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VERSE: Nu15-30b

RASHIS COVERED: Gn09-05d Gn09-06a Ex31-14b Ex31-14a
                Lv20-07a Lv24-15a Lv24-16b Nu15-30b



====== EXTINCTION FOR CAPITAL OFFENSES WITHOUT WITNESSES =======

 The LIST below gathers 5 crimes
 * Each of them has TWO verses associated with it
 * with witnesses the punishment for this crime is death
 * without witnesses the punishment is extinction

 In some cases the EXTINCTION - DEATH distinction is not
 explicit in the verse while in other cases it is more
 explicit.

 Thus the LIST enables us to see an overall pattern -
 a rule which should universally applied -- that is,
 death penalty applies only with witnesses while
 without witnesses we have extinction
=================================================================
VERSE-1  THE CRIME  EXTINCTION           VERSE-2  DEATH PENALTY
======== ========== ==================== ======== ===============
Gn09-05d Murder     I will SEEK blood    Gn09-06a Death penalty
Lv20-06  Witchcraft I will CUT him off   Lv20-27a Stoned to death
Lv24-15a Blasphemy  He BEARS his sin*1   Lv24-16  Stoned to death
Ex31-14b Shabbat    He will be CUT off   Ex31-14a Death penalty
Lv18-29  Adultery   They will be CUT off Lv20-10  Death penalty

NOTES
=====
*1 Contrast the punishments to blasphemy
   in the following 2 verses:
     Lv24-15a lists a punishment of BEARING HIS SIN while Nu15-30b
  lists a punishment of BEING CUT OFF. Hence it is reasonable
  to identify the phrase BEAR HIS SIN with the punishment of
  BEING CUT OFF

  Lv24-15, Lv24-16 and Nu15-30 present 3 different words for
  cursing. They give the roots KUF-LAMED-LAMED, NUN-KUF-BETH,
  GIMEL-DALETH-FAY. Rashi on Lv24-16b and Nu15-30b brings
  LISTS of verses confirming that these roots are synonyms
  (that is, different roots with basically the same meaning)
=================================================================






================ ALIGNMENT OF 2 VERSES ON BLASPHEMY =============

 The LIST below aligns Lv24-15 and Lv24-16 by breaking the
 2 verses into 4 PHRASES. A comparison of aligned phrases
 facilitates inference of the details of blasphemy. The main
 laws learned is that
 * cursing the ineffable name of God carries a death penalty
 * cursing one of the other names of God results in extinction

 The differences between the 4 phrases are examined in the 4
 footnotes
=================================================================
VERSE   PHRASE 1         PHRASE 2    PHRASE3 PHRASE 4
======= ================ =========== ======= ====================
Lv24-15 A person cursing             his God will bear his sin
Lv24-16 A person cursing the name of     God will die
        *1               *2          *3      *4


NOTES
=====
*1 There are some subtle differences in the actual Hebrew
   which I have translated over (to get everything in one
   line). Lv24-15 says A MAN A MAN WHEN HE CURSETH..
   while Lv24-16 says WHOSO CURSETH. The Sifrah/Sifray,
   the Midrashic commentary gives no comment on this. I would
   assume that as usual, this language means that  the death
   penalty is extended to both men and women.

*2 Cursing the Ineffable Name of God carries a death penalty
   while cursing one of Gods other names (such as My Lord)
   carries a punishment of extinction.

*3 I would simply say that HIS GOD refers to names of God
   that have a POSSESSIVE element in the word: For example,
   MY LORD, MY GOD. So Lv24-15 explicitly says that cursing
   one of Gods names that have a possesive element, (like
   MY LORD), carries no death penalty, but rather a penalty
   of extinction.

*4 This has been explained above: There are two types of
   blasphemy: A blasphemy that carries a death penalty
   and a blasphemy that carries an extinction penalty.

   Now as pointed out in footnotes *2 and *3, Lv24-16
   dealing with the case of cursing Gods ineffable name,
   carries a death penalty, while Lv24-15 shows that
   cursing Gods other names (like LORD) carry an
   extinction penalty.

   Similarly (by analogy with the other crimes
   in the list above) cursing Gods ineffable Name
   WITHOUT witnesses would also carry a death penalty.

   In other words the primary intention of the
   2 verses, Lv24-15 and Lv24-16,  was to indicate the
   distinction between the INEFFABLE and OTHER NAMES
   of God. But by ANALOGY with other crimes, cursing the
   ineffable name of God without witnesses would also carry
   an EXTINCTION penalty.

   I think this viewpoint, that certain items are learned
   explicitly while other items are learned by analogy
   will facilitate seeing all of Rashi as the Simple
   inference of the text.
================================================================


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Volume 10 Number 3


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