13 Methods for inferring meaning:#4 of 32
###########################################################
# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# May 25, 2001 #
# Rashis 760-761 Of 7800 (9.8%) #
# #
# VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES #
# ----------------------------- #
# http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm #
# #
# Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, #
# (c) 1999-Present, RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President #
#Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit#
# #
# WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS #
# #
###########################################################
GOALS:
------
I decided its time for a longer unit.
This unit will focus on a major Rashi task--explaining
the MEANINGS OF WORDS.
Explaining the MEANINGS of WORDS is more than looking
something up in a dictionary. There are METHODS to
explaining WORDS.
Thus in this module we will explore HOW Rashi determines
the meanings of words.
TODAYS UNIT
-----------
Today we revisit the meaning of NUN in a word.
When it occurs at the end of a word it denotes
INTENSITY, MUCHNESS or ALOT. When it occurs in
the middle of a root it means similarity.
REFERENCE:
----------
This module comes from the following references in the
Rashi-is-Simple series.
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h10n1.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt32-10f.htm
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#
EXAMPLE 9: Dt32-10f
====================
BACKGROUND
----------
Recall that a terminal NUN denotes ALOT, MUCHNESS and
intensity. Some examples were presented two days ago which
we now repeat
=========== EXAMPLES OF WORDS WHERE NUN MEANS ALOT ============
===============================================================
# WORD ENG MEANING = ALOT (NUN) MEANING ROOT
=== ======= ============ = ====== ===== ================ ======
(4) PaaMN (Bell Claver)= Alot of(Nun) Hammering (PAAM)
(5) KoRBN (Sacrifice) = Intense(Nun) Closeness to God (KRV)
(6) ShlChaN (Table) = Alot (Nun) left out (on it) (SLCH)
(7) ZiChRN (Memorial) = Intense(Nun) Memory (ZCR)
(8) YERIVUN (Fist Fight) = Intense(Nun) Dispute (RV)
================================================================
THE VERSE & RASHI:
------------------
(9) EYSHUN (eye pupil) = Intense(Nun) Fire (Aysh)
COMMENTS
--------
Several opthamalogists in my Shomrey Emunah
congregation mentioned the RED EFFECT: If you shine a light into
an eye pupil (as happens when you take a picture) the eye turns
red (and hence the so called red effect in photographs).
And of course it immediately clicked that RED is an attribute
of an intense fire.This RED EFFECT explanation (which is
observable to a trained person) seems the most reasonable
explanation and is consistent with the meaning of NUN, INTENSITY.
Further details (such as other etymologies) are discussed in
the URL listed above
EXAMPLE 10: Lv16-04c
====================
BACKGROUND
----------
We have previously seen that when the letter NUN terminates
a root it means intensity. However when NUN is the 2nd letter
it denotes SIMILARITY. Here is a LIST
==========RASHIS USE OF SEMANTIC & GRAMMATIC ROOTS==============
Most people are aware that both Biblical and Modern Hebrew
is built on 3 letter roots. The rules governing the conjugation
of 3 letter roots are known as grammatical rules. Rashi fully
believed in the 3 letter root theory.
Rashi also believed that the MEANING of 3 letter roots can be
derived by using SEMANTIC CONJUGATION RULES which break the
3 letter root into a 2 letter root and a single letter with
meaning.
The LIST below shows how the 2nd root letter of NUN means LIKE,
in the semantic conjugation rules
For example
* the Hebrew root Chet-Nun-Pay means to FLATTER.
The 1st and 3rd letter of this root spells Chet-Pay
* The Hebrew root Chet-Pay means to COVER
* And we just said that the letter NUN means LIKE
Putting this all together we obtain that
FLATTERY = LIKE COVERING (in other words a COVER UP)
Similar examples are presented in the LIST below
================================================================
ROOT MEANS = NUN NUN= REST OF ROOT WHICH MEANS
====== ================ = === ======== ============ ===========
AaNaPh (anger) = Nun (like) APh (anger)*2
AaNaSh (Person) = Nun (like) ISh (Person)*2
ChaNaF (Flatter) = Nun (like a) ChF (Cover up)
AaNaCh (we) = Nun (like) ACh (Brothers)
ZaNaK (Leap) = Nun (like a) ZeeK (Spark)
KaNaF (Wing) = Nun (Like a) CaF (hand)
TzANaF (Put on clothes) = Nun (like an) TzuF (Overlay)*3
GaNaV (Thief) = Nun (like) GaV (Clefts)*4
GaNaZ (Hide) = Nun (like) GayZ (Shearings*4
NOTES
=====
*2 In these examples the root with and without the NUN has
the same meaning
*3 Rashi simply says that TzaNaF means to PUT TO REST.
But our point is that the Hebrew Tzanaf doesnt just mean
to PUT TO REST but more specifically it means to OVERLAY
as in putting on a turban or putting on clothes.
Thus by using the two letter roots we gain more insight
into both the meaning and believability of Rashi(Lv16-04c)
*4 A thief (vs a robber) enters steathily sort of like
thru clefts and holes.
I should mention that the other
meanings of the Hebrew GaV also have a connotation of
pits/clefts/bumpy surface: e.g. Cheese, mountains,
human back (which looks cleft like because of the vertebrae)
*5 This root is usually used to denote hiding treasures which
the Hebrew equates with a procedure that is sort of like
covering with shearings
================================================================
#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, 2001 Inc. Dr. Hendel President #*#*#*#*#