root SHCHAL primarily means to MISCARRY.
THE TEXT
--------
A variety of Biblical verses are brought showing 3-4
distinct meanings *10
THE RASHI
---------
Rashi brings 3-4 meanings: Miscarriage, Burying ones
adult or small children, grape cluster *11
=================================================================
MEANING VERSE TEXT OF SAMPLE VERSE
=================== ======== ====================================
Miscarry Gn31-38 Your flock never MISCARRIED
Lose small chidren 1Sm15-33 As you have KILLED womens children
Lose adult children Gn27-45a Rachel worries about losing Isaac*1
Grape Clusters Gn40-10 The GRAPE CLUSTERS grapes ripened
NOTES
=====
*1 I suggest that
-the Hebrew root SCHAL in the PIEL mode
means to bury SMALL children
-the Hebrew root SCHAL in the KAL mode means to
bury ADULT children
See footnote #11 for further details.
-------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ---------------------------
*10 As always in this email-list, the meanings of the root
SCHAL, come from the RADACKs book, ROOTS. Interestingly
RADACK includes the meaning GRAPE CLUSTER with the
with other meanings referring to LOSING CHILDREN. By
contrast Mendelkorn does not list ESCHOL under the root
SCHAL.
Clearly Mendelkorn is wrong. For it is well known in
Hebrew that the PIEL mode can mean NEGATION. Let us
give an analogy: The Hebrew root SHARESH means to TAKE
ROOT. But in the PIEL mode this Hebrew root means to
UPROOT. Similarly, the Hebrew root SCHAL which means
GRAPE CLUSTER would in the PIEL mode mean A FALLING
OF THE GRAPE CLUSTER (symbolizing a FALLING OF EMBRYOS,
a miscarriage).
*11 Actually the distinction between burying BIG and SMALL
children is a conjecture of mine. Rashi simply explains
that the Hebrew root SCHAL can mean both to MISCARRY
as well as to BURY CHILDREN.
I conjecture based on a small but statistically significant
number of verses that SCHAL in the PIEL MODE means to
MISCARRY OR BURY SMALL CHILDREN while in the KAL mode it
means to BURY BIG CHILDREN. The details of this were given
in footnote 10 of the first table in this series.
=================================================================
============= SYNONYMS MEANINGS TO LOSE CHILDREN #3 =============
BACKGROUND
----------
The primary meaning of the Hebrew root AKAR is to UPROOT
THE TEXT
--------
Several Biblical verses are brought showing 4 other
meanings of this Root.
THE RASHIS
----------
Rashi explains that the Hebrew root AKAR can mean to
UPROOT, to CUT FOUNDATIONS, to CUT THE FEET OF AN ANIMAL,
TO UPROOT A PERSON SOCIALLY (make him an idolatry slave)
or to be BARREN.
=================================================================
MEANING VERSE TEXT OF SAMPLE VERSE RELATION TO UPROOT
======= ======= ====================== =======================
UPROOT Ecc3-2 UPROOT a PLANT Main meaning of UPROOT
Cut Feet Jos11-6 CUT theirs horses FEET LOOKS LIKE uprooting*1
Cut wheel 2Sam8-4 CUT the chariot WHEELS LOOKS LIKE uprooting*1
BARREN Ps113-9 barren becomes MOTHER Same FUNCTION as root*2
Slave Lv25-47 a SLAVE to idolatry Socially UPROOTED*3
NOTES
=====
*1 See URL http://www.RashiYomi.Com/naming-8.htm This URL
describes the 8 METHODS BY WHICH THINGS ARE NAMED.
Sometimes things are named by what they LOOK LIKE: For
example the PENTAGON building looks like a PENTAGON; or
SURFING the web, has the same BUMPY form of SURFING THE
SEA; or CUTTING FEET or WHEELS has the same form as
CUTTING ROOTS.
*2 See URL http://www.RashiYomi.Com/naming-8.htm This URL
describes the 8 METHODS BY WHICH THINGS ARE NAMED.
By contrast to e.g. PENTAGON which names items by what
they look like, UN (United NATIONS) names a BUILDING
not by its form but by its FUNCTION and PURPOSE. Similarly
CAN OPENER or TYPEWRITER names an object by function.
The FUNCTION of the ROOT is to help the plant give
fruit; so an UPROOTED PLANT and BARREN WOMEN have lost
the same FUNCTION (to be able to give birth).
*3 See footnote #2 for a discussion of naming things by
FUNCTION.
The EKER is a person who is sold as a slave to idols.
This person performs all services of the idol (cleaning
and maintenance) and is totally deprived of his ordinary
life.
A FUNCTION of the ROOT is to give the
plant nourishment. So an UPROOTED PLANT and a SLAVE(TO
IDOLATRY) are both cut off from major sources of
life.
