LIST950d
(C) Dr Hendel, Jan-03
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The two words Yud-Yud-Nun and Shin-Caph-Resh both
refer to WINE like objects. One means WINE while
the other means AGED-WINE (With a greater capacity
for intoxication)*10 We present below verses with
these words
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VERSE
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TRANSLATION OF VERSE(translated words capped
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Nu06-03a
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Let him abstain from WINE and AGED-WINE*13
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Lv10-09a
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Priests should not drink WINE and AGED-WINE
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Nu28-07c
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Make an AGED-WINE libation before God
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Gn09-21
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Noach drank from the WINE and GOT DRUNK*1
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Gn19-33
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They fed him WINE and slept with him*1
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COMMENTS
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*1 These verses clearly show that WINE can intoxicate
Thus the word WINE is both
- GENERIC referring to any WINE, as well as
- SPECIFIC referring to AGED-WINE
Hence we are justified in referred to WINE - AGEDwine
as a hononymic pair.*12
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LONGER FOOTNOTES
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*10 A comparison of the exact wording in the 3
Rashis is insightful
- Lv10-09a Wine when intoxicating
- Nu28-07c Not new wine (for it must be intoxicating)
- Nu06-03a OLD Wine because it intoxicates
Note that Rashi only explicitly identifies the
meaning of Shin-Caph-Resh as AGED WINE in Nu06-03a
In Nu28-07c Rashi explains that Shin-Caph-Resh is
not new wine*11
In Lv10-09a Rashi explains that Shin-Caph-Resh refers
to wine that intoxicates but doesnt explicitly
identify it with Aged wine.
Thus our LIST approach which requires a simultaneous
review of all relevant Rashis seems productive
*11 Rashi seems to be using the RabbiIshmael Method of
contradictory verses here. Indeed compare the following
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- Nu28-07 Make a libation of AGED-WINE
- Lv23-12 its libation is WINE
- Nu15-05:10 sacrificial libation shall be of WINE
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Thus we are simultaneously told to make the libation
- wine
- aged-wine
So Rashi is Simple--ANY wine is OK except brand new
wine (which has little intoxicating ability (That is
Rashi resolves the contradiction (Wine-AGEDwine) by
only excluding the weakest type of wine.
*12
Such pairs occur frequently (eg BREAD-FOOD, HONEY-SWEET,
DAY(12 HOURS)-DAY(24 HOURS), MAN-PERSON etc).
This is a routine example of METONOMY and SYNECHDOCHE
(using the part (BREAD,HONEY,DAY,MAN) to refer to the
whole (FOOD,SWEET, DAY, PERSON).
(I am indebted to my sister for pointing out that
the hononymic attribution is dependent on the
synechdoche)
*13 A very important subtlety is the following:
The root Shin-caph-resh means to get drunk
Hence it MIGHT appear that Rashi derives the
mean of AGED-WINE from the root Shin-Caph-resh
which means TO GET DRUNK
Unfortunately this is not true. Rather the meaning
of Shin-Caph-Resh as referring to AGED WINE is true
indepedent of any other meaning of the root. The
source of the translation is dictionary usage-this
is the way people use these words
Of course one we ALREADY know this dictionary usage
we are entitled to relate this usage to the obvious
fact that Shin-Caph-resh as a Biblical root means
to get drunk.
Our point however is that the translation Shin-Caph-Resh
as AGED-WINE is dependent on usage and need not require
further support from other meanings of the root.
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