ALEPH-NUN=VIRILITY
(C) Dr Hendel, Dec-02
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RASHIS COVERED: Gn49-03a Gn49-03b ALEPH NUN means VIRILITY
VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
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This posting affords us an opportunity to examine how languages
other than Hebrew can facilitate understanding Chumash & Rashi.
Gn49-03 should be translated as
- Reuven you are
- - my 1st born
- - the beginning of my VIRILITY
Here, the Hebrew root ALEPH-NUN is translated as VIRILITY.
Actually Rashi translates ALEPH-NUN as A LANGUAGE OF STRENGTH.But
by using English words, we can give more specificity and focus:
ALEPH NUN does not mean ANY strength--it means VIRILITY
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TODAYS RASHI RULE: WORD MEANINGS
TODAYS RASHI SUBRULE: WORD MEANINGS
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BREIF DESCRIPTION OF RASHI RULE
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One of Rashis 6 main goals is translating words the same way a
dictionary translates words. One of the goals of this email
list is to give precision, focus and specificity to some of
Rashis translations. For example, in this posting we translate
ALEPH-NUN which Rashi ROUGHLY translates as STRENGTH, but
we translate as VIRILITY---this gives more precision,focus and
specificity.
STANDARD REFERENCES FOR TODAYS RASHI RULE
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http://www.Rashiyomi.com/words.htm
TODAYS LIST
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We list verses with the Hebrew root ALEPH NUN and show that
the translation VIRILITY fits nicely. Footnotes further
amplify the nuances.
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VERSE
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TEXT OF VERSE WITH MEANING OF virility CAPPED
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Gn35-18
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She called her son:A child from a VIRILE*1 relationship
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Gn49-03
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you-re my 1st born--the beginning of VIRILITY*2
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Is40-26
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Look what God created---very VIRILE creations*3
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Hos12-4
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In his YOUNG MANHOOD*4 he fought with angels
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Hos12-9
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...Ephraim claimed ROYAL RIGHTS over Israel*5
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Prv11-7
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When the wicked dies,the hopes of his CHILDREN*6 are lost
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COMMENTS
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*1 In other words even though Rachel was sick she wanted
to name her child with a name that nostalgically looked
back at the virile relationship that created him
*2 Rashi enhances the nostalgia of the statement by the
poetic technique of EXAGGERATION. Not only was Reuven
Jacobs FIRST born, Reuven also corresponded to Jacobs FIRST
SEMINAL EMISSION Thus we have a punchy picture of Jacobs
love for Rachel.
*3 This phrase -- VIRILE relations -- is, of course, a metaphor
Just as we nostalgically look at the child of a virile
relationship as stronger & healthier so too a VIRILE creation
would be a strong healthy object (even though its creation
was not thru male-female relations)
*4 Here VIRILITY means YOUNG MANHOOD the age
bracket traditionally associated with
VIRILITY
*5 Here VIRILITY is used metaphorically. Just as the VIRILE
person obtains many children so to, metaphorically,
FINDING VIRILITY could mean OBTAINING RIGHTS OF REIGN
ON SUBJECTS Note how the KING-SUBJECT relation is viewed
in terms of POWER/VIRILITY and SHOWING OFF--which
corresponds to the prophets intent of insult.
*6 VIRILE here means CHILDREN. The verses points out that
even though physically the children were strong,
nevertheless they lacked spirit and thefefore their
hopes die.
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