The 6 meanings of AL:#5 of 5 ########################################################### # 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE # # Apr 28, 2001 # # Rashis 725-725 Of 7800 (9.3%) # # # # VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES # # ----------------------------- # # http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm # # # # Reprinted with permission from Rashi-is-Simple, # # (c) 1999-Present, RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President # #Permission to reprint with this header but not for profit# # # # WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS # # # ########################################################### -- GRAND SUMMARY -- GOALS: ===== A person completing this module will be able to correctly identify the specific usages of >AL< in the Bible. AL is normally translated as ON. In reality it has 6 meanings.This module also beautifully illustrates how our early commentaries complement each other; what one commentator misses the other supplements. OVERVIEW: ========= ==============The Hebrew AL Has 6 meanings==================== RULE: Most people think that the Hebrew word AL means ON. In reality the Hebrew word AL has 6 meanings. They are... ============================================================== AL can mean Verse Sample Text with this meaning =========== ======== ============================== ON Gn03-14 Crawl ON your belly WITH Ex12-09e Eat it WITH Matzoh & Marror IN Ex29-03 Place the Matzoh IN the basket TO 1S01-10 Channah prayed TO God NEAR Gn18-08 Abraham stood NEAR his guests AFTER Lv03-05a Offer the Peace offering AFTER the Daily*1 NOTES ===== *1 This list affords us a beautiful example of how the early Jewish commentaries complemented each other. Radack only lists the first 5 meanings in his excellent book THE ROOTS, while Rashi also lists a 6th meaning, AL can mean AFTER. A list of examples for each of these meanings is provided below [This digest was posted on April 19th 2001 and was Updated Apr 23, 2001 with the 6th meaning of AL mentioned above.] ============================================================== TODAYS UNIT =========== In todays unit we present the GRAND SUMMARY of all usages of AL. REFERENCE: ========= This module comes from the following digests in the Rashi-is-Simple series http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h9n23.htm http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ex12-09e.htm #*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi 2001, Dr Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#*#*# VERSE: Ex12-09e RASHIS COVERED: Ex12-09e Ex29-17a Ex35-22a Lv03-05a Lv04-10b Ex35-22a Ex26-24c Gn19-17a Gn49-13b Lv03-05a Lv04-10b Nu06-20b =============Examples where the Hebrew AL means ON=========== The Hebrew word AL has 6 meanings. The best known meaning is ON. In the verses below we have translated AL as ON ============================================================= MEANING VERSE Translation of verse with AL meaning ON ======= ====== ========================================== ON Gn01-02 Darkness lay ON the ocean ON Gn01-18 Insects crawling ON the ground ON Gn01-29 All grass ON the ground ON Gn03-14 You will crawl ON your belly ON Gn07-17 I will bring a flood ON the earth ============================================================== =============Examples where the Hebrew AL means WITH========= The Hebrew word AL has 6 meanings. A lesser known meaning is WITH. In the verses below we have translated AL as WITH. Verse references that end with a letter (e.g. Ex12-09e) refer to translations brought by Rashi. Other verses are brought by the Mideval Grammarian Radack in his book ROOTS ============================================================== MEANING VERSE Translation of verse with AL translated WITH ======= ====== ============================================ WITH Ex12-09e Eat the Passover lamb WITH Matzah & Marror WITH Ex29-17a Place its intestines WITH its other organs WITH Ex35-22a The men came WITH the women WITH 1S20-08 Do kindness WITH your servant WITH Gn30-40 He didnt place his flocks WITH Labans flocks ============================================================== =============Examples where the Hebrew AL means NEAR========= The Hebrew word AL has 6 meanings. A lesser known meaning is NEAR. In the verses below we have translated AL as NEAR. Verse references that end with a letter (e.g. Gn49-13b) refer to translations brought by Rashi. Other verses are brought by the Mideval Grammarian Radack in his book ROOTS ============================================================= AL VERSE Translation of verse with AL translated NEAR ==== ====== =============================================== NEAR Nu02-20 NEAR them was the tribe of MENASHEH NEAR Gn18-08 Abraham stood NEAR his guests NEAR Is06-02 Standing-angels are NEAR God NEAR Ex14-09 The Jews were camped NEAR the sea NEAR Lv24-07 Place incense NEAR the stacks of breadloafs*1 NEAR Gn49-13b May his borders be NEAR Tzidon(a ship nation)*2 NOTES: ====== *1 Lv24-07 Radack says the incense was placed NEAR the stack of bread. Rashi seems to indicate that the incense was placed ON TOP of each stack. Thus this appears to be a controversy of the Rishonim on a legal