#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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VERSE: Dt26-17a

==================== A-M-R means BRANCH OF THOUGHT ===============

VERY BRIEF SUMMARY:
-------------------
The Hebrew root Aleph-Mem-Resh has the following 3 meanings
-- AMiR, a BOUGH of a TREE*1
-- AMR, to SPEAK (A BRANCH of THOUGHT)*2
-- HITHAMAR, to be the TOPIC OF EVERYONES TALK(TALK OF THE TOWN)
In analyzing this Rashi we will have occasion to review other
Rishonim and their opinion on these 3 roots. We will show how
the skillful use of lists can help in analyzing Rashis. In this
case we come up with a peachy textual emendation of Rashi. We
also show the greatness of the Radack---since in this Radack
Rashi conflict Radack seems to win

---------------------------------------------------------
RASHI RULE USED:                        WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE USED:                     UNIFIED MEANING
---------------------------------------------------------


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RULE
-------------------------
One of Rashis 6 main goals is to explain the meaning of
words the same way a dictionary does. There are many ways
for Rashi to explain meaning
-- Rashi can simply give the meaning of an unknown word
-- or, Rashi can contrast the nuances in two synonyms
-- or, Rashi can show a unity to diverse meanings.


STANDARD REFERENCES FOR THIS RULE
----------------------------------
The 6 Rashi goals: http://www.Rashiyomi.com/rules-01.htm
The RashiYomi dictionary: http://www.RashiYomi.com/words.htm

TODAYS LIST
-----------
We present below verses with the 3 main meanings of
Aleph-Mem-Resh. Footnotes add necessary details
==============================================================
VERSE     MEANING      TEXT OF VERSE WITH THAT MEANING
Is17-06   BOUGH*1      a few clusters left in the main bough*1
Gn30-34   SAY*2        And Laban SAID: Good--Its a sealed deal
Dt26-17a  Talk of town God & Jews are the TALK OF THE TOWN*3
Dt26-18   Talk of Town God & Jews are the TALK of the TOWN
Ps94-04   Talk of Town These criminals are TALK OF THE TOWN

NOTES
------
*1 Isiah talks about the
   -----------
   ROSH BRANCH
   -----------

   But Rosh can mean TOP or MAIN.

   If you look at the Rishonim on Ps94-04 (Ibn Ezra, Radack...)
   and Is17-06 they seem to interpret this as
   -----------
   HEAD BRANCH.
   -----------
   So that AMR would mean to be HIGH, HAUGHTY and BRAG.

   But a more focused interpretation would be to interpret
   AMR as the BOUGH. We conceive of a tree as
   --a TRUNK (The MAIN BOUGH (ROSH AMIR!!!)
   --the BOUGHS (Main branches from trunk)
   --other branches

   Thus we use textual emendation in meaning (ROSH=MAIN not TOP)
   and interpret the verse as
   -----------------------------------------------------
   only a few clusters left in the TRUNK=THE MAIN BOUGH
   -----------------------------------------------------

   This is consistent with the verse and unifies other
   meanings of the word. See the footnotes below for further
   details.

*2 If AMR=SAY=BRANCH OF THOUGHT then we can understand
   the contrast
   -- DBR= CITATION (Statement of words)
   -- AMR= SPEECH (BRANCH OF THOUGHT)

   This is consistent with the traditional contrast mentioned
   in the Talmud between DBR and AMR both of which mean to say.
   DBR we are told, is harsher and colder

   DBR would be the traditional COLDER approach since
   CITING to somebody (instead of talking to someone) is
   consider harsher and colder

*3 The RISHONIM who interpreted AMIR as HEAD BOUGH think of
   AMIR as HEAD, HIGH and HAUGHTY and interpret these
   verses as meaning BRAGGING.

   But a more focused interpretation is to interpret these
   verses as the HITPAEL of SPEAK. We have shown in
   http://www.RashiYomi.com/hitpal-5.htm that the HITPAEL
   tense refers to doing something INTERACTIVELY. (Or
   see the Rashi calendar http://www.RashiYomi.com/calendar1.htm
   in September of 2000)

   Hence if AMR means TALK, HITAMAR would be to INTERACTIVELY
   TALK. This would correspond to the colloquial English
   phrase THE TALK OF THE TOWN and would indicate that
   the item talked about is HOT.

   So it could be a notorious criminal who is the TALK
   OF THE TOWN. Or, it could be God and the Jews since
   after the Jews conquered Egypt the Exodus was the
   talk of the earth.

   And yes, this peachy explanation comes, not from Rashi
   but from Radack. After going over the Rashi-Ibn Ezra
   interpretation of Dt26-17 as BRAG (HIGH BRANCH) Radack
   gives as an afterthought that it would be perhaps
   better to interpret this verse as coming from the
   root AMR=To speak.
================================================================

RASHI RULE USED: UNIFIED MEANING
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website

Volume 15 Number 5


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#