The Hebrew >KI< has 7 meanings:#9 of 8
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OVERVIEW:
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RULE:
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The Hebrew word >KI< primarily means >BECAUSE<. A famous
midrash says >KI< has 4 meanings.
However we who speak English must use caution.
I have counted 7 English translations.
By completing this unit the reader will become proficient
in how >KI< is used and will be able to apply these
translations to new verses.
TODAYS UNIT
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In todays unit we show that >KI< can mean >PERHAPS< or >LEST<
The translation >PERHAPS< or >LEST< is one of the 4
meanings listed by Chazal.
REFERENCE:
=========
This module comes from the following digest in the
Rashi-is-Simple series
For a short summary see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn41-49a.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n4.htm (Available Sunday)
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n5.htm (Available Sunday)
For many examples see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n1.htm
For further special cases see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/Nu20-29c
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h6n24
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h4n8
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
EXAMPLES
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EXAMPLE 23: Ex23-05a
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PERHAPS you'll see your friends donkey
overburdened & desert him? No! Help him*1
EXAMPLE 24: Ex20-22c
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When you make stone altars dont use hewn stones
LEST you use STEEL/IRON CUTTERS*2
EXAMPLE 25: Dt20-19c
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(In war)When you seige a city dont cut trees
LEST you treat the soldiers like a group of
trees (and sacrifice them) to achieve entry*3
----------------------------NOTES-----------------------------
*1 Ex23-05a
I should note Rashis 2nd interpretation which is as follows
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IF you see your friends donkey overburdened....
-then you wont help him
-then you should held him
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As Rashi says >Sometimes you help your friend and sometimes
(eg if you are elderly and dont usually lift such bundles)
you have the right to desert him<
However the above translation is clearly twisted. These
laws cited by Rashi are learned from the wording
>HELP HELP WITH HIM<. Thus from the phrases >WITH HIM< we
infer that you only help when he works WITH YOU and you
are not obligated if eg he is elderly. Since this is not
Rashis main focus we will not further explain it here
except to say that we have several Rashis on the difference
between >WITH HIM< and >OF HIM<. See the following URLS
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ex22-24c.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/gn45-27a.htm
In summary the way we have interpreted Rashi is the simple
meaning of the text and the other laws that Rashi cites are
learned from other parts of the verse
Finally note that the meaning >PERHAPS< is similar to
the usage of >KI< to make a >QUESTION<
*2 Ex20-22c
Rashi also notes MORAL IMPLICATIONS
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The Torah had pity on these stones which only enable
peace--the Torah had pity on them by prohibiting to use
>STEEL< cutting instruments to hew the stones since >STEEL<
is a metal of destruction (Actually the Torah simply
prohibited swords but Rashi seems to take that as any IRON
instrument).
We can now conclude that if the Torah had
pity on stones which enable sacrifices which bring peace
between people (eg the sacrifice that allows a woman to
reunite with her husband after childbirth), and prohibited
using destructive instruments on these stones, how much
more so will the Torah have pity on actual people who bring
peace.
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*3 There are many diverse interpretations on this verse brought
by the Malbim, Ibn Ezra etc. However the above interpretation
brought by us is simplest and consistent with the Sifray.
The basic focus is that in war actions people lose their
individuality. In English we would say they become a HERD
(of ANIMALS) while in Hebrew we say they become a FOREST
OF TREES.
The general must be aware not to sacrifice one soldier for
the benefit of the group. We symbolically affirm this value
by not destroying ANY (physical) trees thus affirming that
we will not sacrifice any individual soldiers.
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