VERSE: Gn50-03a
RASHIS COVERED: Gn23-09b Gn50-03a Ex07-25a Gn48-19d Ex22-28a
Nu18-27c Dt22-09c Ex25-07b Ex28-17a Ex31-05b
Ex28-41d Ex32-29a Lv08-22a
RULE:
=====
The Hebrew verb >MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< has a fundametal meaning of
>FILL<.
From this fundamental meaning we derive 6 other meanings,
such as >FULL PRICE<, >FULL OF WISDOM<. Both English and Hebrew
used the word >FULL< idiomatically.
We now present the 7 meanings with supporting verses from
RADACK, BOOK OF ROOTS and from Rashis.
EXAMPLES
========
MEANING 1
------------------------------------------------------
>Mem-Lamed-Aleph< can mean >SPATIALLY FILL< as in
1K18-34 >FILL< 4 pails with water<
------------------------------------------------------
MEANING 2
------------------------------------------------------
>Mem-Lamed-Aleph< can refer to Jewelry skills since
Jewelers must know how to produce and >FILL< special
jewelry settings with Jewels(Both RADACK and Rashi
cite this explanation of the JEWEL-FILL connection)
------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OR PHRASE WITH WORD FILLED
======== =================================
Ex25-07b FILLING stones(ie JEWELED stones)
Ex28-17a FILLING stones(ie JEWELED stones)
Ex31-05b He had wisdom in FILLING stones
MEANING 3
------------------------------------------------------
>MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< can also refer to a >FILLED<
flat space (vs a >FILLED< volume).
------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE
======== ========================================================
Gn48-19d The reputation of his descendants will>FILL< the world*1
NOTES
=====
*1 Rashi cites the example of Joshua (from the tribe of Ephraim)
whose reputation filled the world when he >stopped the sun
in Givon and the Moon in the valley of Ayalon<.
There are two ways to read this Rashi
METHOD 1
--------
Rashi is >IDENTIFYING< the meaning of this verse with Joshuas
stopping the sun. (This would be most peculiar, that on his
death bed Jacob should all of a sudden tell Joseph about an
incident that would happen several 100 years later)
METHOD 2
--------
Rashi is >ONLY GIVING AN EXAMPLE<. In other words Jacob is
telling Joseph >This persons fame will FILL the world<
>FOR EXAMPLE< his descendant Joshua will stop the sun.
My suggestion here is that by viewing Rashi as >ONLY GIVING
AN EXAMPLE< Rashi becomes rich, mature and profound. By
contrast, perceiving Rashi as exhausting the meaning of
the verse with one example is rather shallow and superficial.
MEANING 4
-------------------------------------------------------------
>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)
-------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH WORD FULL
======== ======================================================
Gn23-09b I will pay the >FULL PRICE<*1
Gn50-03a The Egyptians gave Jacob the >FULL BURIAL TREATMENT<*2
Ex07-25a The plague complete a >FULL 7 DAY CYCLE<*3
NOTES
=====
*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).
MEANING 5
-------------------------------------------------------------
>MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< can refer to >COMPLETING< some item
For example, Gn29-21 >I have COMPLETED my work contract<
or 1K1-14 >I will come afterwards and COMPLETE your words<*1
-------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES
=====
*1 The haunting Job15-32 would be translated as
>Before its day it will RIPEN< which would be a sort
of contradiction (it will RIPEN but BEFORE ITS TIME)
Radack says that >MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< means>DEATH< here
but there are only 2-3 verses where this would apply;
hence we reject this.
Another suggestion brought by RADACK and IBN EZRA is
that Job15-32 comes from the root >MEM-LAMED-LAMED<
with an extra ALEPH (an obviously ad-hoc explanation)
I think the best way to take the verse is simply as
a poetic use of contradictory concepts.
MEANING 6
-------------------------------------------------------------
>MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< can refer to the >RIPENING< of produce
For example it can refer to wheat that has >RIPENED<
(Ex22-28) or it can refer to >WINE< the completion and
ripening of the grape harvest(Nu18-27)
-------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT WITH THE WORD FILLED=RIPENED
======== ======================================
Ex22-28a Your >RIPENED< WHEAT obligation*1
Nu18-27c >RIPENED< field
Dt22-09c >RIPENED< produce
NOTES
=====
*1 The obvious reference is to the obligation to bring
>first fruit< to the temple. This obligation takes
place when the fruit is >RIPENED<.
MEANING 7
-------------------------------------------------------------
>MEM-LAMED-ALEPH< can refer to >EDUCATION< the
>COMPLETION< of training, or the >FILLING with knowledge<.
For example, Ju17-05 says >He EDUCATED one of his
children to serve idols<
A particular useful idiom denoting education, which
is used in both English and Hebrew is the phrase
>MY HANDS ARE FULL<. This denotes an >ACTIVE WORK
SCHEDULE< by an accomplished person. Hence the phrase
>TO FILL HIS HANDS< would mean to >TRAIN< the person
-------------------------------------------------------------
VERSE TEXT WITH THE WORD FILLED=TRAIN
======== ======================================
Ex28-41d DRESS the priests,ANNOINT them,>TRAIN< & SANCTIFY them
Ex32-29a By executing the idolaters you >TRAIN< to serve God
Lv08-22a The 2nd Ram, which completed the >TRAINING< ceremony*1
NOTES
=====
*1 To be fair this verse has caused all types of opinions
For example some people (including RADACK by the
root >Shin-Lamed-Mem<) explains that this offering >fulFILLS<
the wills of all parties since everyone gets a share (God
the priests and the owners get a share--usually only God
gets a share in offerings.).
Some people simply take the word to refer to >COMPLETION<
But I think the simplest way of taking it is to use the
frequently occuring verb expression >TRAIN THEM< and simply
explain the 2nd Ram as being the final Ram in the >TRAINING<
ceremony
Volume 8 Number 20