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VERSE: Gn18-27a

RASHIS COVERED: Gn18-27a Ex02-21a Nu12-11a Dt01-05a

================== 3 DIVERSE MEANINGS OF Y-A-L  =================

BACKGROUND
----------
Hebrew meaning is determined by 3-letter roots. Each 3 letter
root has a meaning which undergoes changes according to its
conjugation. As a simple example Sh-M-R means to WATCH. But
then ShMRti means I WATCHED while tSHMRi means SHE WILL WATCH

THE TEXTS
---------
- In Nu12-11a the root Yud-Aleph-Lamed means BEHAVE STUPIDLY
- In Job6-9 the root Yud-Aleph-Lamed means CURSE
- In Gn18-27a the root Yud-Aleph-Lamed means REFRESH

THE RASHI
---------
Rashi simply explains that the meaning of Yud-Aleph-Lamed
depends both on the ROOT and the GRAMMATICAL MODE used.
-- In the active mode (KAL) YAL means CURSE
-- In the passive mode (NIFAL) YAL means STUPID (being cursed)
-- In the causative mode (HIFIL) YAL means to REFRESH (to
   lay a curse on ones opponents)

THE LIST
--------
The list below presents these 3 meanings, the verses they
occur in the texts of the verses as well as statistics on
how often they occur(the # column indicates how often this
grammatical form of the root occurs) The footnotes show some
exciting events  connected with this root. For example
-- Rashi actually contradicts himself in two verses
-- Radack suggests a 4th meaning: TO BEGIN
-- it is possible to argue over which mode this root is
   conjugated in
=================================================================
MODE   VERSE      TEXT                                 #  NOTE
=====  =========  ==================================== == =======
NIFAL  Nu12-11a   Dont place on us our STUPIDITIES     4  *1
KAL*2  Job6-9     God will be my CURSOR & destroy me   1  *2
HIFIL  Gn18-27a   I(Abraham) have REFRESHED my prayers 18 *3

NOTES
-----
*1 Jer05-04 Jer50-36 Isa19-13 Nu12-11a. In these 4 verses
   the root Yud-Aleph-Lamed clearly means STUPIDITY.

*2 There are only 2 occurences of Yud-Aleph-Lamed that CLEARLY
   mean curse:Job6-9 and 1Sam14-24!!I am reinterpreting 1Sam14-24
   to mean refreshed. That leaves only Job6-9. Most grammarians
   classify it as a CAUSATIVE MODE but it can be classified as
   an ACTIVE mode. See footnote *10 below for details

*3 Most of these 18 examples clearly refer to a
   -----------------------------------------
   NEW PROJECT ABOUT WHICH ONE IS EXCITED
   -----------------------------------------
   This contains nuances of both NEWNESS and EXCITATION. The
   closest English translation I have found is REFRESHED (though
   this is by no means perfect). For a beautiful example of how a
   simple translation can resolve an outright controversy in
   Rashi as well as for a discussion of 1Sam14-24 see footnotes
   *11*12

--------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES --------------------------

*10 Using Alfred Silbermans Grammatical Form Konkordance we
    easily see that Job6-9 with the form VeYoAyL can be
    equally classified as ACTIVE (KAL) or CAUSATIVE(HIFIL).
    --------------------------------------
    VERSE       MODE    ROOT    FORM
    --------    ------  ------  --------
    Prv23-24    KAL     Y-L-D   VeYoLayD
    Jer44-07    KAL     Y-N-K   VeYoNayK
    Isa51-13    KAL     Y-S-D   VeYoSayD
    2Sm24-03    KAL     Y-S-F   VeYoSayF
    Zac12-01    KAL     Y-Tz-R  VeYoTzayR
    Jos03-10    HIFIL   Y-R-Sh  VeYoRaySh
    Ex36-07     HIFIL   Y-T-R   VeHoThayR
    2K17-27     HIFIL   Y-R-H   VeYoRayM
    Nu17-11     HIFIL   H-L-Ch  VeHoLayCh
    ---------------------------------------
    In other words the form VeYoAyL could equally be
    active or causative.

*11 We review the following contradiction in Rashi
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    -Gn18-27a Y-A-L means HONORED/PLEASED (I am HONORED to speak)
    -Dt01-05a Y-A-L means BEGIN (Moses BEGAN to translate Torah)
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    Furthermore, on Dt01-05a Rashi actually cites Gn18-27a as
    an example where Y-A-L means BEGIN (I have BEGUN to speak)
    contradicting his explicit statement that YAL in Gn18-27
    means HONORED/PLEASED/EXCITED.

    Is this a contradiction in Rashi!? No! Rashi was simply
    presenting two shadows of one concept. The concept REFRESH
    has nuances of both BEGIN and EXCITEMENT/PLEASING. It is
    not the best translation but it does capture all nuances.

    Interestingly, the Radack in the book roots only lists the
    meaning of EXCITEMENT/PLEASING/HONOR and leaves out ANY
    mention of the word BEGINNING.

    I call the above method---finding a SINGLE SEMANTIC MODEL
    that unifies all nuances of a word (like REFRESH refers to
    BEGINNING and EXCITEMENT)---the SEMANTIC MODEL METHOD. It
    is the method I advocated in my Tradition 1980 article.

*12 17 of the 18 examples of Yud-Aleph-Lamed in the Hifil, seem
    to mean REFRRESH. But one seems to mean SWORE
    -----------------------------------------------------
    1Sam14-24 & Saul SWORE the nation: CURSED be who eats
    till I have avenged myself of my enemies
    -----------------------------------------------------
    The Radack brings this verse in his book roots.

    But I would suggest the equally plausible translation
    --------------------------------------------------------
    1Sam14-24 & Saul REFRESHED his war-weary nations spirits
    by stating: CURSE be who eats any food till my enemies are
    conquered--and no one ate anything
    --------------------------------------------------------

    Such an approach only affects one verse but then allows
    a beautiful unified theory on the root Yud-Aleph-Lamed
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    --- In Kal(Active) it means to CURSE (Like aleph-Lamed-Hey)
    --- In Nifal(Passive) it means STUPID (being cursed!)
    --- In Hifil it means REFRESHED (to cause ones enemies who
        intefer with the new project to be cursed)
    -----------------------------------------------------------

    Thus this one re-translation enables the diverse meanings
    of Yud-Aleph-Lamed to follow meaning according to the
    grammatical mode as indicated in the table below
=================================================================

RASHI RULE USED: ROOT+PREPOSITION
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
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Volume 11 Number 24


#*#*#*#*#  (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 11 Number 24