*1 See LIST854e below for Biblical examples

*2 See LIST854c below for further Biblical examples

*3 Probably when people had a sexual fight (who did what)
they could SPREAD THE GARMENT to clearly prove their
point*10

*4 Many idioms in this list are examples of SYNECDOCHE,
the use of the (distinguished) PART to indicate the
WHOLE. Thus honey is a GOOD EXAMPLE of something
sweet, bread is a GOOD EXAMPLE of food, day(12
hours) is a GOOD EXAMPLE of the 24 hour period. Hence
almost all languages develop idioms: HONEY=SWEET,
BREAD=FOOD, DAY(12 HOURS)=DAY(24 HOURS).

Similarly in the above live SPEADING THE GARMENT
is a GOOD example of PROVING MATTERS (In sexual
disputes), the SUN SHINING is a good example of
CLARITY, GIFT OF HIS HAND is a good example of
a HIGH INCOME LEVEL.

*5 Cf However Lv15-08a Spit ON Him = Actually spit on him
The rule seems to be that SPIT ON HIM is literal
whereas SPIT ON FACE (use of FACE vs FULL PERSON) means
SPIT TOWARDS HIM

*6 eg If I am angry and mentally curse or if I
am angry and start ranting and raving without
however fully articulating everything on my mind
-- in these two cases I may have sworn IN MY MIND
but I have not sworn WITH MY LIPS (Explicitly)

*7 Contrast Ex20-03a OTHER GODS=GODS OF OTHER PEOPLE
vs Ex21-02a JEWISH SLAVE = SLAVE AND JEWISH

Technically the possessive --OF-- can mean
- OWNED BY (eg OTHER GODS = gODS of OTHERS)
- PROPERTY (eg JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE who is JEWISH)
- ASSOCIATED WITH (eg BELT OF GARMENT=Belt USED
with Garment)

Note Rashi proves the JEWISH SLAVE=SLAVE WHO
IS JEWISH by citing an other verse Dt15-12 *11

*8 For the relationship between TIME and DESIGNATION
cf the English APPOINT-APPOINTMENT

*9 Cf Gn31-35 for the sister phrase PATH OF WOMEN
which also refers to HAVING PERIODS

*10 (The following comes from my article PSHAT & DRASH
TRADITION Winter 1980)

We must distinguish between
- HOW we know what the idiom means
- WHY the idiom means this

HOW we know what the idiom means comes from USAGE
It can usually be inferred from context. Thus
the Biblical verses here state
when a person slanders his newly married
wife...then the womens parents shall sue
him and SPREAD THE GARMENT before the judges
-------------------------------------

Hence SPREAD the GARMENT is simply an idiom
for PROVING ONES POINT.

By contrast the question of WHY the idiom
means what it does is something more
speculative--maybe I am right that frequently
in sexual fights a SPREAD GARMENT proved a
point. But maybe I am wrong...in such a case
I am still sure about WHAT the idiom means.
I am just not sure about WHY it means this.

Another example occurs at Lv23-40a and Lv23-40b.
I am certain that the ETHROG was called the
GORGEOUS FRUIT but I am not quite sure why. Rashi
offers two explanations

EXPLANATION 1:
The ethrog is an EVERGREEN and DWELLS YEARLY
(This uses a pun on EVERGREEN=HADAR vs
HODOR=GORGEOUS)

EXPLANATION 2
-------------
The TREE and FRUIT taste the same; Hence
the tree is Gorgeous.

EXPLANATION 3
-------------
Rav Hirsch offers a 3rd explanation. Rav
Hirsch reviews botanical classifications and infers
that the Ethrog is one of the more advanced
fruits in the tree Kingdom.

I am still not sure WHY the phrase GORGEOUS
FRUIT means ETHROG but I am sure that this
phrase was used to denote the ETHROG


*11
Here is another example:
GARMENT OF CAPTIVITY does NOT mean
- the GARMENT she wore WHEN captured
(That is the GARMENT with the PROPERTY that
it was worn at the time of capture) but rather means

- the GARMENT she put on in case she is captured
(That is the garment ASSOCIATED with the
possibility of CAPTURE)

Rashi explains that non-jewish women would have
special garments they wore in case they were
captured during a war in order to seduce their
captors and prevent themselves from being murdered.

*12 The Hebrew word A-Chu-Zah by itself can refer to
a plot of land (without any additional words):
------------------------------------------------------
Cf Gn47-11 Gave them a PLOT
Cf Lv25-46 These slaves shall be a PLOT for inheritance
Cf Nu27-04 Give us please a PLOT among our brothers
------------------------------------------------------

*13 So Abraham would stay over for a month or so
then journey then stay over for a month or
shorter or longer etc.

*14 Rashi regards these LEVEL VALLEYS as sort of STADIUMS where
the Royal family had entertainment (Similar to practices today)
This is hinted at in the verse
---------------------------------------------
...to the LEVEL VALLEY ...to the ROYAL VALLEY
---------------------------------------------

Rashi also conjectures that this STADIUM type valley was a place
where the Royal families acknowledged Abrahams existence--since
he had defeated several Kings.

We need not see these as two disparate conjectures...we can
simply suppose that the LEVEL VALLEYS were used for BOTH
- Royal family sport events
- meetings with other kings.

*15 The idiom GOD SHOWED ME THE WAY or GOD SHOWED ME THE PATH
is common in several languages


*16 The idea that LEFT and RIGHT denote extremes in a political
spectrum is common in many languages. The LEFT-RIGHT distinction
has been identified with
- commoner-aristocracy
- poor-rich
- socialism-conservative
- equal outcomes-equal methods
- for change-for status quo
Here Rashi identifies LEFT RIGHT with
- LOT-ISHMAEL

The origin of the etymology is not clear. Some use a
historical approach: In the French parliament the
commoners sat on left while aristocrats sat on right.

I would say more simply that the LEFT HAND is CLUMSY
while the RIGHT HAND is MATURE. This explains the
various idioms: We have
- left=clumsy=poor=need to change
- right-mature=rich=happy with status quo

Since LOT was into materialism (Cf Gn13-10)
while Ishmael was more mature spiritually (Cf Gn16-11)
the LEFT RIGHT distinction corresponds
to LOT-ISHMAEL