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The 6 MEANINGS OF N-Pa-Sh(EXPANSIVENESS) |
SUMMARY
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In the 24 Rashis below, Rashi deals with the Hebrew root
N-Pa-Sh. Review of these Rashis exposes 6 distinct meanings.
The 6 distinct meanings group into two categories and are
unified by the concept of EXPANSIVENESS*1
THE SIX MEANINGS
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The Hebrew root N-P-Sh can mean
* DESIRE
* INTEREST (either LOSS of INTEREST, or RENEWED INTEREST)*2
* The SOUL( that is the GENERAL CAPACITY FOR ADAPTIVITY)*3
Furthermore, N-P-Sh has 3 specific meanings related to LIFE:
N-P-Sh can refer to
* LIVING BEINGS vs property (like SOULS in English)
* A LETHAL BLOW (literally a SOUL-HIT (N-P-Sh HIT))
* A LIVE ORGAN (literally SOUL-FLESH)*4
The unifying theme to these 6 meanings is the concept
of EXPANSIVENESS*1.
Here is the LIST |
| VERSE | TEXT OF VERSE | MEANING OF NaFaSh |
| Gn14-21a | Give me SOULS;you keep property | PEOPLE vs Property |
| Gn19-17a | flee-for-your-SOUL | Save LIFE not property |
| Ex16-16b | according to count of souls | # PEOPLE (vs property) |
| -------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Lv24-21a | HIT animals SOUL | LETHAL blow |
| Gn37-21a | dont HIT his SOUL | LETHAL blow |
| Gn09-05b | I God will avenge SOUL-BLOOD | LETHAL blow*5 |
| Dt06-05c | love God with all your soul | Even with MARTYRDOM*12 |
| Dt24-15a | Worker bears soul | Workers risk LIFE*6 |
| -------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Gn09-04a | dont eat Flesh-Soul | LIVING LIMB*4 |
| Gn09-04b | dont eat Flesh-Soul | LIVING LIMB*4 |
| Dt12-23b | dont eat Flesh-soul | LIVING LIMB*4 |
| -------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Lv26-11b | my SOUL will not despise you*13 | I wont lose INTERSEST |
| Nu21-04c | our SOULS have been SHORTED*14 | We have lost INTEREST |
| Nu21-05c | our SOULS are CUT from this food | We have lost INTEREST |
| Ex31-17a | God SOULED on the Sabbath*15 | His INTEREST returned |
| Nu06-11a | The nazarite sinned against SOUL | NO WINE=NO INTEREST*16 |
| -------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Gn01-20a | Let there be swarming LIVE-SOULS | (ADAPTIVE) fish/animals |
| Gn01-21b | God created swarming LIVE-SOULS | (ADAPTIVE) fish/animals |
| Gn01-24b | Let there be LIVING-SOUL species | (ADAPTIVE) fish/animals |
| -------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| Dt23-25c | eat grapes as your SOULS-saiety | eat as you DESIRE*7 |
| Gn23-08a | if your SOULs will let me bury | if you ACQUIESCE*7 |
| Ex12-15d | the SOUL that did it | if PREMEDITATED*7 |
| Ex15-09b | Ill fill my SOUL with the enemy | Fill my ANGER/DESIRES |
| Ex23-09b | You know the SOUL of the convert | His DESIRES/EMOTIONS |
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| COMMENTS |
*1 Recall the principle that NUN means ALOT. Therefore
therefore N-Pa-Sh would mean ALOT (NUN) of SPACE (PaSh)
or EXPANSIVENESS. See Footnote *10 for references &
further details.
*2 The traditional translation of N-Pa-Sh is REST. But its
real meaning is RENEWED INTEREST/DESIRE in the world
*3 The Torah knows of 4 life statuses:
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- PLANT LIFE -- Capacity to RESPOND to environment
- INSECT LIFE-- Capacity to MOVE
- ANIMAL LIFE-- Capacity to DESIRE & ADAPT to ENVIRONMENT
- HUMAN LIFE -- Capacity to THINK
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Thus N-Pa-Sh refers to ANIMAL LIFE FORCE--the capacity
to DESIRE, HAVE INTEREST and RESPOND to the environment.
*4 There are 3 Rashis on the prohibition of EATING THE LIMB
of LIVE ANIMAL. To describe this the Torah coins the
phrase SOUL-FLESH meaning the FLESH of a LIVING BEING
*5 The exact Torah phrase is
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I God will AVENGE (Seek) BLOOD that serves your SOUL
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Quite simply this means God will avenge LETHAL blows.
See footnote *11 for a deeper interpretation.
*6 The Sifra/Sifray gives a simple example:
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A window cleaner climbs a ladder to clean windows.