matter. *2 Gn49-13b Rashi has 2 points: (a) The Hebrew word AL means NEAR; (b) the word THIGH means BORDER. See http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ex25-31a.htm which brings the following Rashis where THIGH means BORDER:Ex25-31d, Ex40-22a, Ex40-22b, Lv01-11a. =============================================================== =============Examples where the Hebrew AL means TO=========== The Hebrew word AL has 6 meanings. A lesser known meaning is TO. In the verses below we have translated AL as TO. Verse references that end with a letter (e.g. Ex26-24c) refer to translations brought by Rashi. Other verses are brought by the Mideval Grammarian Radack in his book ROOTS ============================================================= AL VERSE TRANSLATION OF VERSE WITH al TRANSLATED to ==== ====== =============================================== TO Ex26-24c The boards shall be even from bottom TO top TO 1S01-10 And Channah prayed TO God TO Jos02-08 And Rachav went up TO them on the roof TO Jer18-11 Speak to the Jews and TO the Jerusalemites*1 TO Jer23-35 Say TO your friend & to your brothers as follows*1 TO Ps48-15 God will lead us TO the day of death *2 NOTES ===== *1 These verses have both the Hebrew words EL and AL in parallel and they both mean TO. *2 RADACK suggests that a proper translation would be -------------------------------------------------- God will lead us UNTIL the day of death -------------------------------------------------- However Radack brings NO other examples where the Hebrew word AL means UNTIL. Therefore I have included this meaning of the Hebrew word AL--UNTIL--with the LIST of verses where the Hebrew word AL means TO. ================================================================ =============Examples where the Hebrew AL means IN=========== The Hebrew word AL has 6 meanings. A lesser known meaning is IN. In the verses below we have translated AL as IN. Verse references that end with a letter (e.g. Gn19-17a) refer to translations brought by Rashi. Other verses are brought by the Mideval Grammarian Radack in his book ROOTS ============================================================= AL VERSE TRANSLATION OF VERSE WITH al TRANSLATED to ==== ====== =============================================== IN Ex29-03 Place the Matzohs IN the basket IN Is38-20 God saves us;we will sing ...IN Gods house IN Ex28-11 Etch IN the stones the Names of the tribes IN Gn19-17a your fleeing should be INvolved with your life*1*2 IN Gn27-40 your life shall be INvolved with the sword*1 NOTES ===== *1 These last two examples probably appear STRETCHED to the reader. A more flowing translation would be ----------------------------------- flee FOR your life ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- you will live BY your sword ----------------------------------- Those readers who speak Hebrew know that The Hebrew letter BETH when prefixed to a word can mean IN, FOR, BY etc. Thus it is difficult to UNIFORMLY translate all these verses the same way into English. To approximate this Hebrew Uniformity we have translated all verses with the word IN. *2 Rashi points out that the sentence emphasizes that he should --------------------------------------- Flee to save his LIFE, not his PROPERTY --------------------------------------- ================================================================ =============Examples where the Hebrew AL means AFTER========= The Hebrew word AL has 6 meanings. A lesser known meaning is AFTER. In the verses below we have translated AL as AFTER. Verse references that end with a letter (e.g. Gn19-17a) refer to translations brought by Rashi. Note that this nuance of AL, namely, AL means AFTERWARDS, is brought by RASHI but not by RADACK. Thus we have an interesting insight into how the great early authorities complement each other in their works. ================================================================ AL VERSE TRANSLATION OF VERSE WITH al TRANSLATED to ==== ======== =============================================== AFTER Lv03-05a Offer the Peace offering AFTER the Daily Olah*1 AFTER Lv04-10b Offer its flesh AFTER it head and ..insides AFTER Nu06-20b & the priest waives them AFTER the breast &..*1 AFTER Nu28-24 Offer these Passover offerings AFTER the Daily AFTER Nu28-10 The Sabbath offering AFTER the daily offering NOTES ===== *1 Rashi explicitly says that this is a new meaning of the Hebrew word AL---which according to Rashi can means MILVAD. MILVAD is usually translated as BESIDES. Thus Nu06-20b would be translated as THE PRIEST WAIVES THEM BESIDES THE BREAST However after examining both Rashi and the other verses we think that AFTER is a better translation that is more consistent with both the Biblical text and Rashi. Rashi explicitly says that these occurences of AL have a connotation of EXTRANESS which would correspond more to a translation of AFTER rather than BESIDES. Furthermore the intent of say Lv03-05a is that one should OFFERING THE PEACE OFFERING AFTER THE DAILY OLAH. ================================================================= RASHI RULE USED: SPECIAL WORDS #*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi 2001, Dr Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#*#*#