The 7 meanings of FILL:#2 of 4
###########################################################
# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# Jan 8, 2001 #
# Rashis 510-512 Of 7800 (6.5%) #
# #
# #
# http://www.RashiYomi.Com/ #
# #
# #
# 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#
# #
# #
# #
# VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES #
# http://www.RashiYomi.Com/calendar.htm #
# #
# #
# WARNING: READ with COURIER 10 (Fixed width) FONTS #
# #
###########################################################
OVERVIEW:
========
RULE:
=====
The Hebrew verb >MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< has a fundametal meaning of
>FILL<.
From this fundamental meaning we derive 5 other meanings,
such as >FULL PRICE<, >FULL OF WISDOM<. Both English and Hebrew
used the word >FULL< idiomatically.
We now present the 6 meanings with supporting verses from
RADACK, BOOK OF ROOTS and from Rashis.
MEANING 1
------------------------------------------------------
>Mem-Lamed-Aleph< can mean >SPATIALLY FILL< as in
1K18-34 >FILL< 4 pails with water<
------------------------------------------------------
The other meanings are all derived from this and are
presented in the various daily modules
TODAYS UNIT
===========
In todays unit we review Rashis which comment on phrases like
>FULL PRICE<. Note especially the beautiful footnote 3 which
shows how each of the 10 plagues brought on Egypt, lasted a week
REFERENCE:
=========
This module comes from the following digest in the
Rashi-is-Simple series
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h8n20.htm
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
Yesterday we saw MEANINGS 1 and 2 of >MEM-LAMED-ALEPH<. Today
we review meaning 3.
EXAMPLES:
=========
MEANING 3
-------------------------------------------------------------
>MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< can also refer to a >MAXIMUM MEASURE<
We use similar idioms in English, for example, >FULL PRICE<
or >FULL HEIGHT< (1S12-20) or >FULLY DRAWN BOW< (2K9-24)
-------------------------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND
----------
Example 4 is talking about the purchase price of a burial plot
(which was a >FULL< price). Example 5 is speaking about the
burial treatment that the Patriarch Jacob received (which was
a >FULL< treatment). Finally Example 6 is speaking about the
plague of blood, the 1st of the 10 plagues brought on the
Egyptians--this plague happened for a >FULL< period of time.
EXAMPLE # VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH WORD FULL
========== ======== ===============================
EXAMPLE 4: Gn23-09b I will pay the >FULL PRICE<*1
EXAMPLE 5: Gn50-03a Jacob received a >FULL BURIAL TREATMENT<*2
EXAMPLE 6: Ex07-25a The plague complete a >FULL 7 DAY CYCLE<*3
----------------------------FOOTNOTES-------------------------
*1 Cf an identical expression in 1Ch21-24
*2 The Rashi commentator RAAM goes into contortions to harmonize
this with the meaning >(SPATIALLY) FILL<. However the way we
have taken it is simple---like in all of medicine there are
FULL and PARTIAL treatments--Jacob received a >FULL< treatment
*3 The Exodus Rabbah cited by Rashi mentions that all the plagues
followed a 1 month cycle. The simplest way of deriving this is
by using the 10th plague (the striking of the first born) as
a paradigm
We see 4 distinct stages in the striking of the 1st born
--Ex11-04:09 Moses warns Pharoh of the plague
--Ex12-01:20 Moses instructs the Jews to do some action
--Ex12-21:28 The Jews do as told(eg the Passover sacrifice)
--Ex12-29:36 God brings the plague
We know from the Bible that each of these took about a week
For example the firstborn were struck on Passover night,
the 14th, and this lasted till the drowning by the Reed
Sea on the 21st.
Similarly God commanded Moses on the 1st of the Month to
tell the Jews who in turn took the Passover lamb on the
10th of the month.
So we see that each stage took about 1 week.
If we couple this with the explicit statement by the
1st plague (the turning of the Nile into blood) that
>the plague on the Nile lasted a FULL week< we conclude
that all the plagues followed this 4 week pattern.
The technical rule used is a rule of Rabbi Ishmael:
--If we have a general class (like the plagues)
--and we are told that one of them has some attribute
(like the weekly pattern)
--then that information should be extended to the whole class
(So all the plagues had this 4 week pattern)
This also makes sense. You dont just pick up and leave
Egypt with 600,000 people. Rather Moses would have to, by
the word of God, get the people involved in activities.
There are many other points on this Midrash (like the
controversy on the order of the weeks; but my suggestion
above of basing the Midrash on the plague of the 1st born
seems the most reasonable way of taking it).
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 2001 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*