He thereby takes the risk of falling & hurting himself
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*7 The usages in this SUB-LIST correspond to the
general concept of DESIRE. This concept covers
DESIRE, EMOTIONS, WILL, PREMEDITATION, ACQUIESCE
| LONGER FOOTNOTES |
*10 We of course follow here the SEMANTIC ROOT theory put
forth by Rashi and Rav Hirsch.According to this theory
in addition to GRAMMATICAL conjugation rules there are
SEMANTIC conjugation rules--every roots meaning can be
inferred from its letters.
To review other examples where NUN means alot see
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/means-32.htm
*11 I would go a step further and use the Rabbi Ishmael method of
PARTICULAR-GENERAL (http://www.RashiYomi.Com/example7.htm)
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--- PARTICULAR: I God will avenge BLOOD spills
--- GENERAL: I God will avenge SOUL hits
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Following the Rabbi Ishmael Guidelines we GENERALIZE BLOOD:
The verse now says I GOD WILL AVENGE ANY TYPE OF LETHAL BLOW
This includes BLOOD SPILLS as well as CHOKING (Rashi). Thus
we view the BLOOD SPILL as an example which is generalized.
In passing the difference between a BLOOD SPILL & CHOKING is
--a BLOOD SPILL destroys the body
--a CHOKING cuts off a LIFE supply.
Hence the Torah advises us that cutting of a LIFE SUPPLY
has the same (Murder) status as actually destroying the body
*12 A previous phrase says to LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR DESIRE
Hence LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR SOUL is interpreted to mean
LOVE GOD LETHALLY EVEN IF YOU LOSE YOUR SOUL(MARTYRDOM)
*13 Rashi also comments on the rare root GAAL which occurs
11 times in the Bible. Rashi says that the root refers
to AN EXPULSION OF THINGS INSIDE. Hence it also
means to DESPISE since when you despise something you
so to speak get it out of your system.
Statistically in 9 of the 11 times GAAL means to DESPISE
In the other 2 cases it refers to the EXPULSION MEANING
mentioned above. Here are the two cases
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Job21-10 His Oxen will conceive & NOT MISCARRY
2S1-21 His Shields wax was expuled
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On 2S1-21 Rashi explains that SHIELDS were covered over
with BOILING WAX which settled in the skin of the shield
This facilitated repelling arrows that hit the shield.
However since Saul had died David eulogizes him that
it looks as if the wax was expuled & therefore he was hit
On Job21-10 RADACK points out that a more probable meaning
is that the female oxen will not expul the ox semen.
Bottom line is that the word GAAL means EXPULSION of a
hidden substance and hence metaphorically means despise.
*14 The phrase SHORT-SOULED or CUT-SOULED mean to be FED UP
To no longer have the patience to deal with something
Rashi points out that the phrase
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SHORT SOULED (fed up) is always connected with WHAT
the person is SHORT SOULED about. Cf the following
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Zach11-08 My soul was shorted WITH THEM
Ju10-16 Gods soul was shorted WITH THE TROUBLES OF ISRAEL
Nu21-04 & The Jews Souls were shorted WITH THE JOURNEYS
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Hence the verse should be translated as THE JEWS WERE
FED UP WITH THE JOURNEYS vs THE JEWS WERE FED UP ON
THE ROAD (Interestingly these are the only 3 verses
where we have the construction SOUL SHORTED WITH
Rashi also brilliantly points the amusing consistency
of metaphors that A BIG BURDEN can cause A SHORTED SOUL
(BIG vs SHORT).
*15 The Torah literally says AND GOD RESTED ON THE 7th DAY
(We follow here the traditional translation of Na-P-Sh
as RESTED).
However when we VIEW THIS VERSE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND
OF TWO DOZEN OTHER RASHIS ON THE ROOT N-Pa-Sh we acquire
a deeper meaning.
In the other verses N-Pa-Sh means LOSS OF INTEREST, LOSS
OF DESIRE. We may think of a person who works hard all
week AND HENCE HAS NO DESIRES IN ANYTHING ELSE.
But then after a vacation this person is MORE THAN
RESTED. This person ALSO HAS RENEWED DESIRES & INTERESTS
in the world
In this way we acquire a richer understanding of N-Pa-Sh.
N-Pa-Sh would mean more than REST; it would mean
acquisition of RENEWED DESIRES.
*16 The actual verse simply (and enigmatically says)
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The Nazarite brings a sacrifice for SINNING AGAINST THE SOUL
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The obvious question is how did the Nazarite sin against
a soul. Rashi brings two opinions.
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--Perhaps the Nazir came in contact with a dead person
This is against the law and therefore he requires a sin
offering
(But this approach is unsatisfying---why should the
Nazarite DEFINITELY bring a sin offering if he PERHAPS
came in contact with the dead)
--Rashi therefore cites a second opinion which interprets
the word SOUL in its meaning of INTEREST/DESIRE. By
not drinking wine the Nazarite attacked his capacity
to have DESIRE, to BE INTERESTED (In new things). This
is a sin and he must atone for it.
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Note how this interpretation with its deep philosophical
connotations flows naturally and effortlessly from
the LIST of meanings of NAFASH
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