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VERSE: Gn41-36a
RASHIS COVERED: Gn41-36a Lv26-16a Nu01-50a Nu01-49a
Nu14-29a Nu31-48a Gn40-04a Nu26-62a
======================== Gn41-36a ============================
SUCCINCT SUMMARY
----------------
One of Rashis 10 main goals is the explanation of
meaning the same way a dictionary explains meaning.
We call this the Rashi method of WORD MEANING.
Rashi will sometimes explain meaning by providing
a UNIFIED MEANING to a root.
Today we examine the root Pey-Kuph-Daleth.
(a) The root Pey-Kuph-Daleth has a fundamental meaning
of APPOINTMENT/ASSIGNMENT and typically refers to an
APPOINTMENT in an ORGANIZATIONAL structure. The
typical organizational structure in ancient times
was the ARMY and hence the word APPOINTED refers
to an ARMY officer and the verb APPOINT refers to
an ARMY assignment.
(b) When Pey-Kuph-Daleth means
COUNT it really means ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE ORGANIZATION.
That is if you wanted to count a collection of objects
you would use the Hebrew root Samech-Pay-Resh---however
if you are counting staff in an organization then you
use the root Pay-Kuph-Daleth.
(c) Hence the passive construction SO AND SO WAS
NOT ACCOUNTED means so and so was not on their
station.
(d) Metaphorically a punishment of God is
viewed as an ASSIGNMENT of the PUNISHMENT to a
certain person. Similarly when God REWARDS
somebody we metaphorically refer to God
ASSIGNING that reward to that person. The
typical English translation is e.g.
-----------------------------------------
Gn21-01 God REMEMBERED Sarah as He promised
...she gave birth to a child
-----------------------------------------
We however would prefer the UNIFIED meaning
of ASSIGNMENT. We would consequently translate
Gn21-01
-----------------------------------------
God ASSIGNED to Sarah the birth of a child
as he promised
-----------------------------------------
English translations sometimes use the word
REVIEW as in GOD REVIEWS THE SINS OF ANCESTORS
but again we prefer GOD ASSIGNS THE SINS OF
ANCESTORS (AND THEIR PUNISHMENTS) TO....
(e) The noun form of ASSIGN, ASSIGNED,
refers to a monetary object that say person
A ASSIGNS to person B to watch (either gratuituously
or for pay). Here again the word ASSIGNMENT
connotes status within an organizational structure
since although the object belongs to me nevertheless
I ASSIGN it, but only for purposes of WATCHING, not
ownership, to person B.
Just as we can examine the meanings of Pay-Kuph-Daleth
so too we can correlate these meanings with
grammatical modes.
THe root PKD has 8 meanings. THese meanings can vary
depending upon the grammatical mode used and the context
Here are some rules
-- in the PASSIVE, PKD means MISSING
-- in the ACTIVE with PREPOSITION ETH, PKD means REMEMBER
-- in the ACTIVE with PREPOSITION AL, PKD means VISIT ON
-- in the ACTIVE with no PREPOSITION, PKD means REVU
-- in the CAUSATIVE, PKD means to APPOINT
However if numbers are mentioned in the verse then even
in the ACTIVE or CAUSATIVE, PKD can mean COUNTINGS
REFERENCE
---------
Previous postings on the root Pey-Kuph-Daleth occur at
- http://www.Rashiyomi.com/h2n7.htm
- http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu01-50a.htm
- http://www.Rashiyomi.com/nu31-48a.htm
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
---------------
Yosi Zoimen pointed out to me 3 years ago that PKD
- means APPOINT in the CAUSATIVE mode
- means COUNT in the ACTIVE mode
Actually a more thorough analysis shows that PKD
- can mean REVU and VISIT SINS in the active mode
Two exceptions to this rule are mentioned in the
footnotes.
LIST864d belows presents many examples illustrating
use of the root Pey-Kuph-Daleth.