================================================================
============= SYNONYMS MEANINGS TO LOSE CHILDREN #4 =============
BACKGROUND
----------
In the first 3 LISTS of this series we have reviewed the
--4 meanings of the Hebrew root SChal
--5 meanings of the Hebrew root AKAR
--the nuances of SCHAL vs AKAR (barren vs miscarry)
THE TEXT
--------
We now bring the Biblical verses that Rashi actually
commented on
THE RASHI
---------
We have here a peach of a Rashi: A golden opportunity to
see how the King of Databases deftly wove the threads of
the dictionary into the Biblical text. In each Rashi
below we explain why Rashi selected the dictionary
meaning that he selected (why not another one). We see
that Rashi used such criteria as reasonableness, similar
verses and context. We also see how each meaning of these
roots is found (rather remarkably) in SOME Rashi.
=================================================================
VERSE ROOT MEANING IN VERSE BRIEF TEXT OF VERSE
======== ===== ================ =================================
Gn27-45a SHCAL Loss of children Rachel worries about murder*1
Gn31-38a SHCAL Miscarriage Miscarriage of flock*2
Gn42-36a SHCAL Loss of Children Jacob lost Shimon*1
Gn42-36b SHCAL Loss of Children Jacb suspects Shimon murdered*3
Gn43-14g SHCAL Loss of Children Jacob lost Joseph & Shimon*4
Gn43-14h SHCAL Loss of Children Jacob worries about losing Benjy
Ex23-26b SHCAL Miscarries Blessing: No barren or miscarry*5
Dt07-14a AKAR Barren Blessing: No barren women*5
Gn49-06f AKAR Sold to Idolatry Joseph was sold into slavery*6
Lv27-45d AKAR Sold to Idolatry Jew sold himself to an idolater
NOTES
=====
*1 Rashi comments on this verse to inform us that
SCHAL can ALSO refer to the loss of BIG CHILDREN.
See my conjecture in footnote 10 of Table 1 that
SCHAL+KAL is to used for the death of BIG children
while SCHAL+PIEL is used for the death of SMALL
children. It appears that this might be Rashis
intention
*2 Note Rashis point: SCHAL could mean either MISCARRIAGE
or BURIAL of Children. Since animals frequently lose
their young Rashi interprets the verse: YOUR FLOCK
WILL NOT MISCARRY--the blessing applied to the infrequent
possibility (Note that Gn42-36a and Gn42-36b deal with
two issues: Meaning of SCHAL vs GRAMMATICAL form of SCHAL)
*3 Compare Gn42-36 vs Gn43-14: In Gn43-14 Jacob uses
the PASSIVE FORM:
---------------------
MY CHILDREN were LOST.
---------------------
By contrast in Gn42-36 Jacob uses the ACTIVE FORM:
-----------------------------
WHY DID YOU KILL MY CHILDREN.
-----------------------------
Rashi explains that Jacob was doing more than complaining
about the possible loss of Shimon (who was in Jail). Jacob
was ALSO accusing the brothers of Killing (or ignoring)
Shimon or selling him off (to save themselves). (It would
appear from this Rashi that Jacob suspected the brothers
of selling Joseph into slavery)
*4 Gn43-14 is literally translated as
-------------------------------------------------
& Just as I LOST children so I WILL LOSE children
-------------------------------------------------
Rashi explains the PAST vs FUTURE:
--Jacob HAD LOST Shimon and Levi
--Jacob is NOW AFRAID of losing BENJAMIN
*5 Ex23-26 and Dt07-14 both state Gods blessing when
the Jews come to Israel
-----------------------------------------------------------
Neither you nor your animals will have BARREN or MISCARRIES
-----------------------------------------------------------
Rashis point here is that we translate AKAR as BARREN
rather than e.g. a blessing that no one will have their
feet cut off. The point is that the two verses Ex23-26
and Dt07-14 are similar and illumine each other--hence
we translate AKAR the same way we translate SCHAL as
MISCARRY
*6 First things First: All of Gn49 refer to the tribes
as Animals. Think of Shagals famous windows: Judah
is a Lion, Naftali is a Gazelle and Joseph is an
Ox (cf Moses Blessing in Dt33-17.)
Next: Gn49-06 could equally mean YOU TRIED TO CUT
JOSEPHS FEET OFF or YOU TRIED TO CASTRATE JOSEPH etc
Rashi picks the most logical meaning, the meaning
consistent with context: I dont know the French
Rashi used, but the most consistent meaning is the
meaning of SLAVE. So the verse YOU UPROOTED THE OX
in Gn49-06 would mean
------------------------------
Your sold Joseph into slavery
------------------------------
This is similar to the meaning in Lv27-45.
=================================================================
RASHI RULE USED: WORDS
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 11 Number 4
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 11 Number 4