==================================================================
ITEM DETAIL
======================== =========================================
RASHI RULE CLASS: WORD MEANINGS
RASHI SUBRULE CLASS UNIFIED MEANING
RASHI WORKBOOK PRINCIPLE #7
SEE BELOW LIST864d
List of verses with Root Pay-Kuph-Daleth meaning APPOINT
==================================================================
====================== LIST864d =================================
List of verses with Root Pay-Kuph-Daleth meaning APPOINT
=================================================================
MODE PRP VERSE TEXT OF VERSE--PKD translation is CAPPED
========== === ======== =========================================
ACTIVE ETH Gn21-01 God REMEMBERED Sarah (gave her a child)
ACTIVE ETH Ex04-31 They understood that God REMEMBERED them
ACTIVE ETH 1S02-21 God REMEMBERED Channah
ACTIVE ETH Nu26-63 Who COUNTED*3 the Jews in Sinai
ACTIVE ETH Nu01-49a Do not COUNT the Levites
---------- --- -------- -----------------------------------------
ACTIVE AL Ex32-34 I will APPOINT their sins against them*1
ACTIVE AL Is13-11 I will APPOINT (Command)evil against them
ACTIVE AL Jr15-03 I will APPOINT on them 4 families
---------- --- -------- -----------------------------------------
ACTIVE --- Ps89-33 I will REVU*1 their sins with a rod
ACTIVE --- Jb05-24 You will REVU your family & find no fault
ACTIVE --- Ps65-10 You have REVUed the land & watered it
---------- --- -------- -----------------------------------------
CAUSATIVE Gn39-05 Since he APPOINTED*4 him on his house
CAUSATIVE 2R07-17 The king APPOINTED the officer there
CAUSATIVE Js10-18 APPOINT people to watch them
CAUSATIVE Lv26-16a I will APPOINT against them wild animals
CAUSATIVE Nu01-50a Now APPOINT the Levites on the Temple
---------- --- -------- -----------------------------------------
INTERACTIV Nu26-62a Levites WERE NOT COUNTED among the Jews*2
---------- --- -------- -----------------------------------------
Participle Nu31-48a The APPOINTED OFFICERS on the army
Participle Nu01-46 The Total COUNT*3
Participle Nu14-29a All your COUNTED people will die*11
---------- --- -------- -----------------------------------------
Noun Gn41-36a The food will be ASSIGNED for the famine
Noun Lv05-23 Thief returns the DEPOSIT assigned to him
NOTES
-----
*1 In English translations we speak about
- God REWARDING deeds
- God PUNISHING deeds
- God REVIEWING deeds
In all these verses we could have equally said
- God ASSIGNED punishment/rewards for peoples DEEDS*12
*2 The interactive seems to be used for the passive
I expect there is some further nuance but cannot find it.
*3 An additional point is that PKD only means COUNT in
the context of ASSIGNMENT. That is we can translate
PKD either as APPOINT or ASSIGN. Some typical verses would be
-- ASSIGN the Jews of 20 and above
-- all the ASSIGNMENTS that were ASSIGNED were so many
For the exception Gn40-04a
------------------------------------------------
And Joseph was ASSIGNED to the same prison ward
------------------------------------------------
where ASSIGNMENT is given in the ACTIVE vs.
the CAUSATIVE mode see footnote *10 below.
*4 This is the primary meaning of Pay-Kuph-Daleth
ASSIGNMENT = APPOINTMENT in an ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
-------------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES --------------
*10 There are two apparent exceptions to the assertion that
in the active mode PKD means REMEMBER/VISIT/COUNT.
Gn40-04a
------------------------------------------------------
And the prison managers APPOINTED Joseph with them
and he served them
------------------------------------------------------
However I would translate this verse as follows
---------------------------------------------------
And the prison managers COUNTED Joseph with them
(with the chef and wine butler)
---------------------------------------------------
The point being that there are no APPOINTMENTS in
prison. Rather every prisoner was ASSIGNED to a
different quarter. Joseph was assigned (or counted)
with the Kings servants (apparently because Joseph
was respected for his good work for Potiphar)
Isa34-16
------------------------------------------------
..all the birds will be on this desolate spot...
none of them will be missing
none of them will be MISSING
------------------------------------------------
The rule of thumb is that
-- in the PASSIVE, PKD means MISSING
-- in the ACTIVE, PKD means to COUNT
But in Isa34-16, PKD seems to mean TO COUNT.
And in fact the major rishonim--Rashi, Radack, Ibn Ezra
--translate it this way.
But this would be the only exception where PKD in the
active has the passive meaning of missing!!
Therefore I would translate the verse as
------------------------------------------------
..all the birds will be on this desolate spot...
none of them will be missing
none of them will be (obsessively) COUNTING
------------------------------------------------
In other words, when something is missing you
count to see if it is there. A mother bird who
is worried about losing her birds will go into
a counting routine. So the verse states
- no bird will be missing
- no bird will even have counting-anxiety about missing
*11
Rashi makes two points
- only those above 20 were punished since God does not punish
people between 12/13 and 20
- The Levites were not punished
But the fact that the Levites were not punished is not
inferred from here. Rather it is inferred from the fact
that
- they did not sin among the spies (indeed there was no
Levite representative)
- they were not punished on account of the spy sin
- they in general abstained from the sins of the Jewish
people (Such as the Golden calf, the spies and the
Moabite Prostitution)
*12
The concept of VISITING SINS AGAINST PEOPLE occurs
- in the ACTIVE (Ex32-34)
- in the CAUSATIVE (Lv26-16a)
Rashi resolves this by translating
--------------------------------------
I will APPOINT their sins against them
--------------------------------------
At any rate the ACTIVE tense
- DOES use PKD to denote VISITING punishment
- DOES not use PKD to denote APPOINTING an officer
=================================================================
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 28 Number 11
#*#*#*# (C) 2000-2005, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#
Volume 28 Number 11